René's old blog

Tag: Voga alla Veneta

  • La Ruvida

    La Ruvida

    Today we went rowing in Venice. Is a hard job, but somebody's got to do it.
    Today we went rowing in Venice. Is a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it.
  • Regata Storica

    Regata Storica

    This year’s Regata Storica was held on September 6th, and we went down to look in our gondola, which we moored just opposite the Erberia close to Rialto.

    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Traffic jam
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
    • Regata Storica
  • Who’s affected by the new prohibitions in Venice

    Who’s affected by the new prohibitions in Venice

    The new regulations banning kayaks, canoes and dragon boats will affect quite a few clubs and activities in Venice. The association Venice Canoe & Dragon takes (or rather, has taken) school kids in dragon boats through the city. Until now they have done so for 9000 kids, but that is a thing of the past now. Now the kids cannot experience the city on water from the water any more, unless they take a taxi. The Pink Lionesses of Venice is an association for women who are survivors of breast cancer. Their pink dragon boat was once a common sight on the Grand Canal, but they too will have to paddle elsewhere. Several of the rowing clubs based on the mainland will no longer be able to row or paddle in the Grand Canal. This also seems to apply to Venetian rowing, if the club is not based in Venice city or on the lagoon islands. This will affect the Società Canottieri Mestre and, I believe, the Voga Veneta Mestre, both well respected members of the Venetian rowing community. All the individuals, clubs, associations and companies from outside Venice, that used to do the occasional tour to Venice in kayak, canoe or dragon boat will now face a fine if they venture onto the Grand Canal or any of the no-go canals in the future. Due to the massive exodus from Venice towards the mainland during the last decades, there are actually more Venetians living in Mestre and Marghera than in Venice proper, and they will now be excluded from experiencing their native city as it was always intended, in a rowed by from the water. At a cultural level, this new ban in a blow to the heart of everything that is Venetian. My company Venice Kayak will at least be impeded by the published ban on kayaking on the Grand Canal, but we will probably be less hurt than the others, since we can still use some of the smaller canals in the city, where dragon boats cannot go.
  • Gondoliere practise

    Gondoliere practise

    Waiting for the Carnival procession on the Canal Grande at the traghetto San Samuele we enjoyed the view of two gondolieri practising the manoeuvres they need to do the operate the traghetto. They needed to turn the boat repeatedly and fast, to navigate the current and waves the other traffic caused and to enter the cavana safely. They used a normal gondola da nolo, not the standard barcheta da traghetto used by the traghetto.  
  • La Festa dei Veneziani

    La Festa dei Veneziani

    The Venetian carnival has just started, and one of the first events is the Festa dei Veneziani, which more or less implies that the rest of the carnival is not for or of the Venetians, which is also entirely true. The first part of this feast is a procession of Venetian rowing boats through most of the Canal Grande, and we went to have a look. Of course, we should have gone there rowing, but it didn’t really work out at the practical level, so we went by foot to look and take some photos. Here are some of the photos from the actual procession.
  • Venetian rowing in the 18th century

    Venetian rowing in the 18th century

    Antonio Vivaldi, the composer from the 18th century who wrote The Four Seasons, also wrote operas to be performed in Venetian theatres. They were rather modern for their time, and one of Vivaldi’s critics published a pamphlet against him, called “Il teatro alla moda“, which has an interesting incision on the cover. It shows a small Venetian boat with a man rowing alla valesana. The rower is not a poor man, but dressed according to the fashion of the time. What I find particularly interesting here, is that it shows that for a respectable and prosperous man, rowing around the city of Venice was as natural as riding a horse anywhere else.
  • Martina rowing Venetian style

    Martina rowing Venetian style

    which is fair enough, as she’s Venetian.

    Video by René Seindal, music by Beethoven, Sonata no.8 performed by Daniel Veesey.

  • Voga alla Valesana

    Voga alla Valesana

    There’s another type of Venetian rowing using two oars. It is probably less well know than the one oar type used in the gondolas of Venice. Voga alla valesana involves using two oars simultaneously, crossed. It can be quite tricky.

    Video by Martina Sola

  • Rowing in the Arsenale

    Rowing in the Arsenale

    We went rowing inside the area of the ancient navy docks of the Venetian Republic and took some videos. Here’s one of me rowing Venetian style, voga alla veneta, in our small sandolo.

    Video by Martina Sola
  • A day a-rowing

    A day a-rowing

    Last year we bought a small Venetian rowing boat, a s-ciopon, which is one of the smallest traditional Venetian boats. Usually I just fool around in the lagoon near the Certosa island, but yesterday I took it to Venice. I rowed over to the bus terminal at Piazzale Roma to pick up Martina at 19.30 as she was coming back from work, and the with her back home. It was a beautiful tour through the dark deserted canals, and the photos below don’t do it justice, but its what I’ve got. The first photos are taken by myself, rowing with one hand and taking photos with the other. The photos taken after dark are taken by Martina when I’m rowing.
  • Winter project: rowing a gondola

    Winter project: rowing a gondola

    My winter project this year is to learn how to row a gondola well enough to move around the canals of Venice.

    For now, however, we’re rowing in the area of the Certosa, Vignole and Sant’Erasmo Islands in the lagoon.

    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
    • Winter project: rowing a gondola
  • Regata Storica 2013 – the calm between the races

    Regata Storica 2013 – the calm between the races

    Maybe one of the best things about the Regata Storica is that practically no motorboats are allowed. The Canalazzo returns to some of its original splendor, full of slow and elegant movement, blurred reflections and magical light.