Festa di San Martino
On November 11th, children in Venice bang pots and pans in the alleyways in search of sweets.
About San Martino
The Legend of Saint Martin
The Feast of San Martino celebrates Saint Martin of Tours, the Roman knight who, according to legend, cut his cloak in two to give half to a shivering beggar. That act of charity has become a symbol of solidarity and generosity, values that Venetian tradition has embraced. November 11th, the saint's day, also coincides with the "St. Martin's summer", the mild period typical of mid-autumn.
Children in the Alleyways
In Venice, the festival has an absolute protagonist: the children. With cardboard crowns on their heads and red capes like Martin's, they roam the city's alleyways and squares, banging ladles on pots and pans and singing the famous San Martino nursery rhyme. In return for the cheerful racket, shopkeepers and passers-by reward them with sweets, candies, and a few coins. It's a popular ritual that has endured for centuries and fills the city with contagious joy.
The St. Martin's Sweet
The gastronomic symbol of the festival is the St. Martin's sweet: a large shortcrust pastry biscuit shaped like a knight on horseback, recalling the episode of the saint. In the windows of Venetian pastry shops, these biscuits are decorated with coloured icing, silver confetti called "spaccadenti" (tooth-breakers), candies, and chocolates. In various areas of the city and the Lido, there are also markets (mercatini) and dedicated parades, organized by Pro Loco (local tourist associations) and neighbourhood associations.
San Martino — edition 2026
The Festa di San Martino 2026 falls on Wednesday, November 11th. As every year, Venetian children will liven up the alleyways by banging ladles on pots and pans and singing the San Martino nursery rhyme in search of sweets. Pastry shops will display the characteristic shortcrust pastry biscuits shaped like a knight on horseback, and in various areas of the city and the Lido, there will be dedicated markets and parades.
Programme San Martino 2026
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 — Venice
- Morning and afternoon — children in crowns and capes in the alleyways, banging pots and pans and singing the San Martino nursery rhyme in search of sweets and coins
- In the city's pastry shops: display and sale of the traditional St. Martin's sweet (shortcrust pastry shaped like a knight on horseback)
- Markets and parades for children organized by Pro Loco and neighbourhood associations (dates and locations announced annually)
As this is a widespread popular tradition, organized events (markets, parades) are communicated by the Pro Loco and local associations in the weeks preceding the date.
Highlights San Martino 2026
Prices San Martino 2026
Practical information — San Martino
How to get there
By train to Venezia Santa Lucia station, then take an ACTV water bus to the historic centre. The tradition is best experienced by walking through the city's alleyways and squares, especially in the morning.
Good to know
The St. Martin's sweet can be found in Venetian pastry shops in the days around November 11th. Children's events, parades, and various markets vary from year to year: they are announced by Pro Loco and local associations.
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Where does it take place — San Martino
Calli e campi del centro storico di Venezia
Centro storico di Venezia, 30100 Venezia