FESTA DELLA SENSA

On Sunday 1 June 2025, one of the most significant events in Venetian tradition will be the Festa della Sensa, an occasion that, more than any other event, brings to life the thousand-year history of the Serenissima, its deep connection with the sea and the practice of Venetian rowing.

The Festa della Sensa commemorates two fundamental historical events for the Republic of Venice. The first dates back to 9 May 1000, when the Doge Pietro II Orseolo intervened to help the populations of Dalmatia threatened by the Slavs. The second event dates back to 1177, when the Doge Sebastiano Ziani, together with Pope Alexander III and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, signed the peace treaty in Venice that put an end to the centuries-old dispute between the Papacy and the Empire.

Originally, the ceremony was a simple celebration that included the Doge's visit to the sea and the blessing of the Adriatic waters. Later, the rite of the marriage with the sea was added, a symbolic gesture in which Venice declared its dominion over the sea, throwing a gold ring into the waters, accompanied by the words "Desponsamus te mare. In signum veri perpetuique dominii", a mystical marriage that is renewed every year. For this celebration, the Doge wore a golden cloak with an ermine collar, a blue skirt, red stockings, a horn and golden sandals. The ceremony, which included a procession of rowers, escorts, musicians and boats, gave life to the great marriage with the sea, the main celebration of the Republic.

Today, the Sensa is celebrated in the city thanks to the Festa della Sensa Committee, which organizes a water parade. For over 25 years, this event has been organized by the Coordination of the Rowing Associations of Voga alla Veneta, and starts from San Marco, continuing to the Lido. The parade is made up of traditional rowing boats, with the "Serenissima" at the head, the vessel on which the mayor and the city authorities take their seats. It is from this vessel that the symbolic ring is thrown.