Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Festival City
Revelries inspired by spiritual events are significant in the calendars of
Venetians. Chief among these is the Festa del Redentore, held during the
third week in July in celebration of the end of the tragic plague that crept
through the city during the 16th century, killing upwards of 50,000
Venetians. Besides watching the fireworks (best seen from a boat on the
lagoon), you can join in the celebrations by crossing the temporary bridge
set up for the festival between Zattere and the island of Giudecca, where
the Redentore church serves as a reminder of the city's salvation. During
the original years of the celebration, the procession would have been led
by the Doge himself, and the 311m (1,020-ft.) bridge would have been
built on gondolas; today, there is no Doge, and heavier, more manageable
barges are used for the construction of the bridge. The all-night event is
usually accompanied by picnics and much drinking of wine. At sunrise,
many of the younger revelers row out to the Lido.
The Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematographica ( Venice Film
Festival; % 041-5218711; www.labiennale.org; from 5 a ticket) is sec-
ond only to Cannes as a center for European glamour, attended by movie
stars and other celebrities from all over the world. Continuing for 12 days,
the festival gets underway in late August and is centered on the Lido's
Palazzo del Cinema. You can get in on some of the action by attending one
of the public screenings.
Venice's Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte della Biennale di Venezia
( Art Biennale; % 041-5218828; www.labiennale.org; tickets for main
events 15, or 12 reduced) is a highlight on the world's art calendar,
offering visitors the chance to see some of the most unusual and experi-
mental art on the international scene. Some of the exhibits are spread
across the city, but the two main centers are at the Giardini della Biennale,
where various nations have permanent exhibition spaces designed by
native architects, and at the Arsenale.
Regata Storica is Venice's popular gondolier and rowing competition,
held on the first Sunday of September. Most of the city comes out to watch
the colorful processions and cheer their favorite team on to victory. In
May, the Vogalonga is a major non-competitive regatta in which up to
1,500 watercraft “compete,” starting in St. Mark's Basin.
Su e Zo per i Ponti, held on the second Sunday in March, is Venice's
very own city marathon, made extra-grueling by the fact that runners have
to cope with all those bridges.
Affordable tickets for the bigger events sell fast. While with sufficient planning
you can purchase seats from
20, the same seats, cheapest in the house, ascend to
60 3 weeks in advance of the performance.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search