A human rose for Venice – an unforgettable April 25th

A majestic human rose was created in Piazza San Marco on April25th , a memorable image that will go down in history.

April 25th is a special day for Venice. In addition to Liberation Day, it's both the Feast Day of Saint Mark, patron of the city, and the Festa del Bòcolo (Feast of the Rosebud). But this year the day was celebrated in an extraordinary way: by creating a giant 'human rosebud' in Piazza San Marco. A unique event in one of the most famous Italian settings that has make Venice even more romantic, if it is possible! This incredible performance, which was accompanied by a face painting session and a flash reading, is part of a larger project called “Venice Revealed” conceived by the venetian author Alberto Toso Fei and the artist Elena Tagliapietra. This project has a great ambition: to tell legends and old traditions that could be forgotten with 13 events organised throughout two years in different locations around Venice and proposing different artistic performances at each event. The 6th event involved more than 1000 Venetians who met in a sunny Feast Day in Piazza San Marco to form the majestic rosebud with their bodies, 850mq of red petals and other 150 mq of stem and green leaves. You will ask: why a rosebud on April 25th? According to the legend, in the 8th century a man of low social standing, Tancredi, fell in love with Maria, a beautiful woman from the noble family of Partecipazio. Her father didn't approve their love so she suggest his beloved to sign up for the Crusades and come back triumphant in order to earn her father's trust. However, Tancredi was wounded mortally in battle but before he died he took a rosebud soaked with his own blood and asked a comrade to bring it to his beloved Maria in Venice. The day after she was found lifeless in her room with the rose laid down on her heart. The 25th of April was the date. Since then, on St. Mark’s Day in Venice, all men give their beloved a red rosebud as pledge of their love. This tradition was presented definitely in a new and contemporary way sending also an important message to the world: Venice is not just a tourist destination, it's much more. Venice is an extraordinarily vibrant city where also traditions and anecdotes has to be discovered. Venice is to be revealed in all its hidden treasures. Venice is to live, to experience, to love.