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Infinity, Venezia



Venice: festivity of Saint Mark!

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HOLIDAY OF THE BLOOMING ROSE (ST. MARK APR 25th )

Venetians used to sanctify the 25th of April far before that date became the actual National Holiday of Italy liberation. April the 25th is indeed the holiday of the Patron Saint of the city, whose relic, which was on Islamic territory in Alexandria of Aegypt, was transferred in Venice in the year 828 by two legendary Venetian merchants: Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da Torcello.

It is told that to subtract from the Muslims the precious body (Islam itself recognizes and venerates Christ and the Saints), the two clever merchants covered it up in a stock of pork meat, which passed through the Turkish customer without being inspected, 'cause of the disgust for that stuff imposed to the Profet believers.

We must remember that in those days (and still now, somewhere) relics were a powerful social binder; they would attract pilgrims and improve town population, a very important effect in the beginnings of Urbanism, when people were mainly living in the countryside.

Every relic was therefore well ax together with who brought it and that of St. Mark was particularly to Venice, in how much really that Saint, while it was being in life, he would have evangelized the Venetian people becoming Patron and emblem of it in the form of winged lion.

On the occasion of the party of the Patron the Venetians use to give the bocolo (rosebud) to the girlfriend Curious and very Italian detail, the bocolo is also the gift that in that day the children use to do to her mothers.