Author: donorione

Malamocco, at the southern end of the Lido island, was the first ancient nucleus of Venice, capital of the Venetian Dogado between 742 and 811, until it was decided to move its headquarters in Rialto. In the rooms of the first residence of the Podestà or Magistrate, today there is a permanent exhibition of archaeological finds discovered in the local area. The museum is open from Friday to Sunday, to book a visit – that also includes a tour of the ancient village – please contact (0039) 347 4144035.

Having a walk around is like taking a dip in the past: calli, campi and small squares have remained those of the past, as have the festivals and popular traditions, still very appreciated by the locals.

The Feast of Madonna di Marina is a typical local festival celebrated every year in July, this year from 7 to 14 July. Its origins date back to the 14th century, when according to the legend the Virgin Mary appeared to a inhabitant of Malamocco who was collecting wood along the beach.

The celebrations last almost a week, during which, besides the events tied to the religious tradition, there are also concerts, dances, markets and handicraft exhibitions; the celebrations are concluded by the fireworks display and the final tombola (bingo).

From the Lido, you can reach Malamocco by bus (line A), by car (via the Actv ferry boat line 17 Tronchetto-Lido, San Nicolò-Punta Sabbioni) or by bicycle (you can rent one at the Lido or carry your own bike by the Actv ferry boat).

From Chioggia, you can get to Malamocco by the Actv waterbus line 11.

For more than a thousand years, Venice has been celebrating the Fèsta de la Sènsa (which means “Ascension Day” in Venetian dialect), one of the oldest historical re-enactments, which relives the intimate relationship between the city and the Sea and the practice of the Venetian rowing. On the day of the Sensa, Sunday 2nd June, the Marriage of the sea is celebrated, in memory of the conquest of the Dalmatia by the Venetian ships headed by the doge Pietro Orseolo II in 999. Every year the Doge, on the state boat called the Bucintoro, blessed the sea by throwing a gold ring into the water.

This year the Fèsta de la Sènsa will be even more special because on the same days there will also be the 64th edition of the Ancient Maritime Republics Regatta, established in 1955 with the aim of recalling the exploits and rivalries of the most famous Italian Maritime Republics, namely Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa and Venice. The regatta consists of a two kilometers long route competition between boats in which four rowing teams, representing each one of the Republics, challenge each other. The program includes three days of celebrations, which will culminate, on Saturday 1st June, with the ceremony of the Adriatic Twinning of the Fèsta de la Sènsa with the cities of the Maritime Republics and the Galleons Regatta and, on Sunday 2nd June, with the Sensa’s water parade and the ceremony of Marriage of Venice with the sea.

On Sunday 2nd June, if you are in St Mark’s square, don’t miss a unique show and look up at the Clock Tower: only twice a year, on the day of the Sensa and of the Epiphany, at the stroke of every hour the wooden figures of an Angel with a trumpet and of the three Wise Men come out of the lodge of the second floor and parade in procession in front of the statue of the Madonna.

Did you know? La Fenice Opera House was inaugureted on Ascension day, on 16th of May 1792. In the nineteenth century, the theatre staged the world premieres of numerous operas of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi. If you are visiting Venice, La Fenice Opera House is definitely a must see for making your stay in Venice unique!