The Regata Storica 04.09.2011

The Regata Storica this year will take place Sunday, Sept. 4.

In the early years of the Serenissima, rowing was a common way of having fun and spending one’s free time in the Venice Lagoon and there were different kinds of boats. This amateur sport soon developed into fully fledged competitions to see who could row the fastest and longest, the rules and regulations of which became more and more precise.

The first time the word regatta actually appeared was in the1500s.

After the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 all local events and displays in the city were abolished, including the Regatta Storica. It was reintroduced in the form we know today in 1841 under the Austrians, and then simply became known as the Storica in 1899.

Today the event is divided into two distinct parts: the historical procession which is then followed by the competitive races, the regattas.

The historical procession evokes the majestic procession along the water that was organised for the triumphal welcome for the Queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro when she arrived in the city in 1489 after abdicating her throne in favour of Venice. The procession is made up of dozens of typical Venetian rowing boats, with rowers and figurants wearing period costume, including the Doge and Caterina Cornaro. The procession starts in the Basin of Saint Mark’s, proceeding down the entire Grand Canal and then back again, to the applause of Venetians and tourists who enjoy the spectacle from the banks and private homes overlooking the Canal.

The regattas, which are the competitive part of the event, are still the most important and prestigious rowing event of the whole season. The winners are awarded their prizes by the highest authorities of the city and are regarded as the true champions of the city, and held in great esteem by all rowers.