Pope Francis makes historic Venice visit by motorboat for Biennale

Pope Francis is visiting Venice, captivating audiences as footage of the pontiff journeying by motorboat circulates on social media.

His visit commenced early Sunday morning. He left the Apostolic See by helicopter at 5:30 a.m. and arrived in Venice by 7:00 a.m. The first stop on his itinerary was a women's prison on Giudecca Island.

This visit holds particular significance as the Apostolic See had a pavilion at this prison during the 60th Art Biennale, an event themed "Foreigners are everywhere." Marking a historical first, Francis will be the first pope to witness the world art exhibition.

A video circulating on social media features Pope Francis navigating the Venetian canals by motorboat, heading towards the Madonna della Salute Basilica for a youth meeting. The zenith of his visit includes celebrating mass in St. Mark's Square, followed by a visit to the basilica to venerate the relics of the city's patron saint.

It has been announced that Pope Francis will be exempt from Venice's entrance fee, which typically applies to short, one-day stays in the city's historic centre sans accommodation. This fee initiative, which commenced Sunday as part of a global trial to manage tourist influx by charging £4.25 for "one-day tourists," applies to approximately 9,000 faithful attendees outside the Veneto region for the papal mass.

Venice bears significant importance to the Vatican, having been the birthplace of three patriarchs who ascended to the papacy in the 20th century: St. Pius X, St. John XXIII, and Blessed John Paul I.