Strolling through the narrow streets of Venice, you hear the sound of an accordion bellowing a rustic-sounding melody, and the strong, yet mellow, voice of a Venetian singing to passengers in a gondola. Like most tourists, you stop on a bridge to snap pictures or to simply watch four or five gondole float beneath you, maneuvered eloquently around the twists and turns of the canals. This is the view that most people have of the Venetian culture of old, but it is not an entirely accurate one. The traditional boats of Venice filled the canals for centuries, until a drastic decline starting in the 1970s. With the exception of the gondola, there are no traditional boats currently being produced in Venice for work purposes. However, what people do not realize is that the gondola is only one style among about 40 documented that fall into the category of traditional boats. Each one is hand-crafted with a unique design to carry out a specific task.
The fascinating world of traditional boats has shaped the
Venetian culture and lifestyle for centuries, but many have no idea what constitutes a traditional Venetian boat. This lack of knowledge is not simple “tourist ignorance,” but is rather due to the fact that traditional boats are very rare today. Motor boats dominate the
canals which, for the bigger part of Venice’s history, were traversed by rowed traditional boats. Once popular, there are no longer any facilities in Venice that still rent traditional boats to the public. One organization in Venice that is dedicated to keeping the heritage of the traditional Venetian boat alive is
Arzanà. Arzanà consists of volunteer mariners who work to keep and restore traditional boats, as well as the nautical heritage that are associated with them. Arzanà works with boats that have been abandoned or donated in an effort to keep these precious artifacts from disappearing all together. Venetian culture is intimately connected to traditional boats, whose very existence is threatened and whose legacy is doomed to be lost forever if there is no immediate action taken.
Replacing rowed boats with motor boats seems like simple evolution; it is the natural step in the progress of the culture. Asking Venetians to return to total dependence on traditional boats would be akin to the return of the horse and carriage in any other city: a completely impractical solution. The traditional boats of Venice should be preserved as cultural treasures, however, in order to keep the nautical heritage, which has so visibly shaped the city, alive. The cultural and physical union with the sea is one that is rooted in the history and geography of Venice.
The city of Venice is built on 125 different islands, which are connected by over 182 canals and 473 different bridges. However, that level of structure didn’t always exist – early in the city’s history, the individual islands were isolated in their development; the only contact between islands was wooden planks and boats. Early Venetians recognized the link that they had with boats – they built homes not just for themselves, but also open-bottomed, three-sided structures which could house their boats. By the sixth century, their reputation was as formidable seamen. Venetians were famed for their maritime skills, including the innate ability to sail boats against the current and to navigate the treacherous lagoon.
The Doge's ring, used in the Festa della Sensa
Many Venetian customs and traditions developed around the dependence on the sea. According to tradition, the
Doge, the ruling entity of Venice, was “married” to the sea. Each year, in a celebration called the
Festa della Sensa, the Doge would cast a large ring into the sea. Similar to other cultures, Venice was prolific in its creation of
art and
architecture, and pieces typically were focused around different aspects of the city’s maritime heritage. One of the most popular tourist sites in Venice,
St. Mark’s Basilica, contains many pieces of artwork depicting different boats and the sea. One example is the Translatio of St. Mark, a mosaic from the 13th century that can be seen on the west-wing vault in the San Clemente Chapel in St. Mark’s. Similar mosaics can be found on the three other walls of the chapel, and illustrate not just Venice’s link with the sea, but the connection between the sea and religion. However, artwork relating to the sea is not just seen in
churches – many pieces of public art seen throughout the city have a nautical theme.
These are several examples of the different nautical heritage elements which can be seen throughout the city of Venice. In 2005, a study was conducted by students from the
Worcester Polytechnic Institute to identify elements of Venice's nautical heritage. In the study, 33 places of nautical interest were identified including, but not limited to, ten churches, one
monument, three
museums, and 14
squeri. Some can be seen simply by visiting popular tourist sites, including
San Marco, the
Palazzo Ducale, and the
Museo Correr. The nautical heritage of Venice is seen not only in building and artwork, but also in street names found throughout the city.
The streets were often named after the different vendor’s shops located there, and though many of those shops have closed the names remain. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in a similar study, catalogued 26 street names containing the word Barche (boats), four containing the word
Felzi, nine containing
Remer (oar-maker), 17 containing
Squeri or Squero, and 19 containing
Traghetto (
gondola taxi), with a total of 75 streets referring to some kind of nautical aspect.
