The Redentore Festival takes place in Venice and it started back in 1577 to celebrate the end of the Plague in the city.
It’s usual to have a big firework show on Saturday night and tradition wants the fireworks to begin on Saturday and end on Sunday (after midnight). I went to see this event for the first time yesterday and was left in awe.
Curated by Parente Fireworks, artistic director Antonio Parente, the show was insane:
- 400m of firing front on St. Mark’s Basin of Venice.
- 5 Barges with the major shells
- 25 Pontoons for minor shells and mine-type effects
- Over 6500 shots fired
- Over 2500kg of explosives used
- 45 minutes of fireworks show
Some of the key points:
- Parente are masters of layering. They manage to lead the eye from a low level to mid-low, mid-high and high during the show.
- The lack of music is a challenge and the length of the show was masterfully divided between segments.
- Ghost shells and Ghost mine effects were an absolute, fantastic view. I was left really in awe after witnessing them for the first time in my life. I hope with all of my heart this type of shell comes in FWsim, at least on the Creative Edition.
- Shell calibre was limited due to the location. I guess it was 200mm but I cannot confirm this.
See the whole show here.
I uploaded a clip of the part I loved the most, which is up close. I was about 250m away from the firing fronts and the shells were large enough to not fit the frame.
