Rowing through history at the Venice traditional regatta

Every year, the first Sunday of September, the historical regatta comes back in Venice, the most traditional among the Venetian events, which took place for the first time on January 10, 1315 under the rule of the doge Giovanni Soranzo.

The sumptuous event, organised in the Serenissima times to celebrate the military victories or to honour the foreign dignitaries, today is made up of two different parts: The historical parade and the rowing boat races.

The historical regatta started out with the colourful procession on water, formed by the Bissone, the Bucintoro and the boats of the Venetian rowing clubs; the event commemorates the Queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, coming to Venice, which marked the beginning of the Serenissima rule over the Mediterranean islands.

A spokesman for the organisers said the historical parade has now just a picturesque importance, memory of the distant economical and political greatness of Venice on the seas, while the regattas represent still today the climax of the agonistic season in the world of the rowing.

“Winning that day for the rowers means to become a part of the history of this sport and, to a certain extent, of Venice.”

The first race after the historical parade was the Youngster Rowers, on two-oared pupparini, very technical boats that challenge the ability of the promising young men.

Then it is the women’s race on mascarete (the name comes from the boat nose looking like a mask, the bauta), these are light two-oared boats used in the old days by the courtesans.

The third race was the men’s heavy six-oared caorline – river-transportation boats almost out of use nowadays, that which often had a sail while travelling through the lagoon.

The climax of the Venice historical regatta was the champions´ race on two-oared gondolini, light boats shaped as a very slim gondola. “These competitions exalt the rowers technical abilities more than their power. This is the challenge that is more waited for by the rowing people.