A significant celebration takes place throughout Italy on the 25th of May (Liberation Day), with Venice hosting its own unique and historically rooted traditions. It is nevertheless the day dedicated to Venice’s Patron Saint, when it is customary to present a rosebud to a loved one. This custom originates from a legend that tells the story of a young girl named Maria who had deeply fallen in love with a man named Tancredi. Unfortunately, their love was vehemently opposed by Maria’s father. In an effort to overcome this opposition, Maria beseeched Tancredi to join Charlemagne’s army and fight against the Arabs in Spain, hoping that his heroic acts would earn her father’s approval. Tancredi bravely departed, and news of his glorious deeds quickly spread throughout the world. However, one fateful day, a group of Frankish knights, led by the renowned Orlando, arrived in Venice and delivered the heartbreaking news of Tancredi’s demise. They revealed that he had fallen, bleeding, onto a rosebush. As he took his last breath, he plucked a flower and entrusted it to Orlando, requesting that he deliver it to his beloved. Upon receiving the rose, still stained with Tancredi’s blood, Maria was overcome with grief and withdrew into her sorrow. The following day, coinciding with the feast of San Marco, she was discovered lifeless, the bloodied flower resting upon her heart.
