On the occasion of the Feast of the Ascension, on May 17, 2026, the "Ti con nu, nu con Ti" initiative took place at the Monastery of San Nicolò on the Venice Lido. The flag-raising ceremony at the Dalmatian Pillars, coordinated by Alpine paratrooper Maurizio Vianello and led by the Serenissima Venezia Choir, was attended by the Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro. Afterward, the Patriarch of Venice, Monsignor Francesco Moraglia, took a souvenir photo.

The event, under the auspices of the City of Venice, was organized in collaboration with the Global Campus of Human Rights, the Coordination of Military Associations of Venice, the Dalmatian Society of National History, the Association of Italian Dalmatians in the World (APS), Municipal and City Councilors, Europa Adriatica Nordest, and Nicelli Airport.

Following the event, the Honorary Committee of the Sensa at the Dalmatian Pillars for Europe on both shores of the Adriatic, based at the Global Campus of Human Rights, began its work. Inspired by the tradition of the Feast of the Sensa, the memory preserved by the Dalmatian Pillars, and the European values ​​of dialogue, human rights, and cultural heritage, the Committee will promote cultural, educational, and commemorative initiatives dedicated to the Adriatic as a space of peace, encounter, and cooperation between the two shores of the Adriatic.

The Dalmatian Pillars, which were restored with the support of the Association of Italian Dalmatians in the World, represent a historic site of great symbolic value in the memory of the Adriatic. The work, composed of three large Istrian stone memorial stones engraved with the symbols of Venice, Dalmatia, and the history of the Serenissima, was created in 2005 at the initiative of the late Tullio Vallery and Franco Luxardo, with the support of the Lido Lions Club. The monument commemorates "the last battle in Venice" and testifies to the historical, cultural, and human ties between Venice, Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia.

HISTORY
The phrase "Ti con nu, nu con Ti" (You with us, we with You) was uttered on August 23, 1727, by Venetian Captain Giuseppe Viscovich during the "Oath of Perasto" in Montenegrin Dalmatia, the last to lower the Serenissimo Gonfalone of Venice. The Istrian stone plaque at the Dalmatian Pillars commemorates this specific event: "On April 20, 1797, at the entrance to the Lido harbor, sailors from the Bay of Kotor, commanded by Captain Alvise Viscovich, successfully responded to the French naval provocation, testifying to the Dalmatian loyalty to Venice. Last feat of arms in Venice. TI CON NU – NU CON TI." Every year for centuries, in the stretch of water in front of the Church of San Nicolò del Lido (where the Dalmatian Pillars stand), the lagoon receives the Doge's golden ring to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven and as a sign of the bond, the marriage, between Venice and the sea. The Feast of the Ascension originates from the memorable Doge's enterprise in the year 1000, that of Pietro II Orseolo (26th Doge of Venice) in aid of Dalmatia. Doge Pietro II Orseolo is considered the founder of the Maritime State. A skilled diplomat, he united all the Venetian nobility and then forged collaborative relations with the Western and Eastern Empires. The Dogeship of Pietro II Orseolo consolidated and developed the Serenissima's maritime influence over Istria and Dalmatia, and established alliances with the Greeks. The Doge liberated the people of Dalmatia and defeated the Narentine pirates when, with the support of Byzantium, the banner of St. Mark was raised for the first time. The Doge's naval operations were highly successful at Poreč, Pula, Osor, Cres, Krk, Rab, Zadar, Šibenik, Trogir, Split, Korčula, Lastovo, and Ragusa. It was then that Byzantium bestowed upon the Doge the title of "Duke of Dalmatia."

Source: Northeast Adriatic Europe