All gathered along the Grand Canal to witness the moment when Venice celebrates its unbreakable bond with water. A highlight of the annual voga alla veneta racing calendar – a unique discipline practiced for millennia in the lagoon – the competitive regatta features various boat categories and age groups. The climax is the thrilling race of the gondolini with two rowers, culminating in a photo-finish at Ca’ Foscari. The atmosphere leading up to the event is unmatched, enlivened by rowing associations organizing gatherings filled with conviviality and shared passion. A true popular festival, as ancient as the city itself.
Opening the competition is the Regata Storica parade, a reenactment of the grand welcome given in 1489 to Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, who abdicated in favor of the Serenissima. A majestic procession of dozens of brightly colored 16th-century boats glides along the Grand Canal, with gondoliers in period costumes carrying the doge, the dogaressa, and the highest officials of the Venetian Republic, faithfully recreating the splendor of one of the most powerful and influential Maritime Republics of the Mediterranean.
