Culture

Venetian culture revolves around the great artistic traditions of the city. The city has always been the center of cultural finesse. Even in this age, it remains a place where the world goes to learn how to live.

Venice has a deep-seated tradition of theatre and music. However, the performing arts are in dire straits since much of the homegrown talent seems to prefer foreign soils and the city itself has to rely on outsiders for cultural performances. Moreover, the custom of having art for art's sake is also dying out. Instead of being critically appreciative, the plays and dramas are rolling in mediocrity for popular appeasement. Unlike cities such Vienna and Prague, where culture is primary, pretense secondary, Venice has resorted to the converse principle to keep the fires of the tourist industry burning. Nonetheless, renditions of Vivaldi and Goldoni continue to entice the erudite and the Venetian comedy is still a class apart.

A modern aspect of the Venice living is the Italian film. They are stellar examples of contemporary, parallel cinema; although some would like to refer to them as anything but that. The Venice Film Festival is touted by many to be a money-mongering affair although it does its best to showcase original works of art as often as it can.

A. Music

Music is a key feature of the educated Venetian culture. The city was called the ‘Republic f Music', when it was an independent territory in the seventieth century. It was often commented that every house had someone who was always playing some instrument or the other. In the past years, western classical forms of music such as the Baroque were exclusive Venetian features. Today, although the popularity of Baroque has not faded, operatic renditions have become far more desirable by the local and tourist population. This is partially due to the fact that Venice was the first place in the world that attempted to commercialize Opera. Before that, opera was restricted to the private halls and theatres of the royalty and nobility.

Baroque music is still very much a part of Venetian dance and musical dramas. It uses both the orchestral and solo-instrumental tools to achieve the best rendition. Vocalization in the form of spoken lyrics and polyphony is common. Many baroque string quartets crowd the St Mark's Square and perform for public entertainment. However, such performances have become so common that are considered mediocre. The popular vocal renditions of Baroque include the Opera and the Passion whereas the instrumental finds expression in the Sonata and Minuet.

Choral music and Gregorian chant have been part of Church singing in Venice for a very, very long time. Written records of the choirs at St Mark's Basilica go back to 1318 and the music continues to be a peculiarity of service and mass at the local Churches.

B. Language

The officially recognized language of the country is Italian, although a total or thirty-three other languages are spoken on a local level. In Venice, nearly every person speaks Italian in addition to other languages like English, French and Albanian.

Since Venice was an independent nation for years, it has the distinction of having a separate language of its own - Venetian. This language has its origins in a dialect of Venet, a language spoken in some regions of France and Switzerland. Venetian is a descendant of Western Group of Romance languages as opposed to Italian, which is derived from the Oriental group of Romance languages.

Thus, we find a clear differentiation between the way Venetians speak and the way the rest of Italy speaks although they seem to speak much the same tongue. Venetians tend to have softer articulation and distinctly avoid lengthening the pronunciations of consonants.

C. Religious Practices

Majority of the population falls under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. However, there is a great amount of religious tolerance. Another popular religion in Venice is Judaism and this can be deduced by famous Shakespearean play ‘The Merchant of Venice' where poor Antonio is persecuted by Shylock the Jew. Literary references aside, people of Jewish origin that have populated the Ghetto of Venice since the time it was a free state.

The festivals of Christmas and Easter are very well celebrated in Venice as feast of the Saints Mark, Elena and Orso. Churches hold mass and most locals attend these services on a regular basis. A very endearing religious practice of the city is that of building small altars in corners and turns in the alleyways. People are supposed to stop for a minute upon sighting these and many often light a candle to remember the Almighty. It is good to relight the candle if it is extinguished. This little practice was one of the innovative ways of lightening dark alleys in the times before streetlights were invented.

D. Major Events

January

The year kicks off with celebrations on the beaches to welcome the New Year.

Location: Lido

Date: First day of January

Regatta delle Befane

The first gondola race of the year

Location: Venice Lagoon

Date: 6th January

February

Opera season begins

Venice Carnevale

The most well-known and loved celebration in Venice, the Carnevale is filled with the period of pre-lent debauchery. This tradition can be dated back to the 1600's and with the fall of the Republic, it was all but dead. There was actually a time when wearing masks was prohibited in Venice by Law. However, the festival was revived to attract visitors and has grown bigger every year. It is a great time for entertainment as the whole city puts on masks and costumes and the street and canals overflow with acrobats, fireworks and entertainers.

