The Sea's Wedding

On an early summer morning, pale pink sunlight streamed through the gaps in the vaulted ceiling of the corridor. Between the columns, light and shadow alternated constantly. The man walking through them turned his head slightly and gazed out at the scenery beyond the corridor.

In the distance lay a blue sky gradually fading to white, and below the coastline, white sails slowly emerged. They belonged to merchant ships returning from distant voyages.

Nearer by, fishermen rowed their small boats, carrying their freshly caught prey to sell at the floating market by the docks.

This was an ordinary day in Venice, but also an extraordinary one. During the fifteen days surrounding the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus each year, he, as the Doge of Venice, had to "marry" once.

Among Christian princes and nobles, polygamy was forbidden, yet the Doge of Venice was still permitted to remarry once every year. In other words, though the leader married repeatedly, he was not truly living a married life.

He was married to the Adriatic Sea. The sea was his bride, and he would cast a gold ring into the ocean from his ship.

This tradition had lasted for centuries. No one knew why. Commoners set up stalls for the occasion, while the Doge, after completing the ceremony on Lido Island, returned to San Nicolò Church to celebrate Mass.

It had practically become a grand festival. People opened markets, set out displays, and held all kinds of large-scale entertainment events.

The most exciting part was that, as if celebrating Carnival, masked people headed into the alleyways, concealing their identities as they indulged in pleasure throughout the night.

This ceremony continued until 1797. When Napoleon's army attacked the permanently neutral Republic of Venice, he burned the docks upon entering the city. The luxurious