URBS SCRIPTA: Festival of Historic Graffiti in Venice (14–17 May 2026)

URBS SCRIPTA: Festival of historic graffiti in Venice

Dates: 14 - 17 May 2026
Locations: Ca’ Flangini, Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Arsenale, Lazzaretto Nuovo, St Mark's Basilica and other monument sites across the city.
Admission: free. Times: varied

URBS SCRIPTA returns for its fourth edition with a cultural itinerary focused on marks carved into Venice's stones over centuries: ships, names, dates, symbols and games that tell the everyday stories of sailors, prisoners and residents. The festival highlights monuments and historic sites through guided visits, hands-on workshops and practical activities.

Key program highlights

• Thursday 14 May, 6:00 PM – opening at Ca’ Flangini with a presentation by writer Tiziano Scarpa and the start of a tria tournament (an ancient game similar to tic-tac-toe).
• Friday 15 May – guided tours to main graffiti sites: Doge's Palace (prisoner inscriptions), the Arsenale (arsenalotti marks) and the church of San Martino. Inclusive activities will include tactile visits for blind and visually impaired visitors and tours in Italian Sign Language (LIS).
• Saturday 16 May – tours at Lazzaretto Nuovo showcasing newly restored graffiti and a workshop on painting techniques; visits to St Mark's Basilica to explore Armenian graffiti. The tournament and citywide visits continue.
• Sunday 17 May – final guided tours and the tria final; a treasure hunt will start from the Procuratie Vecchie to discover graffiti across the calli in an engaging way.

Why attend

The festival proposes an original way to read monuments: instead of focusing only on architecture, it encourages visitors to interpret the marks left by people who lived in and moved through the city. It's a chance to access lesser-known sites and learn local histories through inscriptions and symbols.

Practical information

• Dates: 14/05/2026 - 17/05/2026
• Locations: various monument sites in Venice (Ca’ Flangini, Doge's Palace, Arsenale, Lazzaretto Nuovo, St Mark's Basilica, church of San Martino, Procuratie Vecchie)
• Admission: free
• Accessibility: tactile visits and LIS tours available

For precise schedules and session details, check the event's official program or local information points in Venice.