With a Venetian afternoon on the Prague waterfront marked by cultural events, boats on display and a tasting of wines and lagoon specialities, Navalis 2025, under the patronage of the Italian Embassy, kicks off today. Navalis 2025 is a two-day event dedicated to the feast of St John of Nepomuk, the largest Baroque celebration on the water at the Charles Bridge with a history of more than 300 years. The celebrations in honour of the Czech saint, the patron saint of bridges, communication routes, good reputation and people in danger of drowning, so much so that he became the patron saint of gondoliers and one of the patron saints of Venice, will get into full swing on 15 May with a packed programme of events that will see the participation of numerous dignitaries, including the Italian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mauro Marsili, the Patriarch of Venice, Monsignor Francesco Moraglia, the Apostolic Nuncio, Monsignor Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Cardinal Emeritus Dominik Duka, the Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, the film director Jiří Strach, and Giovanni Giusto and Marco Mastroianni, respectively the Deputy Councilor and Director of the Protection of Traditions of the City of Venice.
Tomorrow, the blessing of the festively harnessed horses, riders and pilgrims will take place on Hradčany Square in Prague Castle, followed by a solemn mass in the Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Adalbert and Wenceslas. At the end of the religious celebration, a procession will make its way from the Cathedral to the Charles Bridge, where the Patriarch of Venice will start the regatta between historical boats and rowing trips on the Vltava River. The 2025 edition of Navalis will end in the evening with a concert of Baroque music on the water in the vicinity of the Charles Bridge. As part of the initiative, Ambassador Marsili will welcome delegations from Venice and the parish of San Giovanni Nepomuceno di Stazzo (Acireale) to the embassy on 16 May.
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