The Carnival of Venice was outlawed in 1797 under Emperor Francis II.
The Venetian Carnival had developed over centuries into a major public celebration of masks, costumes, feasting, and social inversion. Its popularity peaked during the eighteenth century, when Venice was renowned throughout Europe for theatrical entertainments and elaborate masked gatherings.
The political upheavals surrounding the end of the Venetian Republic brought that tradition to a halt. Under the rule of Francis II, the festival was outlawed entirely in 1797, and the use of masks was strictly forbidden. This date is therefore associated with the suppression of the historic Carnival, not its origin.
The tradition gradually reappeared in limited nineteenth-century private festivities, but the large modern celebration did not return until 1979. That distinction causes the most frequent confusion: 1797 marks the ban, while 1979 marks the modern revival. The Carnival now ends on Shrove Tuesday, before Lent begins.