It’s carnival time in Venice, and as you walk the streets of the Serenissima you’ll be sure to encounter all manner of masked and costumed figures on their revels. Try not to take flight if you see this spectral figure haunting the misty canals after dark; with his long beak and wide, staring eyes, the so-called Medico di Peste, or Plague Doctor, is one of the Carnivals most striking and popular outfits. The form of the mask was invented by 17th-century French doctor Charles de Lorme, who came up with it as part of a medical costume to be worn whilst treating plague victims (think of it as an early and somewhat ineffective form of PPE). Although it’s a relatively recent addition to the pageantry of Carnival, the Plague Doctor has quickly become one of the festival’s most enduring sights. Don’t panic! Read the latest instalment in our blog to find out more about the long-running Carnival festival in Venice: https://buff.ly/3XhhloL