Traditional Festivals & Events

Venetian holidays you just can’t miss!

Many of the historic feast days in Venice have resisted the passing of time: the most important ones, apart from the feasts specific to each different sestiere, are linked to historic and religious events in the history of the Serenissima Republic of Venice. To participate at least once in your life in the events we describe below, means stepping into another dimension, which you will perceive as you taste the magical blend of sacred and profane that still permeates Venice today.

The most famous event in Venice is Carnival, which is one of the most famous in the world. For two weeks, the parlour of the world, the many campi and theatres around the city, become the venues for events of all kinds: not to be missed is the pageantry of the costumes in Piazza San Marco, or the flight of the Angel or the Eagle from the Bell tower of San Marco, the ‘Festa delle Marie’ with the beautiful young Venetian women selected by a jury, or the parades of decorated floats on the mainland.

The feast of Saint Mark, the patron saint of the city, is celebrated on April 25th. On that occasion Venetians give the women in their life a ‘Bocolo’, a red rosebud.

The Regata Storica – the Historic Regatta – held on the first Sunday of September, is the key event in the annual racing calendar of Venetian rowing, the unique sport practiced for over a thousand years exclusively in the Venetian lagoon. It is spectacular because, in addition to the race, one can admire the long procession on the water of dozens of traditional sixteenth-century boats, with costumed figures representing the Doge, the Doge’s wife and the highest officials of the Serenissima. For rowing fans, in any case, every year from April to September, over 120 regattas are held in Venice or its lagoon.

On the same theme, May is the month of the spectacular Vogalonga: over a thousand colourful boats must complete a circuit over 30 km long, rowing all the way, to celebrate the supremacy of the oar over the motor.

Another festivity that is very important to Venetians, and perhaps the most spectacular of all, is the Feast of the Redentore, which is celebrated on the night between the third Saturday and Sunday of July. A bridge of barges is built to connect the island of the Giudecca to the Zattere; thousands of boats decorated with lanterns gather on the Bacino di San Marco and on board, enjoy an abundant dinner with a menu based on traditional Venetian dishes, waiting for the fireworks that start at 11.30 pm and last beyond midnight. The tradition of the Redentore dates as far back as 1577, when a terrible plague swept through the city causing 50,000 victims. The end of the plague was celebrated with the construction of the Basilica del Santissimo Redentore by Palladio on the island of the Giudecca.

Another popular holiday is the Madonna della Salute, on November 21st. This is when the Venetians go on procession to the beautiful sanctuary to pray the Virgin Mary for good health. This church too was built to give thanks for deliverance from the plague in the XVIIth century. This is the only day of the year on which Venetians cook a special dish called “castradina”, the salted mutton that the Venetians were able to eat during their lengthy quarantine thanks to the loyalty of the Dalmatian people, who supplied the population with food.

 

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