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Marriage to the sea
The Doge of the Serenissima used this rite to demonstrate the Republic's dominion in the gulf. .Aside from legend and tradition, the ceremony probably had Byzantine origins, or could even have been based on ancient pagan propitiators.
The doge and his entourage embarked on the Bucintoro,
followed by a huge and colourful procession of decorated boats
with representatives of the guilds and the city's major
corporations. On reaching the mouth of San Nicolò port,
where was joint by a boat carrying the Patriarch who blessed the
sea, the Doge threw a gold ring into the sea.
The Bucintoro
This was the Serenissima's flagship and it embodied the pomp and splendour of the Republic thanks to its ornaments and decoration.
It was used for water processions, for greeting ambassadors and the most important visitors of the time, for festivities and principally on Ascension Day.
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