The Vogalonga competition has been around since the birth of Venice.  It is one on the main events.  Vogalonga came about due to a few Venetians and has always been funded solely by the participants.  On November 11 1974, a group of Venetians with a passionate interest in rowing in the lagoon, following Venetian traditions, got together on the island of Burano for the first race in a unique “regatta”.  For years, one Venetian family, the Rosa Salvas, together with a group of friends and numerous rowing champions, organized a race during the festivities of San Martino in a “caorline” vessel with six oars.

The crew was made up of men and women, half of whom were rowing champions who had won the “Regata Storica” many times and half of whom were amateur rowing enthusiasts.  It was during the lunch following the race that the idea of a non-competitive race to be held the following year was launched - a race in which any type of rowing boat could participate. This race would be an invitation to the city authorities and citizens to act against the decline of the city and the destructive waves caused by motorboats and to renew the traditional Venetian festivities.  The idea was accepted with enthusiasm by the local press, the rowing clubs of Venice, the Province and the Venetian residents who took the interests of their city to heart.

The racecourse has remained virtually unchanged over the years. It covers about 30 kilometers by way of canals and through the most beloved and picturesque parts of the Lagoon of Venice.  The boats gather in St. Mark's Basin in front of the Ducal Palace on the day of the “Sensa” (Ascension).  Five hundred boats with nearly 1,500 participants meet on the race day and after singing hymns to St Mark and Venice, the event begins.  At the finishing line each participant receives a commemorative medal and a certificate, souvenirs of the day. Prizes are also awarded including numerous pairs of oars, oar locks, trophy cups and plaques.

The first "Vogalonga" was such a success that it headed up the list of principle events of the city. Its success continued to grow with an ever larger number of participants, reaching the considerable number of 1,500 boats and nearly 5,000 participants in 1980.  Following the race’s success and on the wave of re-discovered love for the traditions and the call to save the city, more than 50 rowing clubs sprang up in Venice and the surrounding area, which gradually acquired splendid procession boats rowed with ten, twelve and eighteen oars.

The entire city contributed to the re-establishment of workshops dealing with restoration as well as the construction of boats and oars, knowledge of which had nearly disappeared.  Boats which had long since disappeared form the Lagoon since time immemorial were rebuilt, having formerly only been seen in works of art by the great Venetian landscape painters such as Pietro Longhi and Francesco Guardi. Among the traditional boats which have regained interest are the “mussin” and the “vipera”, as well as the "pupparini", "gondolini" and "gondole da fresco".

The rowing crews that have participated over the last 20 years in the "Vogalonga" are too numerous to recall, especially when in the last few years the number of participants has reached nearly 1000 boats with about 2500/3000 participants from all over the world!  However, some do stick out – a team of German grandfathers in a canoe with ten oars, the Chinese in their characteristic “Dragon Boat”, the English University crews from Oxford and Cambridge with their typical "straw boater" hats, the university students from California who learned how to row in Venetian style in just a few days, and the Venetian contestant who, in the last two years’ of the race, has swum the entire length of the race course.

Although many of the foreign participants are not aware of the reasons for setting up the  Vogalonga Regatta, their very presence shows Venetians just how much love and admiration for the city exists beyond Italian frontiers.  That is why when people hear the cannon marking the beginning of the competition, they are proud to shout the Serenissima's ancient words: "Long Life St Mark".

The Race Course
The race will start in St. Mark's Basin. After making a circuit of Sant'Elena island, participants will row along the islands of Vignole, Sant'Erasmo and San Francesco del Deserto. Burano is the halfway point of the racecourse, after which participants will row along the islands of Mazzorbo, Madonna del Monte and San Gacomo in Paludo. The race procession will enter Murano by way of its Grand Canal. Participants will enter Venice along Cannaregio canal and the Grand Canal and proceed to Dogana Point in front of St Mark’s Square. 


