This guest blog post was written by Justin Angelo Patulli, travel industry professional and history enthusiast.

Venice is one of the world’s most majestic cities unlike any other. Its unique charm draws in millions of tourists from across the world all wanting to take in its beauty. The Venetian culture has proudly preserved its artistic traditions for centuries and like most art, each piece has a story behind it. If you shop around on this site, you’ll notice that Venezia Maschere by La Gioia pays tribute to the city’s history as a primary trading route that linked East and West.

The Venetian Republic was a significant player in the world of commerce during the 14th century. In fact, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival recognizes Venice as having been “the most powerful Western trading partner along the Silk Road”. Its geographic position allowed it to facilitate a continuous flow of goods with its trading partners. During this time there was a great deal of trade with the Mamluk and Ottoman empires.

Both were notable for their elaborate artisanship and ultimately served as inspiration to Venetian artists. These two empires supplied this Maritime city with goods such as silk, metal, and glass, all of which are still present in Venetian art today. Venezia Maschere
by La Gioia has more than a dozen masks made with metal—something truly unique. It’s an example of how Venetian artisans are still making use of the materials brought to them by their trading partners.

Another way that the artists at Venezia Maschere by La Gioia have paid homage to Venice’s relationship with their historical trading partners is through its naming of their masks Saamira and Saf, which are of Arabic origin. These beautiful masks have been crafted using leather, metallic paint, and rhinestones to embody the opulence found in Middle Eastern and North African artistry, which the Venetians admired strongly. The Met (or Metropolitan Museum of Art) in New York City has documented that many Venetians learned Arabic during this era as a result of spending considerable amounts of time in Arab lands and Ottoman Turkey. One can imagine that these names may have belonged to the friends or business partners of Venetians and were brought home through storytelling. This brand has created a fusion of the two worlds through the production of these two styles of masks.

If you’re someone who loves reading about history and the origins of a culture then there are plenty of resources online to learn more about the Venetian Republic. And if you’re someone who appreciates cultural fusion, then look no further because Venezia Maschere by La Gioia offers its shoppers several options that embrace the cultural influences on Venetian art. Below you’ll find a few suggestions to make it easier for you to start shopping. They’re all so incredibly beautiful and unique, so it might make it tough to select one. Fortunately, there’s plenty of detailed reviews to read through, all of which boast of this brand’s top quality artisanship. And don’t forget to leave a review once you’ve received your order! Happy shopping!

Masks that embody cultural connection: