The Venetians’ 21st of November

[from VeNews 169, October/November 2012]

The Feast of the Madonna della Salute, or Our Lady of Good Health, holds a special significance for Venice, and it’s striking that, even in a present day largely indifferent to ecclesiastical rituals, the tribute paid by an entire city remains sincerely and deeply felt. So much so that November 21st has become a fixture in the calendar of religious celebrations. Perhaps it’s the nature of the feast itself, which resists rigid ceremonial formality and instead embraces a personal, heartfelt pilgrimage to the majestic Basilica designed by Baldassarre Longhena in 1631. The height of it is a procession to pay respects to a Byzantine icon of the Black Madonna, believed to have halted a devastating plague and restored hope to Venice. Each person entrusts their hopes for health to Mary, but without theatricality. There’s no spectacle made of illness. The procession of the sick doesn’t take place inside the Basilica. Instead, there’s a democratic tradition of visiting her at least once a year, bringing modest candles as if visiting an elderly aunt who, during Christmas greetings, might offer you a glass of spirit. The setting includes the temporary bridge of boats spanning the Grand Canal, the balloon market near the Basilica, stalls selling candles for offerings, and food stands that over the years have expanded their offerings to include southern Italian specialties: almond paste, marzipan, candied fruits, fritters, and Nutella crepes. In truth, there’s nothing particularly “typical” about it. In the last century, tradition dictated hot chocolate with whipped cream and baicoli (Venetian biscuits) on November 21st, marking the season’s first outing in fur coats for the ladies, followed by a stroll to St. Mark’s Square after visiting the Madonna. Today, changing climate, animal rights activism, and the globalization of pistachios have set new standards for the celebration. The religious character remains, but much of the uniquely Venetian ritual, strongly secular and resistant to the excesses of professional piety, has faded. Still popular in the city is the “Salute menu” featuring a robust, divisive dish: castradina s’ciavona, mutton stew with cabbage, evoking memories of lost overseas territories. It’s a dish digestible only with the Madonna’s blessing, it seems, but one that fully honours tradition. Far more approachable are the sweets: brittle, toasted almonds and hazelnuts overflowing from market baskets. It’s unknown how many people book dentist appointments on November 22nd to fix fillings lost to caramelized nuts, but it’s a risk worth taking for treats consumed in a space steeped in sacred protection. Living alongside the Basilica, Venetians often forget the architectural “miracle” that was achieved in building such a monument, truly an almost unparalleled example of beauty and harmony. Baldassarre Longhena is said to have drawn inspiration for the church’s design from the Temple of Venus Physizoa, described in Francesco Colonna’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili and a clear reference to a link between pagan and Christian motherhood, a kind of ideal proto-Christianity. But that’s another story…