Two reasons to go to Church.
All Saints’ Day
November 1 –This is a national holiday where everything is closed. It’s a Catholic holiday commemorating all the martyrs and saints. The next day, the Day of the Dead, is set aside to honor deceased loved ones. Italians celebrate the two holidays together. Find out how they celebrate All Saints’ Day in Venice.
Festa della Salute
Santa Maria della Salute Church
November 21- Thank goodness the plague is over. Every year on November 21 that’s basically what this little pilgrimage is about. The Festa della Salute (aka Festival for Health) is really just a another reminder like the Redentore festival (held in July) that the plague killed about one-third of Venice’s citizens back in 1630-1631. The survivors built the church of the Madonna della Salute in the Dorsoduro district, which is where today’s residents give thanks at the church’s altar.
Castradina Soup
On this holidays, Venetians eat traditional castradina, a tasty soup made from the leg of mutton (adult sheep) that is salted, smoked and then seasoned, with the addition of cabbage leaves, onions and wine, which is traditionally enjoyed on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Health.
Biennale – End of November – Biennale is the huge international contemporary art exhibition that begins in June of odd-numbered years and ends in November.
Check out the Venice events calendar to see what’s happening when you visit.