page_title: Plague doctor costume
section_title: Culture
hierarchical_section_title: Plague doctor costume / Culture
caption_attribution_description: English: Medico Della Peste - "plague doctor's" mask - Beak doctor mask; Traditional Venetian Carnavale masks, including the &quot;plague doctor's&quot; mask, in the window of the Ca' del Sol mask shop in the Sestiere di Castello.
context_page_description: The clothing worn by plague doctors was intended to protect them from airborne diseases. The costume, used in France and Italy in the 17th century, consisted of an ankle length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask, often filled with sweet or strong smelling substances, along with gloves, boots, a wide-brimmed hat, and an outer over-clothing garment.
context_section_description: The costume is also associated with a commedia dell'arte character called Il Medico della Peste (lit: The Plague Doctor), who wears a distinctive plague doctor's mask. The Venetian mask was normally white, consisting of a hollow beak and round eye-holes covered with clear glass, and is one of the distinctive masks worn during the Carnival of Venice.
caption: A beaked Venetian carnival mask with the inscription Medico della Peste ("Plague doctor") beneath the right eye
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