This veduta depicts Saint Mark’s Square decorated for the most splendid festival in Venice, the Festa della Sensa. On Ascension Day, Venice held a ceremony celebrating the symbolic marriage between Venice and the Sea, an evocation of the ancient victory that had given the city naval control of the Adriatic.

In addition to the Basilica, the painting shows the Bell Tower, the Clock Tower, the Ducal Palace and the buildings of the Procurators of Saint Mark’s, partially covered by temporary arcades, in which there were stands exhibiting textiles and silversmith’s wares, in an ephemeral installation used in 1775 and 1776.

On this remarkably atmospheric canvas, the painter creates a fantastic space with theatrical dynamics, full of counterpoints, giving the impression that everything is alive and immediate. The figures, magnificently distributed in the festive setting, add movement and feverish excitement to the ensemble.

The painting is part of a set of 19 works by Francesco Guardi acquired by Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian between 1907 and 1920.