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About
Festa della Sensa 2025 (Feast of the Ascension 2025) will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in the beautiful city of Venice.
Rooted in Venetian history and intertwined with the city’s relationship to the sea, the Feast of the Ascension has been celebrated for centuries in the lagoon, and continues to draw both locals and tourists to its waters.
Each year, Festa della Sensa pays homage to Venice’s maritime glory and its symbolic marriage to the Adriatic Sea (Sposalizio del Mare).
Here, we’ll delve into the origins, customs, and contemporary significance of this historic Venetian festival.
WHAT IS THE DATE FOR FESTA DELLA SENSA 2025?
As usual, Festa della Sensa 2025 will be celebrated on the Sunday following the Ascension Day.
In 2025, the Ascension Day will fall on Thursday, May 29, 2025, and the Feast of the Ascension in Venice will be held on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION 2025?
Festa della Sensa 2025 will take place, of course, in Venice.
Venice is the capital of the Veneto region, with 50,000 people living in the historical center of the city, from a total of about 265,000 people in the metropolitan area.
The historical center of Venice is composed of 118 small islands, and is divided into six areas called sestieri: Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Marco, and Castello.
SHORT HISTORY OF FESTA DELLA SENSA
Festa della Sensa was born on the day of the Ascension of Christ, to commemorate two very important moments in the history of Venice.
The first event occurred on May 9, in the year 1000, when the Doge Pietro Orseolo defeated the Slavs who threatened Dalmatia.
At that time, Venice faced threats from pirates who controlled the Dalmatian coast, a region crucial for the Venetian economy.
Orseolo’s successful campaign against these pirates ensured safer seas for Venetian merchants and allowed the city-state to expand its influence in the Adriatic.
This victory became symbolic of Venice’s authority over the sea, and the celebration of the Festa della Sensa started to take shape in its honor.
The second event recalls the peace treaty signed in Venice in 1177, between the Doge Sebastiano Ziani, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Alessandro III, which marked the end of a centuries-old conflict between the Empire and the Papacy.
Venice played a crucial diplomatic role in these negotiations, and the Doge Sebastiano Ziani was rewarded with a symbolic gesture: Pope Alexander III gave Venice a gold ring as a symbol of its marriage to the sea.
This act, known as the Marriage of the Sea, became central to Festa della Sensa, symbolizing Venice’s inseparable bond with the Adriatic.
After the collapse of the Venetian Republic, the tradition of the feast was lost until 1965, when it was revived for a short time.
Only in 1989, a group of citizens and some cultural associations set up Comitato della Sensa, the organization that will fight for the introduction of the festival in the Venetian calendar of events.
FEAST OF THE ASCENSION TODAY
Modern celebrations include a variety of activities designed to engage both locals and tourists.
These range from the traditional boat processions and ceremonies to exhibitions, markets, and concerts celebrating Venetian arts, crafts, and culinary traditions.
One of the most exciting additions to the modern Festa della Sensa is Regata della Sensa, a traditional rowing race that takes place as part of the festival.
Teams of rowers from across the Venetian lagoon compete in different categories, showcasing their skills and endurance.
The regatta not only entertains but also promotes traditional Venetian rowing techniques, reinforcing the city’s deep connection to the sea.
The highlight of Festa della Sensa is, undoubtedly, the reenactment of Venice’s marriage to the sea.
This ritual takes place on a magnificent vessel known as Bucintoro (Bucentaur), a ceremonial ship used by the Doge.
Although the original Bucintoro was destroyed during Napoleon’s invasion of Venice, modern replicas and ceremonial gondolas carry on the tradition.
The Doge, or in contemporary practice, the Mayor of Venice, presides over the ceremony.
The event begins with a grand procession of boats, where gondolas, rowing boats, and motorized vessels alike follow the Bucintoro out onto the lagoon.
Thousands of Venetians and tourists join in, creating a colorful and celebratory atmosphere on the water.
The procession heads towards the island of Lido, where, in front of the Church of San Nicolò, the patron saint of sailors, the wedding ceremony takes place.
Upon reaching the designated point, the mayor or a high-ranking official takes a symbolic ring and throws it into the water.
This gesture reaffirms Venice’s spiritual and historical connection to the sea, a relationship that has been both protective and, at times, destructive over the centuries.
Festa della Sensa is steeped in religious symbolism. The Ascension Day itself holds Christian significance, marking the day when, according to Christian belief, Jesus ascended to heaven.
Venice’s adaptation of this date reflects the city’s historical synthesis of faith and statecraft.
Festa della Sensa’s combination of Christian liturgy, maritime history, and Venetian political heritage makes it a unique expression of Venice’s identity.
The Feast of the Ascension also includes a Mass held at the Church of San Nicolò, where the faithful gather to commemorate Saint Nicholas.
This Mass is followed by various blessings, prayers, and a procession back to the city.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR FESTA DELLA SENSA 2025
June 1, Sunday:
- 9.00 am, gathering of the boats in the San Marco Basin;
- 9.30 am, departure of the procession for San Nicolò di Lido;
- 10.30 am, ceremony of the Marriage of the Sea in front of the Church of San Nicolò di Lido;
- 11.30 am, Holy Mass in the Church of San Nicolò di Lido.
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