Historical Regatta in Venice, between history and tradition

Should you be in Venice in the beginning of September, please do not miss the Historical Regatta! Although it’s not easy to get a good point of view on the Grand Canal, because of the crowds, in this article I’ll give you some tips about how to get the best out of this feast.

Venetians are very found of this feast, first of all because it’s a very old tradition, dating back 1489, when the Queen of Ciprus, Caterina Cornaro, left her island to the Venetian government, after the death of her husband, the king of Ciprus. She was received with all honors in Venice retired in Asolo. Since then, every first Sunday of September the parade come again to life in the water of the Grand Canal.

The second reason why Venetians are so found of this feast are the races. The races on typical boats take place after the Parade and are made by children on “Mascareta”, men on “Caorline” (typical boat from Caorle with six rowers), women on “Mascareta”, and then men on “Gondolini”. Do not even try to see the parade from a bridge, they are open for the passage, but you can’t stop ans see, unless you have a special press pass.

The best way to see the Regatta is to go with a venetian with a boat. Venetians park their boats all along the Grand Canal from 3.00pm until the end of the races (more or less at 7.00pm). If you want to experience the real venetian atmosphere of this hundreds-years-old tradition, you should do so.

An interesting ceremony, which takes place on the Thursday before the Regatta, is the benediction of the “gondolini” and, from this year 2021 on, the “mascarete” of the women too, which takes place in the afternoon before the Basilica della Salute.

The pictures you see in this article were made during several editions of the Regatta, from 2006 until 2021, from the bell tower of San Giorgio, from the arrival at Ca’ Foscari, from the boats along the Grand Canal, from the Rialto Bridge and in the Basilica della Salute.