Venice News Blog
What's on in Venice ?
Information about everything that's happening in and around Venice.
An other winter carnival in Venice is starting in a few hours. The weather seems much better and we hope not to be cold during the two weeks that follow.
You can watch what is going on from the San Marco Square live web camera in Venice.
Everybody have fun during the carnival ...
Venetians have been taking part in a mock funeral procession to highlight the city's dwindling population.
Organisers of Saturday's event say the population has dipped below 60,000, with many native Venetians choosing to live in more affordable areas.
Scientists are using the event to take DNA samples from Venetians to discover more about their origins.
City officials have refuted the claims that Venice is simply a "ghost town", filled only with tourists.
Residents carried an empty coffin in a procession of boats to the mayor's office.
The city's population has dropped by two-thirds since the 1950s and much of the blame has been put on tourism.
Read more ...
Source BBC
The Feast-day of the Madonna della Salute is probably the least "touristy" of the Venetian festivities and evokes strong religious feelings among the city's inhabitants.
The holiday is, like the Redentore, in memory of another bout of pestilence, which lasted for two years from 1630-31, and the subsequent vow by the Doge to obtain the intercession of the Virgin Mary.
Even today, thousands of inhabitants visit the main altar of the imposing Salute Church on November 21 to give thanks, and a strong symbolic tie remains between the city and the Virgin Mary.
A call for bids for the renovation of the Accademia Bridge (one of the four bridges across the Grand Canal) was recently launched by the City of Venice.
The winner will be assigned both the design and the restoration project and will have to be capable both of presenting a renovation plan and covering the restoration costs.
The winner will be entrusted with the task of directing and carrying out the works and the testing, as well as finding the sponsorship to finance the renovation of the upper structure of the bridge.
The estimated costs are 5 million euros and there will be no contribution by the City of Venice.
Venicemarathon is a sports event of international standing, attracting thousands of runners from all over the world. It is held every year on the fourth Sunday of October.
Start is located in Stra, a small country town 25 km west of Venice. The finish is in the historic centre of Venice, on the embankment named Riva Sette Martiri, in a scenic position facing the lagoon.
The marathon route is 42.195 kilometers (26.224 miles).
Visit the official website of the Venicemarathon
Venice Carnival 2010
From February 6 (Saturday) to February 16 (Tuesday)
OPENING SHOW
Saturday 6 February, at 9pm in Piazza San Marco
TRADITION - IL VOLO DELL’ANGELO
Sunday 7 February, 12am
TRADITION - LA FESTA DELLE MARIE
Sunday 7 February, 3pm (from San Pietro di Castello)
TRADITION - HISTORICAL REENACTEMENT
Sunday 7 February, 3pm / Sunday 14 February, 1pm
DRAG QUEEN BEAUTY PAGEANT
Friday 12 February, 9pm, Piazza San Marco
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MASK OF 2010 CARNIVAL
from 11 to 14 February, 3pm
TANGO IN PIAZZA SAN MARCO
Saturday 13, Sunday 14 and Monday 15, 9pm
LA COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE
from 11 to 14 February, Piazzetta S.Marco
MARTEDI’ GRASSO IN PIAZZA SAN MARCO
17 February at 9pm
A great celebration to end the 2010 edition of Carnival
THE VENETIAN FEAST
Sunday 7 February, 11am, Rio di Cannaregio
In collaborazione con A.E.P.E. e Coordinamento delle Remiere
THE SQUARE OF TASTES – CAMPO SAN GEREMIA
from 11 to 16 February, 10am-7pm
In partnership con la Regione Veneto
e in collaborazione con l’Unione Cuochi Veneto
CARNIVAL IN THE DARK, CORDERIE DELL’ARSENALE
From 6 to 16 February, 11am-8pm
Renewd edition
In collaborazione con
l’Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano
THE BURLESQUE AT VENICE CARNIVAL 2010
From 6 to 13 February
THE FLIGHT OF THE DONKEY - PIAZZA FERRETTO
Sunday 14 February, 12am
SENSATION OPENING PARTY - MAINLAND
Saturday 6 February, from 10pm
More information on Venice Carnival ...
26 June 2009
Giorgia Boscolo Becomes Venice's First Certified Female Gondolier !
From 3 July 2009 all Venice residents will have free Wi-Fi Internet, while non residents (tourists and other visitors) will pay around 5 euros per day (September 2009).
Rome and Venice are to bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the mayors of both Italian cities told the Ansa news agency on Friday.
The bids by both cities were announced at the same time as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting in Copenhagen named Rio de Janeiro host city for the 2016 Summer Games.
"Venice is an 'icon city' unique in the world with international recognition," said the city's major Massimo Cacciari, adding that they were hoping that the bid would accelerate urban development in Venice and the surrounding region of Padua and Treviso.
"The choice of Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games offers a big opportunity to Italy and Rome for the next edition in 2020," said Rome major Gianni Alemanno.
"More than half a century after the fantastic Games of 1960 (in Rome) we can dream of bringing the Olympic rings back to the Italian capital," added Alemanno.
"The time has come for an Italian bid for the 2020 Games," added Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) president Giovanni Petrucci.
"There is one principle: the host city but it's Coni who decides and who presents the bid to the IOC," he added.
- AFP /ls