The Festa della Sensa, or Ascension Day, is one of Venice's oldest traditions. It dates back to the 11th century when Doge Pietro II Orseolo set sail to liberate Dalmatia from Slavic pirates. To commemorate this victory and symbolize Venice's dominion over the sea, the ceremony of the Marriage to the Sea was instituted. Every year on Ascension Day, the Doge, aboard the Bucintoro (the state ship), would sail to the port entrance at the Lido. Here, he would cast a golden ring into the waters, uttering the phrase: "Desponsamus te, mare, in signum veri perpetuique dominii" ("We wed thee, O sea, as a sign of true and everlasting dominion"). This tradition continued for centuries, symbolizing Venice's maritime power, until 1797 when the Republic fell under Napoleonic rule. The ceremony was interrupted, marking the end of an era for the lagoon city. However, in modern times, the festival has been revived as a cultural and historical celebration, albeit in a more symbolic form compared to the past.
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