Feast of Redentore

Over the third weekend of July you will be able to live all the magic of the Festa del Redentore in Venice, which perfectly combines religion – the pilgrimage to the church on Giudecca island – and folklore, with the stunning fireworks display on the Lagoon.

On Saturday evening, like every year, there will be thousands of boats flooding the basin of San Marco and hordes of visitors on the banks eating and waiting, with bated breath, for the fireworks to flare up at midnight and create dazzling reflections on the surface of the Lagoon and on the facades of the palazzi.

The tradition of the Redentore dates back to 1577 when a basilica was built on Giudecca Island in thanksgiving for deliverance from a major outbreak of the plague. This was the famous Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Il Redentore: a pilgrimage church designed by Palladio now reached by crossing an impressive pontoon bridge spanning 330 metres. In addition to the legendary firework display, the celebrations include a solemn ceremony presided over by the Patriarch and a religious procession, and the weekend is rounded off with a gondola regatta as part of the “Voga alla Veneta” Rowing Season.