While April 25 is celebrated throughout Italy as Liberation Day, in Venice this date also marks the Feast of Saint Mark, the city’s patron saint. The Evangelist’s story is inextricably linked to the Serenissima, beginning with the translation of his relics from Egypt in the 9th century – an event that shaped the destiny of Venice. The Basilica of Saint Mark, which houses these relics, stands as the spiritual heart of the city, symbolizing a tradition deeply rooted in faith and Byzantine culture. The legend of the winged lion, the emblem of Venice, tells of a divine vision that foretold Saint Mark’s death and eternal rest in Venice. This symbol, adopted by the Venetian Republic in the 12th century, represents the strength and nobility that have always defined the Serenissima.
The Feast of Saint Mark is not only a religious occasion but also a popular tradition. In Venice, the custom of the “Bocolo” (a red rosebud) is renewed, as men gift it to women as a token of love and devotion. This ancient tradition is tied to a legend as romantic as it is tragic, recounting the ill-fated love between Maria, known as Vulcana – the beautiful daughter of Doge Orso I Partecipazio – and a young minstrel named Tancredi. To prove his worth to the Doge, Tancredi enlisted under Charlemagne to fight the Moors in Spain. He became famous for his valor, but he ultimately fell in battle, fatally wounded on a bush of white roses, staining the flowers with his blood. As his final act of love, he entrusted a rosebud to his comrade Orlando, asking him to deliver it to Maria. The red rose, dyed with Tancredi’s blood, reached Venice on April 25, and the next day Maria died of grief, clutching her beloved’s gift in her hands. Since then, for over 1,200 years, the memory of this pure and sacrificial love has been honored on this date in Venice with the Bocolo ritual. Men, whether husbands, sons, fathers, or lovers, present a red rosebud to the women they cherish, keeping this poignant tradition alive.