Origins
With a history so rich in maritime heritage, it is easy to see the link the Venetians have with boats. The term “traditional boat” in Venice refers to a boat with a flat bottom and a shallow draft hull, two characteristics that have very distinct and practical purposes. Due to the shallow water in the canals, the squeriorli were forced to craft the boats with a flat bottom to keep them from hitting the bottom of the canal. The shallow hull allowed the boats to be dragged to shore with minimal structural damage, and also to make it easier for people to get in and out of the boat. Another benefit to the shallow hull is the balance it offers for passengers when standing in the boats, which is a strange concept for most people. When crossing the Grand Canal in a type of gondola called a
traghetto, it is customary for the passengers to remain standing. Traditionally, the traghetti were not confined to transport across the
Grand Canal, but as can be seen from the traghetti map of 1697, it was also a very common way of getting from island to island in Venice. Compared to 2004, we note that not only are the traghetti strictly in the Grand Canal, but the number of points where someone could take a traghetto have decreased from 43 stations to the eight that are presently active.
Although the number of traghetti has decreased, they are still used in modern Venice. It is the most practical way to get across the Grand Canal at points where pedestrians are unable to cross by bridge. Using a gas motor would be wasteful and create a wake that would not only adversely affect travel up and down the length of the canal, but cause damage to the canal wall as well. However, the most common traditional boat which can be seen today throughout Venice is the gondola, truly the modern-day symbol of the city. Tourists from all over the world will spend 100 euro to take a romantic ride in a gondola, which through the years has turned into a multi-million-dollar business.
Types of Traditional Boats
Traditional Venetian boats were designed based on their intended use. These uses include transport of large and small goods, public transportation, construction, house maintenance, the police, military defense, and fishing. Because traditional boats were built according to their use, they can be separated into three main categories: fishing and hunting, cargo transportation, and human transportation. Each category contains boats of similar size, shape, and intended use.
Fishing and Hunting
Venice, like many coastal cities, is known for its seafood cuisine. Fishing in the lagoon requires boats that are capable of transporting large amounts of fish back to the island, and that have the ability to maneuver to and from the location of the fish.
The topo, commonly translated as “mouse,” is typically a 24-meter-long sailboat with a large rudder in the rear for steering. The topo is unique because of the position of its sail; the mast is located about one third of the way along the length of the hull. The Venetian waterways tend to become very shallow during low tides, particularly the smaller canals. In order to travel through these shallow waters, the topo was built with the ability to lift its deep rudder and lock it in an upward position, thus preventing the rudder hitting the bottom of the canal. A final feature of the topo is the hollowed-out storage compartment in the hull, which allows the fisherman to store his catch in a cool, wet place during transport back to land.
The sanpierota is also an example of a popular fishing vessel found in early Venice. The name is derived from its place of origin,
San Pietro in Volta. It is a member of the sandolo family of boats, and was popular for its sturdiness, reliability, roominess, and relatively low maintenance requirements. Like the topo, this boat was sail-powered before the days of motors. It is on average six to seven meters in length, and usually owned by Venetian families; they were painted with different bright colors to distinguish one from the other. It was also commonly rented, similar to car or moving-van rentals. As recent as the 1930s, there were over 50 rowboat rental facilities in Venice.
The s’ciopon “long gun” is a hunting boat designed for the specific task of allowing one man to both navigate the boat and shoot ducks. The s’ciopon is one of the few traditional Venetian boats that can be rowed sitting down. The gun attached to the boat is three meters long, and is pre-set to be aimed so that a swimming duck can be shot without moving the gun up or down. These boats are no longer used today for hunting, but instead are common among young boys for short distance transportation. The boat rides very low in the water.
Large Cargo Transport
The city of Venice relies on boats for most large cargo transportation. Cargo boats are filled with anything from fresh fruit to construction supplies – everything the city needs is transported by boat. Transporting large, heavy cargo requires a vessel strong enough to do so, while remaining maneuverable throughout the canals.
The caorlina is about 10 meters in length, and is known for being fast, easy to handle, and capable of carrying a large amount of goods. It was commonly used to carry fruits and vegetables in large quantities. A caorlina is typically rowed by two people; however, up to eight may row at one time. To accommodate such a large number of rowers, the caorlina was built to be symmetrical along the width and length. Such symmetry is rarely found in traditional Venetian boats. It is this attribute that allows the caorlina to be used in many
regate, or boat races, today.
The largest of all traditional Venetian cargo boats is the peata. It was used throughout Venice to transport all sorts of large bulky materials, particularly those needed for construction. It is typically 16 meters in length and is normally manned by two oarsmen, but can be rowed by as many as 16. The manner in which this boat is propelled is what makes the peata truly special. Instead of rowing with a bladed oar, which utilizes the water to move the boat forward, the oarsmen stand on the boat and push the oar against the bottom of the canal. They progress the boat along by walking slowly from one end of the boat to the other.
