Harpers and Queen July 2002
The great escape
Where to go
Venice, for Il Redentore - the Feast of the Redeemer - the city's oldest and liveliest festival. This commemorates the population's release from the plague epidemic of 1575, which wiped out a quarter of the city's population.
Why to go
It is an authentic event, staged for the Venetians themselves rather than for tourists. Everyone in the city takes to a boat - be it a barge, gondola, yacht or classic fishing bragozzo such as the 52-foot "Eolo" which can be chartered for the day. Hours of euphoric public partying up and down the Giudecca Canal culminate in a firework display. The following day, a more solemn religious procession uses a makeshift pontoon bridge to cross the canal from the Zattere to Palladio's great basilica at the Church of the Redeemer.
When to go
The third weekend in July.
