Festivals, Venice

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Before the Regatta started, Canal Grande was a very bussy place, there were lots of moving up and down the chanel. More or less I got impression its big confusion down there on the water front, boats driving into the opposite direction, across the chanel, stopped in the middle of it, yachts in taking positions for observing regatta, fire brigade in action, ambulance boat in action, people shouting and quarrelin, in short, big excitment all around.

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Every year November 21th Venice celebrate the Virgin that saved the populations from the black plague of 1630. The Municipality build a floating bridge made of boats to easy the access to the sanctuary because loads of pilgrims come to visit.
Around the Salute Church there will be stands selling votive candles fot those who like to take one and the traditional fruit candies.
There are two food specialties that Venetian eat only during this week of celebration, the caramelized fruit on a stick that you can buy near the Salute church and the "Castradina", this is a dish made of smoked sheep meat, cabbage and onion and it is traditional of this festivity.

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"Festa del Redentore – Festival of the Redeemer is annual celebration of the end of the plague that struck a large part of Europe in the 16th century, causing more than 50000 deaths in Venice. In 1576 Doge Alvise Mocenigo invoked the end of the epidemic and the salvation of the city by constructing a votive temple 'which successors will go and visit, in perpetual memory of the grace received'. The first stone of the new shrine was laid in May 1577, and on the third Sunday in July of the same year Doge Sebastiano Venier proclaimed Venice free of contagion and asked Andrea Paladio to design the church which was completed in 1593. Meanwhile a provisional altar was set up and a bridge composed of 80 galleys side by side was put together, connecting Zattere with Redentore church quayside so that the procession led by the Doge could reach the church for solemn celebrations.

Nowadays Venetians celebrate by having traditional food in boats in St Mark's basin while they wait for the firework display to begin. When it finishes, the boats wend their way towards Lido to wait for sunrise."

Festa del Redentore is held on the third Saturday and Sunday in July. During Redentore night 333 m long pontoon bridge of barges connects Guidecca and Veice.

In the summer of 2007 Festa del Redentore came to us as a surprise. Being the budget travelers, we use to sleep in Lido di Jesolo (and spend 12-13 hours a day in Venice); a receptionist of our hotel have told us about the Festival and that we should not miss it (thank him), so we "have taken a risk" to spend the whole night in Venice, although we have had to leave the hotel room early in the morning (it turned to be approximately 20 minutes after we have arrived from the Festival). But our decision was the wright one, and our only (so far) Festa del Redentore is something we'll never forget!

We were in Venice for this festival two years ago. It is mostly a religious Venetian "thing," the purpose of which is to give thanks for the end of the 1630 plague after which the basilica was built and to pray for good health in the coming year. There are various masses held througout the day. There are candle-sellers out front. You buy a candle for a couple of euros, go inside the basilica where an attendant lights it and places it with other candles. We went about 10 am and it was a mob-scene, you couldn't move! It might not be so bad at other times of the day. Around the back of the basilica there is a street fair with food stalls, balloon-sellers, that sort of thing. There are no parades, as far as I know, nor any fireworks at night (like the Redentore Festival in mid-July). The one "special" thing they do is to put up a temporary bridge across the Grand Canal, and there is a traditional dish prepared that day. Although I didn't think it was anything special - I much preferred the Festa Della Sensa (held in late May/early June) celebrating Venice's marriage with the sea with a parade of boats out to the Lido and the ceremony - it was a interesting experience.

-End of May: Venice is celebrating her symbolic marriage with the sea

-The third Sunday of July:a great celebration with music, songs, fireworks and balloons that make a bridge on the water

-The first Sunday of September:Regata celebration, the most famous row competition where everyone wears costumes

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The first Sunday in September is the date for the annual historical regatta on the Grand Canal, preceeded by a parade of historical vessels with the crews in traditional dress.
Crowds gathered early all along the Canal, and eventually the vaporettos stopped running as various historical racing gondolas, police boats, tourist gondolas and spectator rowing boats milled around. A band provided pre parade entertainment and then the procession began.
The parade is led by the Serenissima complete with heralds sounding trumpets, and drummers. Other boats include the Dogaressa which carries the Doge and Queen Catrerina of Cyprus who was honoured by the first parade, and other fabulously decorated boats.
Following these, the racing competitors also parade, decked out in their vivid colours.
We stood near the Salute and as the vessels passed the oarsmen stood and held their oars vertically, saluting the Virgin commemoated by the church.

The first Sunday in September is the date for the annual historical regatta on the Grand Canal, preceeded by a parade of historical vessels with the crews in traditional dress.
Crowds gathered early all along the Canal, and eventually the vaporettos stopped running as various historical racing gondolas, police boats, tourist gondolas and spectator rowing boats milled around. A band provided pre parade entertainment and then the procession began.
The parade is led by the Serenissima complete with heralds sounding trumpets, and drummers. Other boats include the Dogaressa which carries the Doge and Queen Catrerina of Cyprus who was honoured by the first parade, and other fabulously decorated boats.
Following these, the racing competitors also parade, decked out in their vivid colours.
We stood near the Salute and as the vessels passed the oarsmen stood and held their oars vertically, saluting the Virgin commemoated by the church.

Each year the Venice Lido is lit up by lights from all over the world. For ten days it is the center of world social life.
The International Film Festival in Venice was set up in 1932, thanks to the encouragement given by the Count Volpi di Misurata, who was the Chairman of the Venice Biennale at the time. The Film Festival started up again in 1946, after a forced break during the Second World War.
Later editions of the Festival took on a more international connotation, first on a European scale and then including countries such as the United States, Japan and India in the competition. In the nineteen sixties the Festival became the launch pad for the English Free cinema and the French nouvelle vague, reinforcing even more the Festival’s international role.
The Festival continues to be an event that attracts a lot of visitors, both famous and non, amidst discussions and autograph hunters. They come from all over the world and provide the Venice Lido with a glossy, magical atmosphere.

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Nobody can say for sure when and why the 1st regatta was held, but in the 13th and 14th centuries the race had become customary.

As is still the case today (4 September), the race was preceded by a procession of all kinds of boats, all decked out and bearing symbolic images. After the parade, the races began. Originally the boats were divided into categories according to the number of rowers (once even 20 or 50), but now there are only 2 per boat.

The route to be covered in the least possible time goes from the Motta to Castello and Santa Chiara on the Grand Canal and back to the Ca' Foscari where a floating pavilion marks the finish line.

The winning team's awarded with a banner while a piglet's jokingly 'conferred' on the loser.

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1. First is the regatta for the very young on the 'pupparini' boats, with two oars.
2. Second is the regatta for the women on the 'mascarete' boats, with two oars.
3. Third is the regatta for men on 'caorline' boats, with six oars.
4. Fourth is the regatta for champions on 'gondolini' boats, with two oars.
The races start from 'Giardini della Biennale'. They cross the basin of Saint Mark's, then enter the Grand Canal. They row all along the canal as far as the Church of Santa Chiara, near the railway station. The first place is awarded the red flag , the following three the white, green and blue flags, these are the awards that in Venice take the place of medals.

It can get crowded on the Grand Canal as visitors and locals alike watch this colourful event. best to pick out a spot in good time - Note Rialto Bridge and Accademia briges are policed during the races and people are NOT allowed to linger here, must keep walking and pass over. Also the Gondola stations put seating out at extortionate prices - up to 50 euros to sit on a gondola on the Grand Canal for the best views. So my advice is:
pick a good spot that is free to stand at
have a meal in restaurant on the Grand Canal
or makes friends with the owner of a Grand Canal Palazzo!