Sea Wedding
PREVIEW 2023
Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May
Back for the 579th edition is a festival that has its roots in a legend. With very ancient origins, the ceremony of the throwing of the ring links Cervia to its sea and involves the people of Cervia and tourists alike.
Like every year, there will be a host city that will bring the ring as a gift for the wedding rite.
A very old and traditional event, it is one of the most beloved in the town. It has now come to its 579th edition but its ancient rite celebration at the sea and its fishing-of-the-ring challange, where young Cervia residents try to get the "trophy" bringing good luck and prosperity have lost none of their atmosphere.
This important event, one of the oldest in Italy, returns on 21st May. The Archbishop of the Diocese of Ravenna and Cervia goes out to sea on a fishing boat, blesses the Adriatic Sea and gives a gold ring to the waters, continuing the vow made in 1445 by the then Bishop of Cervia Pietro Barbo who, according to legend, found himself in a storm on his return from Venice and pledged his pastoral ring, asking the waters to calm down.
An event with an ancient flavour that usually involves the whole town and that on Sunday starts from Cervia's main square, Piazza Garibaldi, where the historical procession is formed, with lords, bishops, ladies and mayors parading in sumptuous period costumes, accompanying the ring that will be thrown as a pledge to the sea in the historic ceremony of the "marriage of the town with the waters of the Adriatic"
While waiting for the 2023 programme
you can see below what happened in the 2022 edition
The host city for 2022 will be Margherita di Savoia.
Ring rituals
Sunday 29th May
Ancient rite of blessing the Adriatic Sea and throwing the ring into its waves by the Bishop
Cervia Cattedrale -
4.00 p.m.
Traditional Mass of the Ring
Solemn Liturgy of Ascension, presided by the Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia. Blessing of the ring Lord Mayor's and Bishop's exchange of local Salt and Sensia bread, an especially shaped bread traditionally baked only on Ascension Day.
from Garibaldi Square to the Canal
5.00 p.m.
Ring Parade
Solemn historic parade accompanying the Blessed ring to the Sea
the Canal - 5.45 p.m.
Historic boat parade
the Canal - 6.00 p.m.
Set off to the sea
The boats sail out to sea to perform the ancient rite of blessing the Adriatic Sea and throwing the ring into its waves for the young fishermen to fish it out
Motorboat tickets only online
Full price euro 5,00 - Reduced price (children up to 10 years old) euro 3,00.
All proceeds will be donated to charity.
In case of bad weather there is no refund
For information:
Tourist Information Office - Torre San Michele ,via Evangelisti 4, Cervia, tel. 0544 974400.
TO FOLLOW THE CEREMONY
For those who remain in the port but wish to follow the ceremony, there will be a live broadcast on Facebook and on the maxi screen located on the Lungomare (waterfront promenade), in the Tourist Port area.
Fine clothes and accessories for the historical procession
The creation of new clothes and accessories by skilled artisans from Bologna and Venice theatre tailors further enhance the intangible cultural heritage that this event represents for Cervia.
As a result of careful research, new costumes have been made that are true to the historical period represented.
Among the characters: the Doge of Venice Francesco Foscari, Novello Malatesta, then Lord of Cervia, with his wife Violante da Montefeltro, the Podestà of Cervia and the Lady of the Ring who will wear a dress with gold embroidered decorations and a cloak with a train of more than 5 metres that will be supported by two ladies.
The procession, made up of institutional representatives, historical figures, banners and citizens, will head towards the canal port for one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the event, the gift of the ring to the sea by the Archbishop and the city authorities.
As is traditional every year, young swimmers will compete to fish out the ring that will bring good luck for a whole year to the whole town and to whoever manages to retrieve it.
The date of the festival is engraved on the inside of the golden ring, which will remain in the possession of the cleverest swimmer, while long ribbons, one tricolour and one with the colours of Cervia, yellow and blue, will allow the user to follow the trajectory during the launch into the sea.
For further information
Contacts
When
Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May 2023
Luogo
Town historical centre and canal harbour
Cervia - Piazza Garibaldi, Viale Roma, Via Nazario Sauro
Official Tourist Information Site of Cervia