Venice Biennale

Website: www.labiennale.org

51^st International Art Exhibition will take place from June 12 through November 6, 2005. This year’s event will feature two main exhibits curated by Marìa de Corral and Rosa Martìnez.

The origins of Venice’s most acclaimed artistic event date back to 1895 when the first Biennale was held in honor of the 25^th wedding anniversary of King Umberto and Margherita of Savoy. From that date on, every two years Venice hosts the worlds most avant-guard and famous art festival. Today, the Biennale combines visual arts, architecture, music, dance, theatre and cinema.

Each year, in September, filmmakers from across the globe gather in Venice for the oldest cinema festival.  The Venice International Film Festival, dating back to 1932, combines artistic and cinematic talent within nine different categories of cinematic achievement. Just as many of the films are in competition for the ‘Leone d’Oro’ or ‘Golden Lion’, other entries range from independent documentaries to short films to full-length feature films.

Carnevale

Website: www.carnivalofvenice.com

Carnevale, one of Venice’s most renowned and famous events has been enticing visitors and their masks to La Serenissima for centuries. The earliest document regarding the Carnevale in Venice is dated 1268 and since then, Venetians and foreigners have flocked the squares, canals, and bridges for true bacchanalia to celebrate the period before Lent. Carnevale broke societal norms and allowed people to enjoy the revelry while masked of their true identities, class, and sex. The whole city hosted parties, dinners and festivities in which all walks of life could participate regardless of their social standing.

Nowadays, Carnevale is still sought out by locals and visitors alike. Elaborate masks and costumes dot the city and its canals and bridges while festivities are held in the true Venetian manner. Local artisans specialize in mask making and creation in order to satisfy the needs and desires of those revelers who come to Venice in search of the fun that the yearly Carnevale provides. This year, Venice’s Carnevale will run from January 28 through February 8, 2005.

Vogalonga

Website: www.vongalonga.com

One of Venice’s biggest and most recent events is the Vogalonga, a boat race started only in 1975. Begun by a group of rowing enthusiasts, this race has created a large following and as a result, many different traditional types of sailing vessels are now being created specifically to participate in this yearly event.

Each year, the race takes place in early May near the Roman Catholic holiday of the Ascension. In Venice, this holy day is historically linked to the ceremony of the Doge’s symbolic union to the sea. The 30km (18mile) race begins in the Lagoon and goes to the outlying island of Burano in order to come back through the Cannergio, finishing on the Grand Canal. Each year, there are an increasing number of participants, including both local rowing clubs and foreign groups.

See also Dan Hostetler's Event Data Base for events in Italy

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