Today is the feast of All Souls, more informally called “I Morti” (the dead). Unlike Mexico and maybe some other countries, celebrating/commemorating the Day of the Dead in Venice is not a big holiday, in a festive sort of sense.
Here, one typically — if one is old-fashioned, as we are — eats a few “fave” on the night of All Saints, i.e. November 1. They’re so intensely sweet that I can manage only one or two before saying good-bye to these morsels for another year.
And this evening, one would typically roast chestnuts and drink torbolino, the first drawing-off of the new wine. (We skip the torbolino because naturally it isn’t as good now as it was in the old days.)
So much for the few remaining traditions observed on this day, but wait! This year a temporary bridge was assembled to connect the Fondamente Nove to the cemetery island of San Michele, reviving a custom that had been abandoned in 1950. It isn’t the old bridge, of course, which used to be set up on massive wooden boats called peate. What impresses me is that enough of these boats were taken out of service back then for a number of days, because 70 years ago they were still hard at work.
The bridge stretched — and still does — for 417 meters (1,359 feet). That is longer than the famous pontoon bridge set up for the feast of the Redentore across the Giudecca Canal (342 meters, or 1,123 feet).Here’s something that’s just as exotic as the boats: no railings or any other protective barriers or devices. People either walked or thought differently back then.
This year, to general amazement, the city (mayor, basically, who is soon up for re-election — I’M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS NOTICED THAT) decided to spend 450,000 euros ($502,776) on a pontoon bridge resembling the one set up for the feast of the Redentore in July. The bridge will be up until November 10, so there’s still time if any reader wants to stroll across it to the cemetery. There are vaporettos back to Venice if the gentle rocking motion of the bridge has lost its appeal.
We’re not big cemetery-goers, but we went to pay our respects to some of Lino’s family who have gone ahead, as the Alpine Regiment soldiers refer to their comrades at funerals. Obviously we’ve been before, though of course it was less oppressive going today than it was twice in the last two years, accompanying a coffin. I probably didn’t need to say that. The bridge was appealing, but not our main motive for the excursion.
The city had imposed a rule, enforced by numerous people in various uniforms, that the bridge could be used today and tomorrow only by residents, Venetians or otherwise (showing either their vaporetto pass or their I.D.), or anybody with the vaporetto pass, by which they mean the long-term one which would indicate some more than passing connection with the city. At first we thought this was extremely weird, even though people could certainly go via the free vaporetto today.
They were absolutely checking people’s passes or ID.
But a Venetian friend I met on the bridge explained that one reason for this rule was to squelch tour groups from swarming it (bridge and cemetery) for the novelty of it all, thereby ruining what is a very personal and often emotional experience for people who live here. She said that some tour operators had indeed publicized this event, so let me offer an unsolicited compliment to whoever thought up that rule. Gad. That’s all we need — tourists on the bridge to the cemetery today. They can go on Monday, and every day till next Sunday if they want to.
“The bridge of the saints and the dead” (defuncts).” Here are some rules: Thursday October 31 from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM and from Friday November 1 to Sunday November 3 from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM; from November 4-10 from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
I was surprised to run into a good number of people we know, either on the traverse or wandering around the plots, looking for their deceased relatives, often holding bouquets or other flower arrangements. The place was absolutely bursting with flowers; it has never looked that good, and the colors were wonderfully welcome in what was a dank, gray, cold, rainy day. Perfect weather for the occasion, true, but after a while one’s thoughts wandered from the past to the very present cold, wet feet.
All told, several hours well spent. And thoughts and emotions dedicated to several exceptional people, starting with Lino’s parents, two sisters and a brother. The rest are interred in the cemetery in Mestre, where I wouldn’t have gone, though I wafted them a number of familial thoughts.
The cemetery as seen from above gives no hint at how maddeningly complicated it is to find the loculi you want amid what are mazes of concrete blocks. The interments aren’t much easier to deal with, either. People were wandering with maps in their hands — no telling what condition the people at the information booth were in at closing time.On the tomb of the Nob. Famiglia Malfer (noble family Malfer). The only lion with a hammer I’ve ever seen — not the Venetian lion, obviously, but still. I’d always thought lions depended on their fangs and claws. More seriously, a quick search reveals that it’s a name to be found in northern Italy in the Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige or Lake Garda areas. In heraldry, the lion represents strength, courage and command; the hammer symbolizes exertion or endeavor, intelligence or ingenuity, and determination or constancy. But we were searching for Lino’s family, so we moved on.Immediately entering the cemetery through the stately official portal (which I’d always seen closed), there was an information booth to the left, and a wooden ramp which I assume was to facilitate the passage of people in wheelchairs (we saw several), as well as strollers.Small children, always so glad to be taken to incomprehensible places for profoundly uninteresting reasons, in the rain. Filial piety flickers faintly, but at least they’re now finally heading for the exit.Astonishing quantities of flowers — the place has never looked this good. I think I heard somebody say that the city had ponied up for a good number of these. Maybe the bridge people said they’d throw in the flowers at cost.
