15/05/2010 - "Festa della Sensa" Celebration on the 15th and the 16th May 2010
On 15th and 16th May, the Venetians will celebrate the “Festa della Sensa”, a traditional festivity which dates back to a period in Venetian history when Ziani, the Doge of the city, functioned as a middle man between Pope Alexander III and the emperor Frederick Barbarossa. It is a ceremony that celebrates the Most Serene Republic’s mastery of the sea: the Doge and his entourage would embark the “Bucintoro” (from the Venetian word “buzino d’oro” which means “Golden ship”) and throw a golden ring into the sea when they reached the mouth of port San Nicolò. A large and colourful entourage of decorated boats with the representatives of different trades and of the most important guilds on board followed the “Bucintoro”. Nowadays it is the mayor of Venice, accompanied by representatives of the civil and religious authorities, who commemorates the wedding ceremony between Venice and the sea and who throws the ring into the ocean. Even though the ceremony is less grandiose these days, it still reminds us of the city’s rich history. The traditional dish of this festivity is “risi e bisi” a risotto with peas, as well as “castraure” (young artichokes).

23/05/2010 - The 36th Edition of Vogalonga on the 23rd May 2010
On Sunday 23rd May there will be the 36th “Vogalonga”, a famous non-competitive rowing event that takes place in Venice since 1974, against the wave motion that endangers the city and the Laguna. In the early morning, thousands of boats of every kind and form gather at St. Mark’s Basin in front of the Doge’s Palace for race of 32 km that leads through the canals, past the most picturesque islands of the Laguna and then back to Venice. Among the participants of this peaceful event are not only Venetians, but also many foreigners that take the opportunity to rediscover the magnificent landscape of the Laguna and habitat.