Human Transport
In early Venice, traditional boats were used as a means of both personal and public transportation. Whether it was ferrying Venetians across the Grand Canal or transporting royalty, Venice depended greatly on the presence of row boats to reach their destinations.
The sandolo was the most common form of transportation in the lagoon. The most common use of the sandolo was in private ownership; however, it was also used as a water
taxi or fishing boat. This vessel is one of the few that is still very common today, although many now have an attached motor. The sandolo can also be commonly seen in races throughout Venice.
Another common means of transportation was the mascareta. This boat gained popularity because it was lightweight, easy to maneuver, and above all, inexpensive. It can weigh as little as 120 kilograms and is about six meters in length. This boat is one of the simplest of the traditional boats, and therefore the most popular among modern amateur boat builders. As motor boats gained in popularity, boat owners began purchasing personal motor boats, which meant that privately owned crafts like the mascareta fell out of existence.
Perhaps the quickest of all traditional boats, the puparin, was the vessel of choice for a faster means of transportation. Its slim design made it skim quickly over the water of the shallow canals. This member of the sandolo family was the most of expensive and difficult to obtain. Owning a puparin was considered a symbol of status because they were expensive to buy. It is for this reason that members of Italian nobility were commonly transported in a puparin.
Despite the fact that such a huge variety of boats once populated the canals, it is common to walk around Venice today and see the overly-romanticized gondola as the only traditional boat on the water. It is much more common to see people steering motorized boats through the narrow canals or around the lagoon, rather than rowing traditional boats. Where have these hundreds of traditional boats gone?
Traditional Boat Endangerment
Due to the overwhelming increase of motorized boats in Venice, the traditional rowed boats are being abandoned and are nearing extinction. The slow disappearance of traditional boats can be best seen through the evolution of the rental facilities, known as fitabatèle, which would rent boats for work or pleasure. In the thirty years from 1930 to 1960, 18 of these rental facilities closed, and then an even more drastic decline took place, and in the subsequent 15 years 17 more closures took place. There were once 52 shops that rented traditional boats. Today, none remain.
The squeri that were once one of the most important parts of Venice are also disappearing. There were originally fourteen main squeri that were active in the building of traditional boats. Now, only seven of the fourteen are still operational; although they repair many types of traditional boats, the only new boats which come out of them are gondole, the last of the popular traditional boats.
As renting traditional boats became more difficult, membership for the many
rowing clubs around Venice increased. Although traditional boats have become increasingly endangered, the Venetian love of traditional rowing has not diminished. Rowing clubs offer members social interaction for those similarly interested in the unique style of Venetian rowing. The 26 rowing clubs in Venice are known as remiere, and each rowing club has a collection of boats, including rare or unique traditional boats. For example, a very rare
batèla a coa de gambero is owned by Ramiera Serenissima. About 28,000 Italians belong to rowing clubs in Venice and elsewhere in northern Italy where the traditional Venetian style of rowing is practiced. These rowing clubs have helped keep the enthusiasm for traditional boats and rowing alive.
Efforts for Preservation
Traditional boats are in constant danger of becoming extinct. There are, however, efforts being made to preserve the nautical history of the city of Venice. There are annual races held in Venice, not only as a sport, but also to preserve the ancient Venetian tradition of rowing traditional boats. The ten famous regate are annual races, used to understand and show respect for the lagoon – to help rediscover Venice’s maritime culture. The regate are vastly popular, for both participants and for viewers. These races are one of the most important ways that traditional boats, rowing, and maritime heritage stay alive in Venice.
Arzanà
- Main article: Arzanà
There is one organization dedicated to preserving traditional boats and the maritime heritage of Venice. This organization is
Arzanà, which is headquartered in the Squero ai Servi in the
Cannaregio district of Venice. The squero was built in the 15th century, and remained active until 1920. Although no longer active, Arzanà uses the squero building for boat preservation and as a storage facility for maritime accessories. Founded in 1992, Arzanà promotes the study, restoration and conservation of the traditional boats of Venice. In the last fifteen years it has acquired, and in part restored, about fifty typical boats of Venice and the lagoon, many of them the only one surviving of their kind.
To be maintained efficiently and, where possible, fully returned to sailing and rowing capacity, many of the traditional boats in the Arzanà collection need radical restoration. This is something that requires financial support that Arzanà, a non-profit organization run by volunteers, often lacks. Arzanà has rented parts of the collection to films making period pieces about Venice. For example, several of Arzanà’s boats and nautical artifacts can be seen in recent movies, including The Merchant of Venice and Casanova. Arzanà also appeals to local and international agencies, companies, foundations and associations, who understand the need to safeguard traditional boats and to convey to future generations the importance of what was once, and still should be, the most common aspect of the Venetian culture.
