St. Mark’s Festival in Venice
Venice is more than just carnival. The 25th of April is a very important day for Italy, marking celebration of the fall of Nazism and fascism, and in Venice, it’s an even more important date. On the 25th of April every year, the city comes alive to in celebration of the Evangelist Saint Mark, patron saint of the city of canals. Saint Mark always appears with a lion beside him who bears the inscription Paz tibi Marce Evangelista Meus (Peace for you, evangelist Mark) which appears on many Venetian monuments and is defining symbol of Venice.
According to the legend, the saint’s relics were brought from Alexandria Egypt illicitly to the city in 828, by two merchants, Rustico da Torcello y Buono da Malmocco. The famous Saint Mark’s Basilica, an imposing monument in Byzantine style, was constructed in the 11th century to house the relics.
Sheltering this patron saint’s body has always been very important to Venetians, especially because according to Venetian history, Saint Mark was the evangelist who converted the people of Venice to Christianity. In the Basilica, mass is celebrated following the procession, as well as other religious celebrations. This is also the traditional date for the celebration of “bocolo”, when all the men give their ladies a rose. The typical meal is risi e bisi, a simple dish consisting of rice and peas.
April is undoubtedly an ideal month to visit and discover the monuments, museums, suggestive bridges and lanes, and enjoy one of the most traditional festivals. Don’t forget that you can also take a look in all the city shops and boutiques, and eat in typical Venetian restaurants. For lodging, nothing beats renting comfortable apartments in Venice.
