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La
Festa
del Mare
Ancona has been rocked by sea
waves for millennia, and each year it celebrates its profound link with
the sea, the main source of life, development and profit.
The Sea festival is a tribute to a natural
element so important that it has historically showed the right way to go
to all the inhabitants of this territory, becoming the pure identity of a
people.
The sea is therefore a natural strength, which may
respond to men either with its generous gift of savoury fish, or with its
wrath against those who still do not treat it respectfully. The
inhabitants of Ancona owe everything to the sea, their fortune, their
multi-faceted culture and the very beauty of their town.
The port of Ancona was established in the 4th
century b. C., every year in September it becomes the protagonist of
solemn celebrations (both religious and folkloristic), dedicated to the
sea and to those earning a living from it, as well as all those who died
in the sea.
It is not by chance that celebrations often involve
people from other nations, with which Ancona has always had fruitful
exchanges. It is possible to hear people speaking Croatian in the charming
streets of the city centre, or observe rhythmic Slovenian dances on the
sides of sunlit squares.
As the people gather in the shady San Ciriaco Cathedral
to pay tribute to those who died in the sea, the oldest boats go back to
the sea, showing their beauty and their longstanding history.
Music and memories are the leitmotif of this festival,
and in the night fireworks reflecting on the sea light the starry sky.
In the past few years the Ancona Sea festival has been
enriched by the beautiful Conero boat race, a charming meeting
opportunity for all sailboats and sea enthusiasts.
In the silence interrupted only by waves or the wind
blowing in the sails, it is a unique opportunity that of observing over
200 boats challenging each other close to the Mount Conero, in the
wonderful Portonovo bay and along the many enchanted beaches.
Finally, the boats reach the Passetto, the real heart of Ancona, in
the playful and serene atmosphere of the Sea Festival.
© 2001
Liberation Ventures Ltd.
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