Fat Tuesday. Leitz Summitar 50mm

Today is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, the last day of eating, drinking and being merry before the Lenten period begins.  The Carnival of Venice has been a tradition since the 12th century.  It was banned in 1797, during the Napoleonic Period - who knew who was lurking behind those masks? - but after a long absence, the carnival was reintroduced by the Italian government in 1979. Thanks to Wiki for this background.
Carnival is a major tourist event for the city; Venice needs more tourists?
One part of the festivities is the competition for the most beautiful mask - la maschera più bella - and indeed, there are some magnificent examplars to be had.  Over several visits to Venice, my Editor and I have brought back a few, not exquisite works of art, but not the lowliest either.  The Blip shows a Volto or Larva mask.  Volto implies a full-face mask, and Larva is Latin for a ghost.  I upped the ghostly part by positioning two little LED flashlights inside the mask to make the empty eyes glow. It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul: Vlad, are you in there?