6th September 2026
The Regata Storica is the spectacular event that brings Venice's maritime soul back to life on the Grand Canal every year. The event opens with a sumptuous parade of sixteenth-century boats and figures in period costumes. The procession reenacts the triumphal welcome given in 1489 to Catherine Cornaro, the queen who donated Cyprus to the Serenissima. Immediately afterwards, the show gives way to pure competition with the challenges of traditional Venetian rowing (voga alla veneta). The best local champions contend for victory by rowing, standing up on typical boats like the gondolini. The route starts from the Giardini di Castello in the St. Mark's Basin, then the boats enter the Grand Canal, passing the Punta della Dogana, and head upstream under the Rialto Bridge. Arriving at the height of the railway station, the rowers face the turn around of the paleto (the turning post). The fleet then rows back down the canal for the final sprint to the finish line at Ca' Foscari, where the winners are awarded on the machina, the floating stage. For Venetians, it is the most heartfelt event of the year, a perfect bond between identity, sport, and history.