Redentore Festival

It celebrates the Redentore Feast in the third Sunday of July. And 'one of the deepest solemnity to Venice and is preceded, in the Saturday evening, with splendid fireworks that last more than forty minutes.

The fireworks begin, usually, at 23.30, but to find a space that gives the chance to see them with convenient, many carry chairs and tables already the previous day, while the cooks prepare the feast specialties, guinea fowl and sardee in sauce .

Each year is also built for the occasion, a pontoon bridge connecting the Fondamenta delle Zattere with Campo del Redentore, in front of the Church of the Redeemer, built as a vote by the end of the plague that was raging in the city in 1576 causing many deaths, because the Doge and the Venetian Senate could go there in procession. Usually open from 19.30 hours on Saturday, is closed during the fireworks show, to be reopened immediately after the end of the fires. Is kept open all day Sunday, Feast of the Redeemer, with the procession opened by the Patriarch and then already taken off on Monday.

In February of 1575 when part of Doges' Palace burned due to a devastating fire that destroyed much of the fresco of the Guariento in Sala del Maggior Consiglio] and numerous works of the greatest Venetian artists , no one could predict what would happen after a short time.

In the early days of the month of July began to get sick of the plague but the first people the city government did not consider it right the epidemic, underestimating the consequences that could be established, so by the end of September, the disease had claimed many victims and late shift for the sick on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio, quarantining of people who had had contact with the sick on the island of Lazzaretto Nuovo or hospitalization or beggars boats and travelers, only dimmed the expansion of the dreaded disease. On 4 September 1576, the Senato Venetian decreed to build a church "dedicated to our Redeemer" by voting every year His Serenity and his successors anderanno solemnly to visit the aforesaid Church in perpetual memory of the benefit obtained .

So it was that on the third Sunday of 1577, the Doge Sebastiano Venier July proclaimed the end of the plague and appointed Andrea Palladio to the design and construction of the magnificent temple dedicated to the Redeemer as a thank for the end of the infection.

To travel to the Island of Giudecca were approached more than eighty galleys to support the bridge through which the Doge and "Scuole Grandi" solemnly brought to the temple devotion and thanksgiving for the past fear. Since then, a tradition that lasts even today, a pontoon bridge is thrown, and inaugurated on Saturday evening wings 18,00, between the shores of the Zattere and Giudecca, just in front of the Church, because every year the political and religious leaders can go in procession to the votive temple.

It follows a colorful festival and noisy. Colorful for all lights that traditionally adorn the boats and the banks, with illuminated balloons and streamers on boats. Noisy for "barrels" that draw in the night sky beams of colored light, bringing joy joyous brigades who have found themselves all together in their boats to eat sardines in sauce or the 'anara' 'with' inevitable watermelon.

The religious festival (but especially its implication pagan) is, as I said, very much felt by the Venetians, in fact seen that you make in the waters of the St. Mark's Basin, can be considered the last remaining party to the Venetians, although it has become international and attracts people from everywhere. Proof of this are the many private boat cruise that in the days dedicated to moor party along the shore of Zattere.
The best locations from which the fireworks are visible every year are besieged by many people arriving in the early afternoon to take the places to see the fireworks. In the map below shows the best points, but also from further afield are still clearly visible.

Just because they are the best places to watch the fireworks the shore of Piazzetta San Marco, the Riva degli Schiavoni, the Zattere, the fondamenta Giudecca, but also the Accademia Bridge or even the automotive Ponte della Libertà, are full of people, all stops with the nose and ready to review with noisy Hoo the most beautiful sciochi only when they are detonated three firecrackers to show the end of the fireworks, everyone is ready to resume their chores left before the firework display.