Dear readers,
In Venice we are getting ready to celebrate the Madonna
della Salute, which will take place November 21st. I will share all about this major celebration in Venice in my next BLOG.
But what do cats have
to do with this celebration?
The recurrence of the Feast of the Madonna Della Salute originates
from the great epidemic of the bubonic plague that struck the whole of northern
Italy between 1630 and 1631. It’s the same one described by Alessandro Manzoni in
his renowned romance "I Promessi Sposi" – The Betrothed. The
transmission of the terrible disease in humans can occur through the sting of
the fleas on rats.
At the time of the Serenissima, cats were also embarked on
boats that left for long voyages to the East. Yes, just the cats were part of
the crew and represented an excellent defense against rats. Over the centuries
the commercial traffic increased and, with them, the risk of embarking the
notorious rodents.
So the Venetians began to select very combative cat breeds,
for example by importing "Sorians" from Syria. But the problem
remained, so they even organized expeditions in Dalmatia to fill the ships of
cats to be then left free between streets and squares of Venice. The grateful
Venetians loved their cats, so the city became a paradise for this noble
animal.
Despite the efforts the plague spread and decimated the population of
Venice, but the cats remained and became a piece of the city's history, a part
of the myth. Now we see very few cats , but the ones that remain are very satisfied
with their long naps under the sun and their fed stomachs watching the gondolas
pass by. The authentic cats of Venice are the biggest cats you will ever see, beautiful and friendly.
Look for them next time you are in my hometown.
They are part of our Venetian
history.
And if you would like to see Venice with me check the link here below to join me next year.
Much love,
Giada
To join me on my Fan Trip to Venice and the Veneto region in May 2019 visit www.viavalenti.com
To stay in contact join me on my official mailing list www.giadavalenti.com.
