Venice invites itself to Martigues

Each year, the second weekend of September highlights the Venetian masked people of France. These carnival enthusiasts wear matching, hand-sewn masks and costumes to honor the tradition. It is in Martigues that they have chosen to stroll during the Flâneries au Miroir, in the heart of La Venise Provençale.

Its colorful facades, its boats and its canals make Martigues, the little Venice. Many will be able to confirm it, it is enough to come to Martigues in the South of France to feel like in Italy.
For a whole weekend, Venetian masked people take to the streets to meet visitors. The Venice of Provence then takes on its full meaning!

Both mysterious and fragile, these women and men honor Italian elegance. The mask is in keeping with the costume with neat details. The walk is graceful. The gesture is delicate.

In harmony with the strolls, it is in the Italian village that we meet to savor the products of the Italian soil. Tomme cheese, charcuterie, olive oil, truffles, fresh pasta, panettone, Sicilian cannoli, artisanal limoncello... You will succumb to the delicious flavors of this market with a thousand flavors.
 

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The Italian market in Martigues takes place over 5 days from Thursday to Sunday. It includes the Flâneries au Miroir weekend. You will be able to find there artisans and producers of the Italian country. With a well pronounced accent, it's a guaranteed change of scenery! For one day, the Venetian masked people walk there and thus offer a spectacle much appreciated by visitors.

Jovial and captivating, we have the irresistible desire to approach them. It is while strolling among the pedestrians of the city center that the 120 masked silhouettes strike a pose with grace. Sometimes seated on a bench, sometimes near a fountain, the costumed Venetians bustle with charm in a game of seduction. On Saturday evening, the party continues with a bewitching parade to Italian music led by a tenor and his symphony orchestra.

Life-size porcelain dolls of which you will only perceive the look
which will attest to their pleasure in sharing this moment with you!

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The Venetian Masked People of France is an association based in Marseille. It was created in 2006 to bring together enthusiasts of the Venetian carnival. We also find these enthusiasts at events in Baux-de-Provence, in the Paris region, in Dives-sur-Mer in Normandy,...

At the same time Pierrot, Harlequin and Polichinelle, it's a real Commedia dell'arte that unfolds before our eyes. Lightweight fabrics fly in the wind. Custom poles set the pace. Flowers, feathers, bow ties and baroque motifs sublimate these sober and colorful costumes. With their top hats and summer umbrellas, you will recognize them among passers-by.

It is by approaching them for a souvenir photo that you will discover the most striking details. Beaded jewellery, fans, handbags and sparkling mirrors pay homage to the art of Italian theatre. Others will have let their child's soul express itself by adopting a traveling companion: cat, owl, parrot, and teddy bear will know how to soften you and make you fall back into childhood.

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Les Flâneries au Miroir takes place every year on the second weekend of September. Every day, the costumed stroll through the streets of Martigues. Each day has its own neighborhood. On Saturday evening, a night show is offered with a parade and Italian music.