annual events in venice italy
2012
Here follows the list of some annual events celebrated every year (commonly referred to as "la Biennale". the Visual Arts Biennale alternates with the Architecture Biennale) in Venice and of general interest; among them, the Carnival of Venice, the Historical Regatta, public holidays.
More details and updates are available for the VeniceWord Club members; 2012 membership includes the BUONGIORNO VENEZIA newsletter
Calendar of events for 2012 - Update in progress:
- January 6. Epiphany: Religious festivity and Befane Regatta
- 31 January - May 2012: Arsenale della Danza (Biennale)
- From 4 to 21 February 2012: Venice Carnival. Until Ashes Wednesday
- February 14: St.Valentine's day
- 8 April 2012. Easter. Public holiday
- 9 April 2012: Easter Monday. Public holiday. also:
- April 25. Liberation Day and feast of Venice patron saint; in these days Italy celebrates its liberation from the Nazis at the end of 2nd World War. Public holiday. In Venice the feast day honoring the patron saint of Venice is also called "festa del Bocolo": men are presenting their partner and/or women of their family with a red rose (the "bòcolo", blossom)
- May 1st. Labor Day. Public holiday.
- June: Vogalonga (rowing marathon fot boats of all kinds in the lagoon). Popular friendly race from the lagoon to Burano, and back down through the Grand Canal.
- June: Sant'Erasmo Regatta
- June: Saints Giovanni e Paolo Regatta
- June: Feast of San Pietro di Castello
- July: Redeemer's Feast
- July: Murano Regatta
- July: Malamocco Regatta
- August: Pellestrina Regatta
- 29 August - 25 November 2012: Architecture Biennial
- 29 August - 8 September 2011: Venice Film Festival. Fiction films, documentaries and shorts are screened, with the Golden Lion awarded for best film.
- 2 September 2012 (first Sunday of September): Regata Storica (Historical regatta). This annual boat race, a test of the gondolieri's mettle, takes place on the Grand Canal. Boats are decorated, spirits run high and the competition is fierce.
- September: Burano Regatta
- October 2012: Venice Marathon, international marathon on the classical distance of 42,195 kilometres, goes on the attractive course that from Stra arrives to Venice. The athletes run along the River Brenta, carry on for Marghera e Mestre to the Liberty Bridge, that leads them in Venice. From this point the marathon continues inside the city.
- 21 November: Feast of Madonna della Salute. Religious event. The Basilica della Santa Maria della Salute was built in thanks for the city's deliverance from the the plague of 1630-31. Today, a procession across the Grand Canal ends at the church, where participants pray for the sick.
- 8 December: Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Public holiday.
- 25 December. Christmas. Religious festivity and public holiday.
- 26 December. St. Stephen's Day. Religious festivity and public holiday.