La Regata Storica

This is the main event in the annual calendar of races “Voga alla Veneta”, unique discipline practiced for thousands of years in the lagoon of Venice, which is now made ​​even more spectacular by the famous parade that precedes the races.
The origins
The race has always involved citizens and “foresti” (in Venetian dialect: foreigners). The first historical evidence date from the middle of the thirteenth century and are linked to the Festa delle Marie, the party from which comes the Carnival, but it is probable that in a city like Venice, always looking on the sea, the race had origins oldest, dictated by the need to train the crews to the oar.
The races
The race consists of various races on particular types of boats: currently the most followed and exciting is one of the gondolas. On the occasion of the Historical Regatta, Venice sees the basin of San Marco and the Grand Canal teeming with boats of every type, from which people attend the competition with animosity.
The parade
Commemorates the welcome given in 1489 to Caterina Cornaro, wife of the King of Cyprus, who gave up the throne in favor of Venice. It is a parade of dozens of multi-colored boats, typical sixteenth century, with gondoliers carrying the highest offices of state in a reconstruction of the glorious past of Venice.
For the official website of the Historical Regatta click here.