Saor a San Sebastiano: A Celebration of Venice’s Lagoon, Culture, and Community
Last Friday, 28 March, the Bocciofila San Sebastiano in Venice hosted Saor a San Sebastiano (Taste at San Sebastiano), a vibrant initiative promoted by the Comune di Venezia within the context of the New European Bauhaus – Bauhaus of the Seas Sails project. The event was held in collaboration with Ocean Space (TBA21) and all the Venetian project partners, uniting generations and sectors around sustainability, tradition, and urban regeneration.
Photo by Alessandro Tretti Gastaldello
A Community Event Rooted in Heritage and Innovation
The event centered on three core pillars rooted around topics like passing of generational knowledge and rediscovering and protecting the Venice lagoon.
These themes guided the day’s rich programme of intergenerational learning and celebration, perfectly aligned with the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails vision: to develop urban solutions that are environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, and aesthetically enriching.
At the heart of this initiative is the Venice pilot, coordinated by Ca’ Foscari, alongside IUAV University, Comune di Venezia, North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. The pilot focuses on the San Basilio and Santa Marta areas, aiming to reconnect Venice with its port, rejuvenate residential zones, attract new communities, and inspire inclusive public spaces.
Cleaning the Venice channels, an activity coordinated by the Associazione Gondolieri Sommozzatori I Photo by Alessandro Tretti Gastaldello
The Bocciofila San Sebastiano, a local bowling club nestled in the urban fabric of Venice, proved an ideal venue. Recently revitalized with support from the Municipality, it includes not only sports facilities but also green areas and an urban garden, cared for by senior citizens—key participants in the event.
Throughout the day, the site transformed into a platform for dialogue between generations, with seniors teaching Zambelli primary school children how to play bowls, and guiding them in discovering the Venetian Lagoon ecosystem through interactive workshops hosted by Musei Civici – Museo di Storia Naturale, Barena Bianca, and Ocean Space.
Sustainability, Food, and Intergenerational Dialogue
One of the highlights was the regenerative menu prepared by Marco Bravetti (TOCIA), drawing connections between sustainable food practices and lagoon ecology. This culinary experience was complemented by a round table featuring local fishermen, winemakers, and vegetable growers, who shared insights into the environmental and economic challenges of working in the Lagoon.
Children also engaged in “plogging”—a hybrid of jogging and litter collection—supported by students from CUS Venezia, while the Gondolieri Sommozzatori Association carried out a live underwater canal cleaning, drawing applause and fascination from the young spectators.
Preparing food I Photo by Alessandro Tretti Gastaldello
Preparing Food I Photo by Alessandro Tretti Gastaldello
Institutional Voices and the Project’s Broader Vision
Opening remarks came from Venice’s institutional representatives Paola Mar, Councillor for the Promotion of the Territory of the City of Venice, Fulvio Di Blasio, President of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, Aldo Reato, Delegate for Gondola Mobility, Andrea Tomaello, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Community Policies and Paola Ravenna, Director of Community Funding Projects.
They emphasized how this pilot event embodied the project’s ambition to become a reference model for European urban regeneration, especially in coastal contexts.
Ca’ Foscari’s Fabio Pittarello and IUAV’s Linda Zardo echoed this sentiment, noting that Venice—alongside seven other European coastal cities—serves as a living lab for inclusive, environmentally responsive urban practices.
Ultimately, Saor a San Sebastiano showcased how places of community like the Bocciofila can become incubators for inclusion, education, sustainability, and cultural memory. As Alvise Marzollo, president of the club, noted, the revitalized space now offers real potential for social aggregation and neighborhood life.
Welcome speech by the institutional partners of the Venice pilot I Photo by Alessandro Tretti Gastaldello
Collecting waste from the channel I Photo by Alessandro Tretti Gastaldello