March

La Vecia

A rather brutal memorial to the witch trials of Venice and Verona that is celebrated by torching the effigy of women.

Location: Gardone and Gargnano on Lake Garda

April

The Feast of St Mark (Festa di San Marco)

St Mark is the patron saint of Venice and the celebration is marked by men giving a rose to women and regattas are held all over the city.

Date: 25th May

May

Festa della Sparesca

Regatta festival for gondoliers

Location: Cavillino in the lagoon

Date: 1st May

Festa Medioevale del vino Soave Bianco Soave

A celebration that takes us back in time to the medieval age, recreating rituals that mark the appointment of Castillan of Suavia. Highlights include historical processions, music and theatrical performances in the town squares

Date: 5th May

Vogalonga

A rowing regatta starting from the Bacino di San Marco going all the way up till Burano and them coming back down to Cannaregio through the Grand Canal.

Vapollicellore

Wine festival, exhibitions and displays.

Location: Cellore

Date: 8th May

Festa della Sensa (the Feast of Ascension)

Location: Lido

Date: second Sunday in May

Palio delle Quattro Antiche Repubbliche Marinare

A combined celebration of former maritime republic states of Genoa, Pisa, Amalfi and Venice that include the annual 'Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics'

Date: later part of May

June

Serenissima

An offshore motorboat race part of the Grand Prix

Date: 1st Saturday in June

Feats of St Anthony (Sagra di Sant'Antonio)

A grand fair and market

Location: Prato della Valle

Date: 13th June

Biennale

The world's largest exhibition and sale of contemporary modern art and craft

Date: June to September every odd year

Regatta di Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Sailing regatta

Location: Carole

Date: 3rd Sunday in June

Sagra di San Pietro in Castello

Celebrations with music and food around the old Venice cathedral

Date: last weekend of June

Marciliana

Rowing and archery events

Date: late June

Venezia Biennale

Exhibition of audio arts of Venice

Date: June to November

July

Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer)

A huge regatta on the Grand Canal that ends with fireworks

Date: 3rd weekend of July

Opera Festival

Celebration of local and international Opera talent in the Roman Arena and churches

Date: July to September

Shakespeare Festival

Celebrates the writer by performances of his plays.

Sardella al Pal del Vo

One of the last reminders of the status of Venice as a fishing town in the form of a sardine hunt in the moonlight.

Location: Lake Garda at Pal del Vo

Date: 22nd July

August

Village Festivals

Local festival season in Venice

Palio di Feltre

Again a medieval festival that celebrates Feltre's inclusion into the Venice

Date: 1st week in August

Festa dell'Assunta

A nine day clelbration of literature

Location: Treviso

Date: 6th to 14th August

The Venice International Film Festival (Mostra del Cinema di Venezia)

Move aside Cannes, Venice is here.

Location: Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido

Date: Varies between late august and early September

September

Regatta Storica

A gondola race that has been taking place since 1274

Location: Castello

Date: 1st Sunday in September

Vivaldi Festival

A celebration of contemporary music

Partita a Scacchi

A very lively event where humans transform into live chess pieces and play out the game in medieval style.

Location: Main square at Maròstica

Date: 2nd weekend in September

Palio dei Dieci Comuni

Horse race

Location: Montagnana

October

Venice Marathon

The biggest marathon in Italy

Date: 1st weekend of October

Bardolino Grape Festival

Celebrate grape harvest

Date: 1st Sunday in October

November

St. Martin's Day

Street fair

Festa della Madonna della Salute

Procession over bridges and in canals till the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute that clebrates the end of the Plague in 1631.

Date: 21st November

December

Opera and Ballet Season

Location: La Fenicee and Teatro Goldoni

Date: December to January

New Year's Eve

Midnight mass that is followed by tossing broken crockery from balconies.

E. Etiquette / Do's and Don'ts

Do's

- Learn a few Italian terms since they might come in handy when traveling and shopping

- Dial 113 in case of emergencies

- Tip the gondoliers as per your discretion

- Ignore illegal touts

- Wear your bags/cameras/camcorders across your shoulders to avoid becoming the prey of pickpockets and thieves

- Stock up on art supplies

Don'ts

- Smoke in public areas

- Dirty the canals

- Fall for bargains and promises of economy lunches and lodges

- Disrespect religious monuments