Lovato has owned a shop since 1983 and runs a studio called Mondonovo Maschere in the Venetian district of Dorsoduro.

Guerrino Lovato, mask shop artisan and owner, said, "The carnival is a Christian tradition. It was the only moment in which one could break, even just minimally, the rules of religion, of politics, of morality, and so it was a moment of freedom. Freedom meant playing with identity. Who couldn't be king, prince, emperor, or simply beautiful all year round, could be so for carnival, and so men and women played with their identity by wearing masks. This is how in the high middle ages came about the need to change one's identity."

Rome has decided to challenge Venice by staging its own carnival celebrations.

Starting at Rome's famous Piazza del Popolo, horse-drawn carriages carried people elegantly dressed as figures from the 17th century.

Street performers wore original costumes used in works by famed Italian theatre director Luchino Visconti that had been loaned by the Rome Opera theatre.

Carnival ends on February 16th.