Festa del Redentore- 2016

Ciao, tutti!

It's summer, it's hot, and it's festa time. We've had the Festa di San Antonio at San Francesco della Vigna, followed by the Festa di San Pietro at San Pietro di Castello, and coming up this week is the Festa di Beneficenza at the Church of San Giacomo dell'Orio. All big deals every summer, and if you are here in Venice, these are events not to be missed. But... the best of the best is coming up this weekend, Festa del Redentore, otherwise more commonly referred to as simply Redentore.

What's Redentore?

Redentore fireworks!

Redentore is a hugely important event for all Venetians.  It's a weekend-long festival that has been held each year since the Church of the Redentore was opened after the horrible plague of 1576.   Remembering the end of the plague when over 50,000 Venetians lost their lives, Venetians make a pilgrimage over a special bridge crossing the Giudecca canal to attend mass. In the early years, they crossed the canal over boats that were lashed together. In modern times,  city engineers construct a temporary pontoon bridge thousands walk across during the weekend. And today, Redentore is the biggest party in town.

Crossing the Giudecca canal on the special pontoon bridge

The temporary bridge is floated down the canal in sections about a week before the event begins, and during the week it is placed into position. The other day as I was passing by on the vaporetto I could see portions of the bridge being worked on already.

Beginning the Redentore pontoon bridge construction

It's not only the bridge construction that has started early. It seems everyone is abuzz over Redentore. Where are you eating, who are you eating with, what are you bringing? The anticipation for Saturday night's events is running high.  In addition to going to mass at Redentore on that Saturday evening, it's also a tradition that you eat your dinner canal side with family and friends while you wait for the midnight fireworks to begin. Every conceivable square centimeter of land on both sides of the Giudecca and from St. Mark's all the way down to my neighborhood in Sant'Elena are occupied by tables full of Venetians eating, drinking and celebrating.

Reservations required

Yesterday I noticed the first of the reserved spots in place along the Fondamenta by Via Garibaldi.  

You can make reservations ($$$) for a place on a big party boat to drink and dance all night  out in the lagoon to watch the fireworks . You can make a reservation ($$) at many of the rooftop bars for a good viewing post (Hilton, Danieli, Gritti Palace for example).  Or, you can do what the locals do and take your duct tape or masking tape down to the fondamenta and stake out your own space. Reservation = free!  

The masking tape reservation 

Choice location near the waterfront reserved!

By Thursday night there won't be any space left that hasn't been put on hold using the tape method. My student Francesco described how he and his friends handle reserving their spot. They go out on Thursday to mark the location. All day Saturday they take 1 hr shifts standing guard to ensure no one else rips up their tape to take the spot over for themselves.  Sorry, I just can't imagine doing guard duty on my Redentore space. But, you gotta do what you gotta do,  I suppose.

This year once again Mike and I will be joining several Lioness families canal side near Via Garibaldi. We're honored and overjoyed to be included. The eating will commence around 7 pm, with course after course after course of delicious local specialties such as stuffed duck breast, sarde and soar (sardines marinated in onions), bovoletti ( tiny snails),  and grilled orata to name just a few. Eating wraps up just about the time the fireworks start, and we're almost too stuffed to waddle back home afterward.

What am I bringing?  Watermelon (anguria) and a cake.

Have you been to Redentore ?  I know summer is a very crowded time here in Venice, but if you have not had the opportunity to experience Redentore, it's worth putting on your list. It's the best fireworks I've ever seen in my life. Italians do several things really well, and fireworks are one of them.

Redentore - right from your own home

You too can enjoy the spectacular Redentore fireworks right along with all of us on Saturday night. Remember, they will begin at midnight, Venice time.

Click here to view live webcam St. Mark's waterfront



P.S.  You might also want to check out my blog "How to enjoy Redentore like a local" for some great insider tips. This blog contains one of my favorite  photos of Redentore from back in the days when the boats were used to cross the canal. Don't miss that one!
Click here to read.


Happy Festa del Redentore, amici!

Secondo me....

It's the dog days of summer here in Venice. I'm talking HOT. VERY HOT. And humid. As much as I love beach time, it's been almost too hot for that too. I've been spending time indoors, trying to keep as cool as possible, doing lots of reading instead.

Last night the electricity in our building went out twice. My friend Jill around the corner from us told me it went out 3 times in her building.  I'm convinced this little "brown-out" was a sly message from our electric company: they wanted us all to do without the AC for a while.  I have news for them. It's hot, I'm keeping on the AC.  Supposedly this heat wave will last another week or so. I'm planning on a few more brown-outs along the way.

I've decided I'm going to try something new on here on the blog. I'm going to start a new feature I'm calling "Secondo me"  (English translation - in my opinion), where I'm going to share some of my favorite little tips and secrets. So here goes...

Secondo me.....

If you ask most Venetians for a favorite restaurant recommendation, you can be sure the name they give you is maybe their second or third favorite. They are very reluctant to give away their favorite, because they don't want it to be overrun with tourists. This quasi-Venetian has taken on that same trait in recent years. But... I'm tossing caution to the wind here because recently a few new restaurants and bars around town have blown my socks off. These guys deserve to succeed and I am happy, happy, happy to pass along my highest accolades.

Today I'm singing the praises of Trattoria da Jonny, a new little place in Campo della Gate in Castello. (Michelle, if you are reading this, that's right! Just across Ponte dei Scudi!).  A few months ago we noticed renovation work going on in earnest inside a tiny little place on the corner of this campo that had been closed tighter than a drum for years. We were curious, and very hopeful this wouldn't turn into a tourist trinket shop, which is about the only things we see springing up left and right. The gods were with us on this one.  Mid-May a new restaurant opened it doors in the campo, including lovely tables and chairs outside.

The first week they were open we stopped by for dinner. Mike chose the roast duck, I tried the spaghetti con seppie nero. Both scrumptiously prepared, and beautifully presented. This place got high marks for everything, from ambiance to service to table wine, it has it all. We met the owner, Jonny;  Hugo, the chef; and the waiter Joe.  Ever since that day whenever I pass by the place, Joe gives me one of his huge smiles and a happy "Ciao!"

Monday, after a long hot morning in and around Venice, I decided a good lunch was in order. I phoned Mike and invited him to meet me at da Jonny's.  This time we started with an octopus salad to share. I can't believe I forgot to snap a photo!  It is the best octopus we'd ever had!  

Next up, a rombo for Mike and frito misto for me. 

I had to end the meal with the tortina di ciccolata.  Molten on the inside, to die for. I'm already planning my next meal here- just the octopus salad and the tortina.  Buonissimo!

So, friends, when in Venice, secondo me  RUN, don't walk, to Trattoria da Jonny. Tell them I sent you. 

Trattoria da Jonny, Campo della Gate, Castello 3210  +39 041 296 0065

Reservations would be a good idea. They are small, and have  loyal local patrons already.