The Historical Regatta commemorates the welcome given to the wife of the King of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, who renounced the throne in favor of Venice, thus allowing the annexation of the Island of Cyprus to the territory of the Serenissime (1489). The water parade that today precedes the races is a reconstruction of the past with typical sixteenth-century boats and costumed in memory of the glorious past of one of the most important and powerful Maritime Republics.
After the parade, races on typical Venetian rowing boats begin. The program of the Historical Regatta is available here
The origin of the regattas is very ancient, it is supposed already in the thirteenth century. These types of activities were encouraged by the public authorities because, in addition to being very useful for physical exercise, they served to invigorate crews in the event of conflicts at sea. The Historical Regatta was born in 1899 when the Mayor Filippo Grimani inserted the regatta during the events of the third Biennale. The name "Historical" was coined that year and for the first time was proposed the opening parade with boats reconstructed according to paintings and vintage prints.
