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Everything you need to know about the largest and most anticipated celebration in Venice: with breathtaking fireworks and centuries-old traditions, the Festa del Redentore offers a unique experience in the world.
Its origins date back to the 17th century, stemming from the collective euphoria of the Venetian people after defeating the plague epidemic that afflicted the city. Today, like any other Venetian religious festival, sacred and profane come together, so between a mass and a cicchetto, you can witness the parade of the entire Venetian arsenal dressed up for the occasion.
It takes place every year on the third Sunday of July. It’s a true city festival where popular participation even surpasses that of Carnival and the Historical Regatta. For the Festa del Redentore, Venice comes alive for an entire weekend with a rich and varied calendar of events.
Starting from Saturday afternoon, the festivities continue all night on boats, along the canals, and in historic palaces. And for one weekend a year, the main island of Venice connects with the Giudecca Island, a truly suggestive walk in respect of tradition.
Between 1575 and 1577, Venice was struck by what could perhaps be defined as the most terrible plague epidemic in the lagoon city after the one in 1348. About 50,000 people died, nearly a third of the city’s population. The plague came at a difficult time for the city; the Serenissima had already lost many territories in the Mediterranean, including Cyprus, and to prevent revealing the vulnerability due to the epidemic, it hesitated to admit the severity of the situation, thus contributing to the spread of the phenomenon.
Only later did the Health Officials adopt necessary measures, isolating those infected with the plague and attempting to combat the disease. Suspected plague victims were taken to the Lazzaretto Nuovo, and if the contagion was certain, they were transferred to the Lazzaretto Vecchio, but thousands arrived. The Senate then authorized the massing of people on boats and ships anchored near the two islands.
Throughout the city, “purifying” fires were lit, using juniper wood, whose smoke, according to doctors of the time, was supposed to counteract the plague. It is during this period that it is believed a “medical outfit” was created (although some sources attribute it to 1630), which later became one of the most typical Venetian masks: the plague doctor. No cure was possible, and it was believed that foul air spread the disease. In the curved beak, a mixture of fragrant herbs, garlic, and a vinegar-soaked sponge was placed to purify the air and protect doctors from contagion.
On September 4, 1576, the Senate of the Serenissima decreed the construction of a church dedicated to Christ the Redeemer as a votive offering to free the city from the plague, and the first stone was laid on May 3, 1577. The project was entrusted to Palladio, who since 1570 had been the Proto of the Serenissima, or the chief architect of the Venetian Republic.
On July 20, 1577, to celebrate the end of the plague, a bridge of boats was built for the first time to reach the site where the Basilica was being erected, and the first procession took place, a tradition that continues to this day. From that day, the church of the Redentore symbolizes a decisive moment for the city of Venice, which, in the same year that the construction of this church began, freed itself from the terrible plague that had devastated it from every point of view.
In the 19th century, several days were dedicated to the Redentore celebrations. On the first day, the Saturday of the Redentore, people went with their boats, decorated with flowers, luminous balloons, and greenery to the Giudecca Island. There, along the shores, small kiosks sold fennel, blackberries, Melissa water from the Discalced Carmelite Fathers, sardines in saor, roasted ducks, and chickens. Then, tradition had Venetians move by boat to the Lido to see the sunrise. On Sunday morning, instead, a religious procession started from the Basilica of San Marco, crossing the canal on the votive bridge to reach the church of the Redentore on the Giudecca. In the evening, one could watch the fireworks display.
Today, the Festa del Redentore is celebrated by maintaining most of the past traditions. In addition to the votive bridge, inaugurated on the Friday evening before Redentore Saturday, and the procession and Holy Mass, the Festa del Redentore is celebrated by Venetians along the shores of the Giudecca with tables set up among friends and family where they can savor traditional Venetian cuisine, or directly on boats, strictly decorated for the occasion and moored in the Giudecca Canal.
The votive bridge, previously made up of boats placed side by side, is now built from several wooden parts assembled and placed on floating supports, allowing the crossing of the Giudecca canal on foot from the Zattere, near the Church of the Holy Spirit, to the entrance of the church of the Redentore on the opposite shore of the canal. This temporary pedestrian crossing is used by most Venetians and tourists to reach the Giudecca Island during the Redentore festivities.
It can be said that the real and grand celebration for Venetians is the Redentore, where one can enjoy the most beautiful fireworks in the world from a boat in the San Marco Basin. For exactly 447 years, Venice has been lit up, boats decorated, stalls and kiosks everywhere offering traditional food, while Venetians set up long tables along the shores to dine in company.
The celebrations begin on Friday with the traditional opening of the votive bridge by civil and religious authorities. The temporary floating pathway, with its 334 meters in length, firmly connects the Fondamenta delle Zattere and the Basilica of Christ the Redeemer on the Giudecca Island, two ends of the city of Venice usually separated by the lagoon’s water.
Saturday arrives with the famous night, which, after solemn religious ceremonies, culminates with the fireworks show titled “The Lights of Marco Polo” that illuminate the entire Basin, dedicated to the great Venetian traveler. Venetians reach the basin with their well-lit and decorated boats, on which they dine while waiting for the fireworks scheduled for 11:30 pm. For those who do not have a boat, it is possible to rent one or board a gondola, a taxi, or one of the many mini-cruises offered for Venice’s longest night.
The fireworks show evokes the magic of Marco Polo’s journey and the stages of his extraordinary adventure through the colors of the fireworks, from the red of oriental spices to the gold of Venice, from the green of Asian plains to the blue of the Mediterranean. About forty minutes of fireworks will transform the sky of Venice into a fresco of lights and colors, retracing the memorable stages of Marco Polo’s journey. A riot of colors, concluding in a cascade of gold-colored fireworks, symbolizes the riches and wonders Marco Polo brought back with him.
This year’s edition also saw fireworks displayed in Asseggiano, Malcontenta, and Pellestrina, while Murano, Marghera, and Gazzera came alive with entertainment and music activities.
Sunday, finally, gives space to the sports dimension. In the Giudecca Canal, the traditional Redentore Regattas take place: first the regatta on two-oared pupparini, then the one on two-oared gondolas. The celebrations conclude with the Holy Votive Mass in the church of the Redentore.
The Festa del Redentore is one of the most heartfelt city events in Venice, creating an unparalleled atmosphere, rich in history, emotions, and colors. There is nothing more enchanting than Venice in celebration!
