Ball Season in Venice: An Adventure at Il Ballo del Doge

VENICE — The winter ball season in Italy represents the pinnacle of social calendars for those fortunate enough to secure invitations to these exclusive affairs. From January through March, aristocratic palazzos and historic venues across the country are transformed into dreamscapes of opulence and fantasy. Nowhere is this tradition more splendid than in Venice during Carnevale, when masked revelers slip through fog-laden calli, participating in a centuries-old tradition of mystery and decadence. While Rome, Florence, and Milan host their own prestigious events — like the annual charity ball hosted by the Doria Pamphilj Trust at their Rome palazzo (a palazzo three quarters the size of the Vatican) — Venice reigns supreme in the art of the carnival ball. Among these glittering festivities, one name stands paramount: Il Ballo del Doge, created by Venetian designer Antonia Sautter, has become the most coveted invitation of the season, drawing celebrities, royalty, and a global elite to experience what Vanity Fair once called "the most exclusive ball in the world." I’m a regular at the Doria Pamphilj ball, but this year the draw of the Carnival Couture fashion show, celebrating 30+ years of couture designs from Sautter, drew me to Venice.

The Gilded Invitation

The invitation arrives unexpectedly — a seductive red velvet card sealed with red ribbons. This year's theme, "Carnival Couture," promises to blend Venice's storied past with avant-garde fashion designs created by Sautter during a fashion show at the ball. Securing one of only 500 spots felt like winning a lottery I hadn't known I entered. I circle the date — March 1, 2025 — on my calendar with trembling fingers. Friends express disbelief: This is crown jewel of the Venetian Carnevale season, orchestrated by style maven Antonia Sautter, whose annual spectacle transforms Scuola Grande della Misericordia into a realm where fantasy and reality blur beneath glittering chandeliers. A week to prepare seemed both eternal and impossibly brief. 

The Designer's Vision

Antonia Sautter isn't merely a costume designer. She's Venice's preeminent guardian of Carnevale tradition. In her atelier near San Marco, she has spent decades perfecting the art of historical reproduction while infusing contemporary flair into her creations. Meeting her feels like encountering a character from Venice's golden age — elegant, charismatic, with an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion history. Her passion is infectious as she describes how the Carnival Couture theme celebrates the red thread connecting Venice's artistic legacy to its future, using artificial intelligence to project and transform costume details into immersive digital art.

The Fitting

Carnevale season is big business. To dress clients, Sautter hires a large atelier under the clock tower in Piazza San Marco. It's brimming with oversized dresses, headpieces, and gorgeous masks, as well as assistants eager to fit me in the perfect dress. A golden, floor-length princess dress from yesteryear — complete with a head decoration, shawl, and matching bag — emerges. It's the right fit. Each fitting becomes a history lesson. When I finally don the completed ensemble, the transformation is complete.

Arrival at the Ball

The Grand Canal glitters with the reflections of palazzos as our gondola glides toward the Scuola Grande della Misericordia. Fellow guests in elaborate costumes float past in their own vessels, creating a surreal procession of living art. Masked characters of all shapes and sizes await in front of the palazzo for the doors to open at 8:30 p.m. The transformation is breathtaking — the historic space now houses twin runways flanked by tableaux vivants, with costumed performers frozen in scenes from fashion history. Above, projection mapping creates shifting celestial patterns on the ceiling. Champagne with custom Ballo del Doge labels is pressed into our hands as we join the crowd.

The Carnival Couture Show

Shortly after nine o'clock, drums roll and the fashion show begins, Antonia Sautter's newest and older creations parading down twin runways. These aren't merely costumes but wearable sculptures, with architectural proportions and impossible detail work demonstrating the highest form of Venetian craftsmanship. Sautter awaits guests around the corner, a humble figure shaking hands with arrivals. The show is breathtaking and includes siren-type designs on the stage through to Marie Antoinette grandeur.

A Feast for the Senses

Upstairs, the majestic space has been transformed into a salon of great beauty with candles on long stands illuminating rows of elegantly clad tables set before the stage where an amusing program of old-school entertainment will begin. Two-Michelin-starred chef Lionello Cera has transformed the dining experience into a sensory journey through Venice's maritime heritage. Tables draped in crimson silk hold place settings of antique Murano glass and silver. Each course tells a story: Beluga Huso Huso caviar paired with Hatt et Söner champagne in bottles bearing special Ballo del Doge labels, seafood risotto with gold leaf, and local lagoon specialties reimagined with molecular gastronomy techniques. Between courses, performers emerge from shadow corners for vignettes of dance and music. The pinnacle arrives with pastry master Luigi Biasetto's Setteveli dessert — a seven-layer architectural marvel that once won the World Pastry Cup.

Casanova Would Have Approved

Those not going to the ball can attend nightly carnival dinners that are equally spectacular, entertaining, and more intimate. The historic Ca' Vendramin Calergi casino, overlooking the Grand Canal, was transformed into an 18th-century dreamscape for this year's official carnival dinner show. Under the theme "Casanova's Reveries," guests experienced a journey through time where seduction, passion, and intrigue blurred the line between dream and reality. Violinists performed suspended between cloud formations while costumed characters from Casanova's era mingled among international visitors. The immersive experience featured magnificent period costumes and unforgettable performances, with dancers in elaborate masks performing throughout the breathtaking venue. The dinner show ran for a few weeks, with strict masked dress code requiring historical or themed costumes. As guests ascended the staircase, spectacular lighting effects and themed sounds transported them to Casanova's Venice, inviting them to indulge their desires for one magical night.

Where To Stay

Once you've got the dress, you need somewhere to put it. As Carnevale is high season in Venice, it helps to think outside the box. The magic of attending the ball was truly sealed when I discovered a hidden attic room tucked away at the design hostel Generator Venice on Giudecca island. With its exposed wooden beams and breathtaking view of Piazza San Marco across the water, this space felt like stepping into a Venetian fairy tale. The juxtaposition of staying at this stylish hostel — a converted historic building with private rooms — while dressed in formal attire made each boat journey a delightful performance. Finding willing guests to help unlace my gown at the end of the night added to the Cinderella-like enchantment, making me feel genuinely included in this magical event despite being a stranger to most.

One Last Meal

The crowning discovery of the weekend came unexpectedly at the new Violino D'Oro hotel, where I experienced a culinary revelation before leaving. Despite my dietary restrictions, they presented a gluten- and dairy-free gourmet meal that sacrificed nothing in flavor or presentation. The hotel's standout design complemented the extraordinary dining experience — modern luxury thoughtfully integrated with Venetian traditions, creating an atmosphere as memorable as the food itself.

Meanwhile in Rome...

Carnival usually finds me in Rome at the Doria Pamphilj Annual Fundraising Ball, hosted in the family's palace gallery surrounded by Velázquez and Caravaggio masterpieces. The event is splendid in its Renaissance grandeur, fun and easy-going, with aristocrats and locals dancing beneath frescoed ceilings to string quartets and DJs. The event honors tradition with precision, with dance lessons organized in the run-up to the ball every Sunday. Dining is less formal — guests help themselves to a scrumptious buffet and find their place amidst the art galleries. The proceeds benefit the trust's retirement home Santa Francesca Romana Foundation ETS in Rome. That's the fun part — the formal, the informal, and the charitable blend together in such great company.

Plan Your Trip to Venice: Buy Fathom's Three-Day Guide to Venice, a concierge in your pocket for on-the-go ease.