Saturday: San Giorgio Island - Venice
Guests are met at 5 PM at Hotel Villa Goetzen in Dolo, just 20 minutes by taxi from Venice and Marco Polo Airport. Transfer to La Dolce Vita and after a welcome drink of Prosecco, La Dolce Vita cruises to the Fort of Sant’Andrea, the ancient Venetian artillery defence base, where we moor for the night and enjoy a superb fish dinner on board.

Sunday: Day 2 San Giorgio Island - Torcello
On Sunday we watch at the Vogalonga regatta from San Giorgio island. In the afternoon we cruise around Venice. Passing in front of the Fort of Sant’Andrea, the ancient Venetian artillery defence base, La Dolce Vita hugs the coast of Sant’Erasmo, Venice orchard and vegetable garden, before arrival at Torcello, where we moor for dinner.

Monday:Torcello – Burano
In the morning La Dolce Vita hugs the coast of Sant’Erasmo with its orchards and vegetable gardens and arrives in Torcello, the first island of the lagoon to be colonised 2000 years ago. We see the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a beautiful example of Veneto-Byzantine style. We have lunch while cruising on the Siloncello canal and in the afternoon we visit Burano, a picturesque fishermen’s island in the northern lagoon. We walk through the colourful streets of Burano and visit the Lace Museum. We moor for the night on the calm waters of Burano.  Dinner on board.

Tuesday: Burano – San Francesco – San Lazzaro – Murano
We start our cruise passing by San Francesco del Deserto Island, where we can moor and visit the monastery. We then proceed to San Lazzaro degli Armeni where we visit one of the most interesting libraries of Venice with 150,000 volumes and more than 4,000 Armenian manuscripts, some nearly 1,300 years old.  The monks of the San Lazzaro monastery have welcomed visitors for more than two centuries.  In 1816, Lord Byron visited the island twice a week for six months, studying Armenian and envying the monks' comfortable academic lifestyle. A plaque quotes Byron as saying, "The visitor will be convinced that there are other and better things even in this life”.  We end the day with a short cruise around Venice to reach Murano and moor for the night on the Grand Canal of the island of glass.  Dinner on board.

Wednesday: Murano – Venice - San Giorgio
We visit a glass-blowing workshop in Murano. Then we move on for a tour of the Grand Canal in Venice aboard a water taxi and reach San Giorgio Island for our lunch facing Saint Mark. In the afternoon we take you on a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark in Venice. Later you have some free time to visit Venice. We moor for dinner on San Giorgio Island.

Thursday: San Giorgio -  Brenta River to Dolo
This morning we cruise up River Brenta to Mira, passing by Villa Foscari in Malcontenta, a masterpiece of the Renaissance architect Palladio. We visit Villa Widmann, a typical Venetian luxurious villa with wonderful frescos. In the afternoon we move on for 2 more hours to Dolo, where we moor for the night. For those who like cycling, it is possible to follow the barge on a bicycle today. Before dinner we take you for a glass of wine at the old water mill of Dolo.

Friday: Dolo - Stra - Padova
Further ascent of river Brenta to Stra, where we visit Villa Pisani, an 18th century masterpiece of Venetian architecture with frescos from Tiepolo.  Whilst we cruise you can follow the barge by bicycle along the river and by the afternoon our cruise brings us in Padua, where we moor at Portello gate, one of the best preserved parts of the ancient city walls. We then visit Giotto’s Chapel and then we walk into the centre, which is as full of history as Venice herself. The Farewell Dinner will be at a restaurant in the centre of Padua.

Saturday: Padua - Venice
After breakfast at 9 am you are transferred to Hotel Villa Goetzen in Dolo, Marco Polo.   If you have an early flight or if you are staying at a hotel in Venice, we can make custom arrangements for you at your expense

Note: This is our standard itinerary. It is subject to changes due to weather conditions, navigation regulations, etc. On alternate weeks, cruise will be in reverse with minor changes.


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