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St. Mark's Day in Venice, April 25
I noticed that the public holiday St. Mark's Day will be celebrated in Venice during our full free day there; the national Liberation Day holiday is on that day as well. It appears that there will be business/bank closures, although I was unable to discover what impacts there might be for visitors. Has anyone experienced this, and have any suggestions on what to do -- or perhaps more importantly, what not to do?
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We arrive in Venice (day 12) on Thur, 2 June which is Republic Day, an annual national holiday.
My guess is that any place that caters to tourists will be open (almighty dollar, or euro as the case may be). Government offices and banks may be closed. As to the number of tourists plus locals on the streets (canals) and piazza's or in churches attending mass, etc., who knows?
You also get a two-fer- in addition to being St. Mark's Day (Festa di San Marco), also known as the rosebud festival* (Venetian: festa del bocolo), a festival in Venice held on 25 April celebrating Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark (*on this day, men traditionally give a single rosebud to the women they love), but more importantly, April 25 is also National Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione)! A national holiday that marks the fall of Mussolini's Italian Social Republic and the end of the Nazi occupation in Italy in 1945.
Here is what I found in one reference (not specific to Venice):
"What Do People Do?
Marching bands, music concerts, food festivals, political rallies, and other public gatherings take place in many places in Italy.
Public Life
Organizations and businesses that are closed include:
Government offices.
Post offices.
Banks.
Schools and other educational institutions.
Transport options, such as taxis, rail services between major cities and major long-route bus lines, are available but travelers are advised to check first with local transport authorities."
Obviously we'll need to have someone with experience weigh in.