The rosebud legend

The writer Alberto Toso Fei, and artist Elena Tagliapietra, both from Venice, will give life - on April 25 ^th in St. Marco Square at 2pm - to the fifth edition of "Venice Revealed", a two-year project of reading and body painting.

This year a "human rose" composed of 1200 people will be created; at the same time there will be a flash reading of the Bocolo (blooming rose) legend.

This legend, supposedly more than 1300 years old, concerns Maria, the daughter of Doge Orso I Partecipazio , who is said to have fallen hopelessly in love with Tancredi, a handsome, brave young of an unfortunately modest social position. The Doge, hoping to rid himself of what he saw as a bad love match, arranged to have the lad dispatched to a distant post to fight the Turks.

The young man distinguished himself valiantly in war and his fame spread around the world. Unfortunately though he was mortally wounded in battle and collapsed near a rose bush. Picking up a single rose, tinged with his own heroic blood, he asked Orlando, a fellow soldier, to return it to his beloved, in Venice, as ultimate token of love.

On April 25 ^th , the day after receiving the rose, Maria was found dead in her bed with the rosebud on her chest.

From then, on April 25 ^th , according to the tradition, Venetians express their feelings to their loved ones with a rosebud.

If you want to participate in the event as an assistant, performer, sponsor, or technical partner, send an email to veneziarivelata@gmail.com.

For more info visit www.veneziarivelata.it