Kartaruga

Kartaruga isn’t just a shop — it’s a real mask-making workshop in the very heart of Venice. Everything here is authentic: papier-mâché, traditional techniques, handmade pieces. In the window you’ll find carnival masks, commedia dell’arte characters, animal faces, abstract shapes — something for every taste.

The workshop’s pride is the series of masks made for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Exact replicas are still available for purchase. But Kartaruga’s filmography goes far beyond one title: their masks have appeared in The Count of Monte Cristo, Casanova, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Gambit, Wild Wild West, and In Search of Fellini. Their work has also been featured in campaigns by Jeep and Louis Vuitton, and in Bulgari and Chanel shows and store displays. What better proof of international recognition?

Inside, you can not only choose a mask but watch how it’s made, right at the artist’s workbench. And if you feel inspired — sign up for a workshop.

No need to go far: Kartaruga is located right between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco — on one of Venice’s busiest routes.