Although firmly rooted on the mainland in Mestre, Finking does not shy away from making forays into nearby, and far more renowned, Venice. One of the occasions that brought us to the lagoon city was the most recent Historic Regatta on September 4, 2022.
Together with the event’s historic voices, Paolo Levorato, Tullio Cardona, Rudi Zugno, and Maria Stella Donà, we brought the Venetian afternoon to life from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on a bright September day.
The regatta has always involved both locals and visitors. The earliest historical records date back to the mid-13th century and are linked to the Feast of the Maries, but it is likely that in a city like Venice, long oriented toward the sea, the regatta has even older origins, dictated by the need to train rowing crews.
However, it was only in 1899, on the occasion of the 3rd International Art Biennale, that, at the proposal of the Mayor of Venice, Count Filippo Grimani, the regatta officially took on the name “Historic.” Today, the most popular and exciting race is the gondolini regatta. During the “Historic Regatta,” Venice sees the San Marco Basin and the Grand Canal teeming with all kinds of boats, from which citizens watch the competition with passionate enthusiasm.
