Festa del Redentore 2020

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Festa del Redentore 2020, one of the most important events in the Venetian calendar, will take place in the weekend of July 18-19, in Venice.

The event, held every year in the third weekend of July, was at first a purely religious feast. Over time, profane elements were added to the religious manifestations, and today the celebration includes a party, a regatta and one of the most impressive fireworks display in the world.

SHORT HISTORY

Between 1575 and 1577, a merciless plague killed about one-third of Venice’s population. The epidemic spread rapidly throughout the city and was difficult to control due to the precarious conditions in which the people were living and to a high population density.

In 1576, the Venetian Senate commissioned a church dedicated to Jesus the Redeemer (Il Redentore), hoping to get rid of the disease. A year later, in July, the city was declared cured, and the Venetians initiated a new celebration called Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer).

Today, on the occasion of the feast, a bridge is built across the Giudecca Canal, between Zattere and the Giudecca Island. The people cross the bridge in a short pilgrimage to the beautiful church of Andrea Palladio, Il Redentore.

On the first day of the feast, a great party is held, completed in the evening by a spectacular fireworks display. The second day, Sunday, is reserved for religious service and for the Regata del Redentore (Regatta of the Redeemer), a race of typical Venetian boats.

PROGRAM OF THE EVENT

July 18, Saturday:

• 7.00 pm, the opening of the Thanksgiving Bridge, which connects Zattere to the Church of Il Redentore, on the Giudecca Island;
• 11.30 pm, fireworks display in St. Mark’s Basin.

July 19, Sunday:

• from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm, the Regatta of the Redeemer (Regata del Redentore), on the Giudecca Canal;
• 7.00 pm – Votive Mass at the Church of Il Redentore, on the Giudecca island.