the masks
Venetian masks: the bauta, the Colombina and the others
What the main mask types are and where the names come from.
Reserve your place at the painting bench ↗Mask types at a glance
| Mask | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bauta | A full-face mask with a prominent nose and chin and no mouth |
| Colombina | A half-mask covering eyes, nose and upper cheeks |
| Commedia dell'Arte | Faces taken from the stock characters of Italian theatre |
| Plague doctor | The long-beaked mask of the medico della peste |
The bauta
Originally plain white and today often heavily gilded, the bauta covers the whole face. Its chin line lets the wearer talk, eat and drink without taking it off.
A mask of equals
In the eighteenth century the bauta, a black cape and a tricorn hat became a standard disguise regulated by the Venetian government.
The Colombina
A half-mask held by a baton or tied with ribbon, often richly decorated. It is named after a maidservant in the Commedia dell'Arte.
A modern creation
The Colombina has no historical record as an old mask and is entirely a modern creation.
Theatre faces
Carta Alta opens its session with the main Commedia dell'Arte masks, the bauta, the moretta and the plague doctor.
What you paint
Your own mask will be a papier-mâché blank chosen at the workshop. The palazzo offers more than forty models, from historical shapes to modern ones for children.