Past and present The regata has always been extremely popular
with both Venetians and visitors. The first historical record of
the event dates back to the mid 13th century, when it was part
of the “Festa delle Marie” celebrations. However, it is likely
that regattas existed long before this, as Venice has always
been a seafaring city and training reserves of oarsmen was a
prime necessity. The first visual image of a regatta comes
somewhat later, in the View of Venice drawn by Jacopo dé Barbari
in around 1500. This map includes a detail of a group of boats
with the word “regata” written at the side. From there onwards
the regatta became a favourite subject with scene painters
wishing to capture the festive spirit of the city. The etymology
of the word is uncertain, but it probably derives from aurigare,
a verb used in the 16th century as a synonym for racing, and
since then the term has come to mean a boat race in all the main
European languages. Originally regattas were either races
between boatmen and gondol