Festa della Madonna dell'Apparizione - Pellestrina

An Apparition from 1716

The Festa della Madonna dell'Apparizione has its roots in 1716, when, according to tradition, the Virgin appeared to Natalino Scarpa, a fourteen-year-old boy from the island of Pellestrina, asking for masses to be celebrated for the souls in purgatory. The event coincided with a crucial period for Venice, engaged in defending its territories from the Ottoman advance. The Santuario della Madonna dell'Apparizione was erected in memory of the apparition, and for over three centuries, it has been the spiritual heart of the island community.

Ten Days of Celebration

Every year, for about ten days around August 4th, Pellestrina gathers around its festival. The schedule alternates religious and popular events: the solemn mass, the procession with the image of the Madonna, but also live music, dancing, sports activities, and the unmissable food stalls set up in Piazzale Zendrini, where you can taste the flavours of the lagoon. The festival traditionally concludes on August 4th with the lottery draw and a fireworks display.

The Identity of a Fishing Island

Pellestrina is a narrow strip of land between the lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, inhabited by a community of fishermen and lace-makers with strong traditions. The Festa della Madonna dell'Apparizione is the time when this identity is most intensely expressed, also drawing emigrant islanders and visitors who reach Pellestrina by vaporetto. It is one of the most characteristic festivals in the municipality of Venice and the entire lagoon.