Festa del Redentore in Venice
This year edition of one of the most popular ceremonies in Venice, the Feast of Redeemer takes place between 16th and 17th of July. Besides religious importance of the feast, the spectacular wooden bridge and magnificent fireworks midnight show with the next day regatta races are going to gather thousands of believers and spectators.
When the horrible plaque took already a quarter of citizens, in September, 1576, the Senate of Venice decided to build the votive church to Jesus in the hope, that his mercy would save the city from the certain destruction.
The following winter the number of deaths decreased significantly, and so the final decision was settled. The construction of the temple has been commissioned to Andrea Palatio. The works on the new church of Redentore ( Redeemer ) started July 21, 1577. The doge Alvise Moceni arrived to the construction site on the Island of Giudecca, and to enable large number of citizens to see the ceremony, the special boat bridge has been constructed.
The impressive over 300m long thanksgiving bridge is built every year, allowing believers and visitors to reach Giudecca from Zattere. The feast of Redeemer traditionally takes place on third Sunday of July.
Thorough centuries the details of the ceremony were changing, the procession has been replaced by the fireworks at the end of Saturday, and the religious services are held on Sunday.
This year the feast is enriched by several music concerts held in various churches in Venice, and Redeemer local feasts in Murano,Marghera and Chirignago Zelarino. Sunday afternoon ends with a series of gondola races, organised as part of the “Voga alla Veneta” rowing season.
Programme:
Saturday, July 17th
7.00 pm Celebratory opening of the Thanksgiving Bridge
11.30 pm Fireworks in San Marco Bay
Sunday, July 18th
4.00 pm A children’s twin-oared “pupparini” boat regatta
4.45 pm Twin-oared “pupparini” boat regatta
5.30 pm Twin-oared gondola regatta
7.00 pm Thanksgiving Mass at the Church of the Redentore
More at official site
[photo courtesy of renagrisa]
