By: Dr. Cornelia Păun Heinzel
Translated by : Sorana Avramescu

Once Cornelia stepped into the city of pools, of romance, of supreme love and of the cruelest betrayals in love, Venice, the land rise of water, she had the feeling that she lives in an amazing world, where time seems to have stopped from its natural course, that she floats in an atmosphere permeated by the medieval spirit, where knights and ladies gave life to the most grandiose castles and palaces, which seemed to be swallowed by the water that passes through them unhindered, from one end to the other. The incredible combination of water and light, gave magic and fairy to the place. And the mirage of Venice, city of light but also of dark made that every moment lived in that miraculous salted water of Adriatic Sea, to be felt the most. Her parents chose this fascinating place as destination for the semestrial holiday from February, lured of the fame and magic history of the city. And of course they fell in love with it at first sight … … the walls shriveled facades of buildings, fallen … but at the same time proud and stately, nobly bearing the imprint of time. In this legendary city which seemed that never gets tired and never sleeps, Cornelia had the impression that the houses that mirror in the water are telling their own stories, which seemed to hide incredible secrets and the own history, in another time. She was excited about the gondola tour, but, at the same time, tired of travel, she fell asleep.

Suddenly Cornelia felt like something is gentle touching on her shoulder.

” What are you doing here, in gondola, beautiful lady? I am Andrea, Duke Torino’s son. Did you came for the carnival?”

Cornelia rubbed her eyes with her palms and when she opened them, she saw a beautiful teenager, with brown hair, tall, in a medieval prince costume, with a golden mask, with sparkles and peacock feathers, in his hand.
”yes, but where are my parents? Asked perplexed the girl.”

” you’ve lost them? No problem. I’ll accompany you to find them. The city’s streets, narrow and dark are like a maze, where is difficult to find their end. I know them very well. And you’ll sure enjoy the walk. What can be more romantic then a gondola tour on the Grande Channel, between palaces, churches, luxurious houses, with the sky above us, accompany by a gondolier that sings us.

”What a beautiful mask you have! Exclaim the girl. ”

”Do you like it? I am glad to give it to you! ” said the Duke’s son.

Cornelia was glad about the gondola tour, between wonderful buildings belonging to other times, between the narrow streets of the city. The route got them at the kilometer 0 of Venice: San Marino market.

”Let’s stop here for a minute, told Cornelia and took from her pocket a croisasnt. She fragmented it and feed with it a few pigeons Tell me about carnival. From when is this lavish fest celebrated in town? asked the girl.

”Since ten years ago, our century thirteenth, marks the start of the Carnival, told the teenager.”

”But we are in 2015! Exclaimed the girl.”

”You might be kidding me. Venice was always famous in the actual era, the medieval one, for its lavish proms and full of charm, with princesses and ducheses of a rare beautiful.” But the most wonderful was doge’s daughter. When she turned sixteen, the doge thinked that she may can come for the first time at the prom. He ordered her a delicate lace dress and a wonderful hat from Paris

And there came the expected day. When the duke’s daughter entered in the dance hall, everyone was speechless by her beauty. Princes, Dukes, they all wanted to dance with her. Then all the women present at the ceremony got really angry. All of them get whiten besides Rosina’s beauty, the Duke’s girl. But the most thing that hurt them was that they had not dance.

In the days that come after prom all the girls get in one place and thought about what they have to do. The girl of another Duke, Carla, very jealous on Rosina proposed then, at the prom, everybody will always have to wear masks, so nobody will eclipse anybody else with their beauty.

Everybody made very attractive and woderfull masks, colorful, with feathers from exotic birds, from expensive velvets, decorated with lace and sparkles. At the next celebration, everyone was amazed by the beauty of the masks that there wasn’t any Duchess, Princess or other girl that hasn’t dance. That way, the carnival become a tradition.
What an amazing story! Exclaimed Cornelia .

Look! The ”Sighs Gate”! An old legend says that if you pass under this gate with gondola and kiss the loved person, love will pass any obstacle and love will be eternal, told Andrea. And he came closer to Cornelia so he could kiss her…

Cornelia, what are you doing? It’s late! You slept so much! She heard her sweet voice of her mother.

The girl opened her eyes slowly. ”So it was just a dream!” thought her. Then, she looked at the pillow next to her and she saw the golden mask with sparkles and peacock feathers…