PHOTOS: The pictures in this article are sample images by Luca Fazzolari, who photographs couples of many nationalities.
Destination weddings bring many foreign couples to Venice. So do honeymoons, anniversaries, and engagement trips. If you're planning a personal event in Venice that needs commemorating, you'll probably want to hire a photographer. One talented photographer who deserves to be on your short list is Luca Fazzolari, who supplied the images on this page.
Luca divides his time between Venice and Milan (where he studied fashion and portrait photography at the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia). In addition to being a consummate professional photographer, Luca has excellent language skills: He's fluent in Italian, English, and French, and he also has studied Russian.
For more information in English about Luca Fazzolari and his services, visit www.photographervenice.com. And to see even more of his photographic work (including portraits, fashion, and architectural subjects), go to his Italian-language site, www.lucafaz.it.
ABOVE: A rowing race on the Giudecca Canal during last year's Festa del Redentore.
Every summer, Venice has a celebration called the Festa del Redentore, which translates as Feast or Festival of the Redeemer. The two-day event dates back to the 1577, and it commemorates the city's deliverance from a plague.
During the festival, a temporary pontoon bridge is floated into place on the Giudecca Canal. Thousands of Venetians and tourists walk from the historic center's Dorosoduro district to the island of La Giudecca, where the local Roman Catholic patriarch addresses the crowd from the steps of the Redentore ("Redeemer") Church. Other activities during the weekend include a mass, rowing races, and a huge fireworks display.
This year's Festa del Redentore takes place on Saturday, July 14 and Sunday, July 15. As a preview, we offer two short videos from the 2011 festival below. For a list of events during the festival, see Venezia Marketing & Eventi's English-language Festa del Redentore 2012 page.
Daytime: Pontoon Bridge and Boats
In this video, you can see the pontoon bridge and the boats that crowd into St. Mark's Basin and the Giudecca Canal on the opening day of the Festa.
Look carefully, and you'll see a barge with a porta-potty, an ambulance, and--perhaps a bit oddly--a boat of the Polizia Penitenziaria, the Italian prison police.
Nighttime: More crowds and fireworks
Our second video was taken from the Dorsoduro end of the pontoon bridge between the historic center of Venice and La Giudecca. It begins with a shot of a man tending his boat's barbecue in the foreground; after that, you'll see short excerpts from the brilliant fireworks display, which lasted about half an hour.
ABOVE: Snatch-and-grab thieves aren't common in Venice, but pickpockets and purselifters prey on tourists--especially during high season or on busy holiday weekends.
Venice is a city that can look and feel creepy, especially at night. But don't let its narrow streets and dark alleys alarm you: Violent crime is rare in Venice, and you can walk anywhere in the historic center with virtually no risk of being murdered, mugged, or raped.
Non-violent crime is a different story. Like many tourist cities, Venice attracts its share of pickpockets, purselifters, and camera thieves. A moment's carelessness can be expensive, as these stories illustrate:
A friend (who happens to be a professional travel writer) set her camera bag down at her feet while paying for a gelato on Venice's Zattere. When she'd put her change away and reached for the bag, it was gone.
Our niece set her purse on top of her suitcase for a moment in Venice's Santa Lucia Railroad Station. Seconds later, she discovered that it had disappeared, along with her money, credit cards, and passport.
Fortunately, such incidents are easy to avoid. Just observe these common-sense rules:
Keep your valuables where thieves can't see or reach them. (Example: Don't carry a wallet, money, or your passport in a hip pocket.)
Carry most of your cash, a spare credit card, an ATM card, and your passport in a neck wallet or other safe place. That way, if your purse or wallet is stolen, you won't be left high and dry.
Remember that backpacks and hip packs are especially vulnerable: A pickpocket can easily unzip them and remove valuables such as cameras, smartphones, and passports. (Don't assume that wearing a waist pack in front of your body will keep you safe. While you're looking up at the Campanile di San Marco or the Rialto Bridge, a pickpocket can relieve you of your wallet or cellulare in a few seconds.)
If you're carrying an expensive camera, don't dangle it behind you where a thief could quietly remove its interchangeable lens or simply cut the shoulder strap, take the camera, and disappear into the crowd..
Please note: For some readers, the advice in this post may seem obvious or condescending. But let's face it: Travelers are victims of pickpockets and other silent thieves every day. In our opinion, even experienced travelers can benefit from an occasional reminder to be vigilant.