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Spring in Venice
SPRING IN VENICE
ph. Giorgio Bombieri Comune di VeneziaWhat can't be missed on a spring tour of Venice? This is the perfect time to explore the lagoon city with trips to the islands, fishing excursions and walks to discover the sestieri, amidst parks and gardens in bloom, major exhibitions opening and festivals taking us back to the days of the Serenissima. And, last but not least, a cuisine that exalts seasonal flavours, from castraùre to moéche di laguna.
With the awakening of nature, just a few days after the spring equinox, Venetians also celebrate the birth of the Serenissima, on 25 March more than 1600 years ago.
By ancient tradition, 25 March 421 is precisely the date on which the history of Venice began: that Easter Monday recorded in the manuscript of the Chronicon altinate (11th-13th century) is still recognised as the day on which the first stone of the splendid Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, considered the oldest in the city, was laid. Today it is run by the Arciconfraternita di San Cristoforo e della Misericordia.
Spring is certainly also the ideal season to enter the soul of this unique city and get to know its most ancient traditions, such as those of which Venetian craftsmen are still the guardians.
GARDENS AND HIDDEN CORNERS OF THE CITY IN BLOOM
With the arrival of spring, Venice's gardens and public parks awaken, and the milder days invite you to stroll around the city in search of flowery spots, from the yellow of mimosas to the purple of wisteria to fragrant roses.
Who would not want to explore Venice's most secret gardens and green spaces, often unknown to the Venetians themselves? In the historic centre alone there are more than 500 gardens, including parks open to the public, palace gardens, vineyards and convent gardens.
Venice's public green spaces cover some 112,000 square metres, divided into various gardens scattered around the city. They range from the Giardini Reali to the Pineta di Sant'Elena, from the Giardini Papadopoli to the Villa Groggia Park.
If it is the mimosas that bloom first - a beautiful sight for those crossing the Ponte dei Pugni is to admire the yellow flowering foliage of a mimosa in a private garden overlooking the Rio San Barnaba in Dorsoduro - between April and May, on the other hand, it is the turn of the spectacular flowering of the wisteria: the pergola in the garden of Ca' Rezzonico - Museo del Settecento Veneziano, which can be freely accessed during museum opening hours, never ceases to enchant.
A curiosity: it is said that wisteria, a plant originally from the Far East, was imported to Europe thanks to the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who added its seeds to the collection of rarities of the countries he visited.
If you go as far south as the Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni, you can buy the famous Damask rose petal jam prepared by Armenian monks, who still cultivate numerous rose bushes here.
ph. @thinkvenice via Instagram
GREAT EXHIBITIONS AND TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS
Every year, between April and May, Venice is at the centre of the international cultural scene. It is in this period, in fact, that the Venice Biennale kicks off. The event, the most important in Italy in the sphere of contemporary arts, takes place, as always, between the historic exhibition venues of the Arsenale and the Giardini, with collateral events throughout the city centre.
This is the time of year when the major exhibitions in Venetian museums also open, from the exhibition venues of the Fondazione Musei Civici to the state museums including the Gallerie dell'Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection at Palazzo Grassi and the Galleria di Palazzo Cini.
One of the most eagerly awaited festivals of spring is certainly the Feast of St Mark, the patron saint of the city, which falls on 25 April. The Festa del Bocolo is also celebrated on this day: tradition has it that every lover gives his beloved a red rose bud (bocolo in Venetian means bud) as a pledge of eternal love.
Another appointment with tradition is the Festa della Sensa (Ascension Day). This is the marriage of Venice with the sea, which is celebrated with a historical water parade through St Mark's Basin. The ceremony recalls when in the days of the Serenissima the Doge, on board the Bucintoro, threw a golden ring into the sea, in front of the Church of San Nicolò on the Lido.
Spring also marks the beginning of the rowing season in Venice: from April to September more than 120 regattas are held in the lagoon waters, including the colourful Vogalonga, a spectacular rowing race in which thousands of boats with crews from all over the world take part, in homage to the Venetian rowing tradition.
ph. Comune di Venezia
VENETIAN SPRING DISHES
Venetian cuisine in spring is enriched with aromas and flavours. Among the first courses not to be missed are risottos: the classic risi e bisi, with fresh peas, a dish that could not be missed on the Doge's table every 25 April for St Mark's Day.
Then there are the fish specialities: on the menus of restaurants and osterias, in addition to grilled and mixed fried fish, there are fried moéche, small crabs from the Venice lagoon, a real delicacy! In April and May, in fact, the crabs go into moult: they shed their shells and are tender and soft.
Another typical product of the Venetian spring are the castraùre, the first buds of the violet artichoke of Sant'Erasmo. This local variety, which grows in the fields of Sant'Erasmo Island, is recognised as a Slow Food presidium, has a unique flavour and can be enjoyed in many recipes, raw or in combination with schie, the lagoon shrimps.
An excursion to the island of Sant'Erasmo is an unmissable experience for lovers of good food. The island, the only one in the lagoon that is also cyclable, offers visitors the chance to stroll among vineyards and vegetable gardens. Every year, on a weekend between April and May, Sant'Erasmo celebrates the Violet Artichoke Festival. An unmissable event to taste this typical product in all its forms, with tastings and guided visits to the artichoke farms.
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