For the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, the Venice Carnival (www.carnevale.venezia.it) takes over the city with pageants, street theatre and masked balls. The start of summer brings the Vogalonga rowing regatta (4 June) through the lagoon, followed by the Redentore Festival (15-16 July) commemorating the end of the plague that ravaged the city in the 16th century, culminating with music and fireworks. The Venice International Film Festival (www.labiennale.org, 30 Aug-9 Sept) usually brings out the stars, while the Architecture Biennale (www.labiennale.org, 10 Sept-19 Nov) draws over 100,000 visitors.

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