Historic Regatta in Venice

As well as last year, on the first Sunday of September, the “Regata Storica” (”Historic Regatta”) will take place, the most important traditional event of Venice that occured for the first time on the 10th of January, 1315, during the government of the Doge Giovanni Soranzo. This ancient event, during the period of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, was organized to celebrate the war victories or to thank the foreign dignitaries and today it is divided into two different parts: the corteo storico and the regattas. The Historic Regatta starts with a multicoulored acqueous procession made by the Bissone, the Bucintoro and by the Venetian rowing school boats; the procession remembers of the arrival of Cyprus’ queen Caterina Cornaro in Venice. But if the meaning of the procession is the historic remembrance, the regattas represent the highlight of the Venetian rowing agonistic season: during this day the victory allows you to be part of the Venetian rowing history. A long time ago the partecipation (more…)

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Festa del redentore (The Redemeer Day)

The Redentore began as a celebration to give thanks for the end of the terrible plague of 1576, which killed 50,000 people (25-30 per cent of the population), including the great painter Tiziano Vecellio (Titian). The Festa del Redentore remains a major festival in the Venetian calendar, celebrated on the third Sunday of July. The most important place of the festival is Giudecca, one of the islands of Venice, situated to the south of the city center, where the Andrea Palladdio’s Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore (Church of the Most Holy Redemeer) was built.

On Saturday 19th of July, the eve of the festival, fireworks of the most varied colours and shapes are let off. Preparations start early in the morning when people begin to decorate their boats, or the small wooden terraces on rooftops from where they can admire the fireworks. From the early afternoon, Saint Mark’s basin fills with up to 2,000 boats of all kinds, decorated with balloons and garlands: the water surface is full of thousands of boats and lights, and thousands of Venetians awaiting the fireworks while dining on the boats. Around 10 o’clock at night (more…)

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The spectacular Luminara of San Ranieri in Pisa

Again this year the city of Pisa, in the night of the 16th of June, keeps its annual date with the Luminara on the occasion of the feast of its patron Saint Ranieri.

Pisa’s citizens celebrate this day by decorating the streets of the city with a particular lighting, which gives name to the event. More than about seventy-thousand wax candles are put into smooth and transparent glasses and fixed onto wooden white-painted frames, which are placed in order to highlight the shape of palaces, bridges, churches and towers overlooking the banks of the river Arno. Thanks to the Luminara, also the Leaning Tower of Pisa becomes (more…)

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FLORENCE: SAINT LAWRENCE FESTIVITY

Like every year on 10th August, in quarter San Lorenzo in Florence, took place the celebration in honor of Saint Lawrence and the Church of which he is also a patron.

The procession, that here we show with some pictures, paraded on the streets in the city center to the Basilica of San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence), the most antique in the city.

Loved through the centuries, by Lords and poor people, the Church was consecrated in 393 from Saint Ambrose.
The Church became famous thanks to Medici family who created there their own mausoleum ( Cappelle Medicee, in reality are the part of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo).

The festivity in the honor of the Saint, prince of martyr, has antique traditions: on 10th August, apart from costume procession (which takes place also nowadays on the day of San Lorenzo), there was also horse Palio, from Porta San Gallo to Borgo San Lorenzo and during the celebration Mass memorabilia of the Saint were exposed.

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Florence celebrates the festivity of its Patron

On June 24th, like every other year, Florence celebrates the festivity of San Giovanni Battista, Saint Patron of the city. According to the tradition, it’s a day in which several festivities take place in Florence throughout the day, such as parades, the ’sbandieratori’ show, the Rowing Club competition along the river Arno, fireworks, the famous marathon called “Notturna di San Giovanni”, and to conclude the night, the famous fireworks (the ‘fochi di San Giovanni’) at around 9:00pm.

This year, however, the festivities will start a day before, on Saturday. On the 23rd of June there will be a couple of activities that you won’t want to miss: the Notturna di San Giovanni (marathon race) and “Nottarno” the white night in “Oltrarno” (the southern streets of Ponte Vecchio) that offers music, art shows and several amusement activities throughout its squares and quarters. For this special occasion, all restaurants will remain opened throughout the night with tables on the streets and squares. (download the program in pdf)

For the second year in a row, the final match of Calcio in Costume (football in costumes) has been cancelled. The famous Historic Florentine Football, was a peppy medieval version of football played in Santa Croce square. In fact, in 2006 the match was cancelled with a specific motivation: “The unjustify events that took place on the opening match of the 2006 edition, forced the Municipality of Florence to take action on this important sporting event.”

But this will not discourage Florentine people, as they are preparing themselves for a weekend full of festivities and events. And now, as customary, here we give you some curiosities you could eventually have missed or never heard.

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