The Festa della Sensa, celebrated this year on May 12, is a quintessential Venetian event that vividly commemorates the Serenissima Republic’s profound connection with the sea and the historic practice of Venetian rowing.
Held on the day of the Ascension of Christ (Sensa in Venetian dialect), this festival honors two pivotal moments in Venetian history. Firstly, it pays tribute to Doge Peter II Orseolo’s aid to the threatened Dalmatian populations in 1000. Secondly, it marks the 1177 peace treaty signing between Pope Alexander III and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in Venice. Initially, the festival was a celebratory and religious rite aimed at appeasing the seas. The marriage of the sea ceremony, signifying Venice’s dominion over the waters, commenced with the Doge’s symbolic act of tossing a gold ring into the Adriatic, accompanied by the words “Desponsamus te mare. In signum veri perpetuique dominioi”.
The event’s reenactment involves the Doge donning ceremonial attire – a golden cloak, ermine collar, blue skirt, red stockings, horn, and golden shoes. The celebration includes a grand procession involving rowers, musicians, and accompanying boats. A historical reconstruction of the ceremony begins with a mass at the Sant’Elena monastery. The bishop of Castello then embarks on the sumptuous “Bucintoro“, sprinkling holy water, salt, and olive branches into the sea. Subsequently, the Doge tosses a ring into the waves. The bishop and the Doge disembark at the Lido, leading a religious procession towards the church of San Nicolò.
Today, the Festa della Sensa is commemorated by the Festa della Sensa Committee, organizing a water procession involving traditional rowing boats. The ceremony, organized for over 25 years by the Coordination of the Rowing Associations of Voga alla Veneta, features a procession starting from San Marco and culminating at the Lido. The highlight includes the symbolic ring toss from the “Serenissima“, where city officials join in the evocative tribute to Venice’s enduring bond with the sea.
Website: www.comune.venezia.it
Location: Venice
Schedule: May 12, 2024
