Maria and Tancredi
Maria Partecipazio, the daughter of a noble family of Venice, was in love with - and loved by - Tancredi. Unfortunately, her father thought Tancredi was nothing more than a penniless storyteller and forbid the couple to see each other.Maria Partecipazio, the daughter of a noble family of Venice, was in love with - and loved by - Tancredi. Unfortunately, her father thought Tancredi was nothing more than a penniless storyteller and forbid the couple to see each other.
In order to improve her father’s opinion of her beloved Tancredi, Maria suggested that he should become a soldier in Charlemagne’s army. Within just a few months Tancredi hadbecome one of the most feared enemies of the Saracens, fighting together with Orlando, Rinaldo and the other paladins of Charlemagne’s court.
On hearing of Tancredi’s courage and valour, Maria’s father, Orso Partecipazio, immediately changed his mind about having the young man as his son in law.
However, the weeks passed and there was no news of Tancredi. When the paladins finally returned to Venice, it was Orlando who told Maria that her beloved had fallen in battle but, before dying, had picked a rose bud, bathed it in his blood and asked him to give it to her.
Maria took the shrivelled love token and retired to her rooms, stunned by grief. Later that evening she was found dead in her apartments, holding a blood red rosebud between her fingers. Strangely the rosebud was as fresh as if it had been newly picked that day.
Since that day, 25 April, the men of Venice celebrate Saint Mark’s Day by offering their ladies a rose bud as a symbol of undying love, a sentiment which neither time nor age can change.
In order to improve her father’s opinion of her beloved Tancredi, Maria suggested that he should become a soldier in Charlemagne’s army. Within just a few months Tancredi hadbecome one of the most feared enemies of the Saracens, fighting together with Orlando, Rinaldo and the other paladins of Charlemagne’s court.
On hearing of Tancredi’s courage and valour, Maria’s father, Orso Partecipazio, immediately changed his mind about having the young man as his son in law.
However, the weeks passed and there was no news of Tancredi. When the paladins finally returned to Venice, it was Orlando who told Maria that her beloved had fallen in battle but, before dying, had picked a rose bud, bathed it in his blood and asked him to give it to her.
Maria took the shrivelled love token and retired to her rooms, stunned by grief. Later that evening she was found dead in her apartments, holding a blood red rosebud between her fingers. Strangely the rosebud was as fresh as if it had been newly picked that day.
Since that day, 25 April, the men of Venice celebrate Saint Mark’s Day by offering their ladies a rose bud as a symbol of undying love, a sentiment which neither time nor age can change.