| But you only need to go to the Grand Canal or to St | | | | the event has achieved, although it must be said that |
| Mark's basin to understand that modernity, with all its | | | | with the passing of years the vogalonga has lost a bit |
| implications and consequences, has arrived in the | | | | of its feature of protest, and has become more like a |
| lagoon city, too: the noise of motorboats, which can | | | | folkloristic and sporting event, which attracts also many |
| clash with the silence of the calli inside the city, and the | | | | rowers from abroad. |
| sight of the huge cruise ships approaching the coast | | | | |
| make us come down to earth. But looking at the | | | | Every year since the first edition in 1974, on May the |
| Grand Canal, or travelling along it on a vaporetto-boat | | | | vogalonga gives the city of Venice, its inhabitants and |
| after walking down the timeless calli of the city, where | | | | tourists a Sunday without traffic and motors (in 2010 |
| the only noises you can hear are the voices of | | | | the event will take place on the 23rd of May), a |
| passers-by, you cannot help wondering how Venice | | | | Sunday when the lagoon city gets coloured with |
| was like when motor boats did not exist, and people | | | | hundreds of rowboats coming from all over the world: |
| could move about only on rowboats. | | | | during the vogalonga a typical Venice boat is likely to |
| | | | | run side by side with the boats of the University of |
| This is what the organisers of the first vogalonga, one | | | | Oxford or Cambridge, or with a Chinese dragon boat. |
| of the most important rowing events in Venice, a 30 | | | | Although it was born of the desire of recovering old |
| km long regatta in which many rowboats take part | | | | Venetian boats and traditions, like the Venetian rowing, |
| every year, must have thought. The need of organising | | | | the event has been made interesting also through this |
| such an event did not come only from the bare desire | | | | variety and internationality, and with the passing of time |
| to admire Venice as it looked like in the past, but from | | | | it has become a broader event. |
| the will of protesting against the swell caused by | | | | |
| motorboats, which, now as in the past, is likely to | | | | One of the things that attract so many rowers also |
| cause serious damages to the lagoon city. The aim of | | | | from abroad is certainly the beauty of the setting |
| the organisers of the first edition of the vogalonga, in | | | | where the vogalonga takes place: the boats gather |
| 1974, was expressing their disagreement with a | | | | and start from St Mark's basin, opposite the Doge's |
| phenomenon which was harmful to the city, and | | | | Palace, and then go to the lagoon islands; they come |
| catching people's attention towards this problem. About | | | | back to Venice through the Rio di Cannaregio and |
| 500 rowboats took part in the first edition of the event, | | | | arrive in Punta della Dogana. A wonderful show also |
| but this number has increased year after year, and | | | | for the crowd, who can admire an unusual Venice, |
| now about 1500 boats take part in the vogalonga | | | | animated by rowboats of every shape and nationality, |
| every year. These numbers show the success that | | | | and enjoy the taste of the city of the past. |