In the section reserved for military graves — most of them ranging from old to extremely old — I was surprised to find two women putting flowers on a tomb. I didn’t ask them anything, although I was curious. But I did make a point of reading the tombstone.BERTUZZI ALDO (typically, the family name is written first): “Tragico e fatale destino stroncava la giovine e generosa esistenza nel compiere un generoso atto altruistico inteso al salvataggio di due persone in procinto di annegare in fiume vi trovava tragica fine.” “Tragic and fatal destiny cut off the young and generous existence in executing a generous and altruistic act intended to save two persons in danger of drowning in a river there he found his tragic end.” (August 9 1946). Being in the military section, he was clearly a soldier who had made it through World War II, and then that.This is something you don’t usually expect to see in a cemetery. It’s not new land, it’s recycled land. After ten years, Lino tells me, they dig you up. If you have relatives that will come take an interest in your remains, your bones (if that’s all that’s left) will be placed in a box and re-filed in a space in a columbarium. Otherwise, bones, tombstones, it all goes. The bones, I’ve been told, are burned; the marble, etc., is disposed of in some way. I don’t know if I’ll spend any time researching this further; I’m sure it’s quite fascinating but at the moment I’m aghast. PS: If nobody comes to account for you, you just disappear. If somebody comes looking for you later, for some reason, oh well. The weak link in this extraordinary system seems to be the postal system. If you move and change your address, the notice the cemetery administration sends you will never reach you. It happened to more than one person I know. I realize that this earth is not our home, but this is a bit much.Walking back over the bridge toward the Fondamente Nove, hot drinks, home.This is what the late morning looked like once we’d left the yellow chrysanthemums behind.The ascent of the raised part of the bridge was only slightly demanding.Homeward bound on the 4.2. Traffic lights on both sides of the bridge managed the two-way traffic, seeing that the boats have to alternate in order to pass through. Somewhat like those picturesque but slightly terrifying one-lane bridges leading to blind corners.
Fascinating and informative, as usual. I have only once been to San Michele, in all the many times I’ve been to Venice, and then I must admit it was mere curiosity! But when I went, it was quiet, serene and deserted, we strolled around commenting ( quietly) on the problems of it not being truly a “final resting place”, as you point out. I couldn’t imagine it as so busy, were it not for your photos.
We felt the area that seemed mainly to be devoted to children was very moving and sad. -Was it just a co-incidence they were close together?
Thank you again.
To make the bridge for Venetians only for a few days seems very tactful as well. If some tourist or other really wants to pay their respects at the cemetery there is always the vaporetto.
This might seem strange but I like cemeteries and the tranquility that often is found there. Whenever I’m in my home village I always take a walk to visit my grandparents, great-grandparents &c. at the cemetery there. I haven’t visited san Michele though, but just walking around and reading the headstones on whatever cemetery I find really peaceful and soothing. The leases of the plots in rural Sweden are “for eternal times” but just recently I was told that there has to be a living person on the contract. If the contact person is nowhere to be found and the plot, headstone, etc. is neglected enough it will eventually revert to the cemetery.
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Fascinating and informative, as usual. I have only once been to San Michele, in all the many times I’ve been to Venice, and then I must admit it was mere curiosity! But when I went, it was quiet, serene and deserted, we strolled around commenting ( quietly) on the problems of it not being truly a “final resting place”, as you point out. I couldn’t imagine it as so busy, were it not for your photos.
We felt the area that seemed mainly to be devoted to children was very moving and sad. -Was it just a co-incidence they were close together?
Thank you again.
Fascinating as usual, Erla.
To make the bridge for Venetians only for a few days seems very tactful as well. If some tourist or other really wants to pay their respects at the cemetery there is always the vaporetto.
This might seem strange but I like cemeteries and the tranquility that often is found there. Whenever I’m in my home village I always take a walk to visit my grandparents, great-grandparents &c. at the cemetery there. I haven’t visited san Michele though, but just walking around and reading the headstones on whatever cemetery I find really peaceful and soothing. The leases of the plots in rural Sweden are “for eternal times” but just recently I was told that there has to be a living person on the contract. If the contact person is nowhere to be found and the plot, headstone, etc. is neglected enough it will eventually revert to the cemetery.
All the best from a somewhat wintry Stockholm.