Bucintoro
3 March, 2012
Bucintoro
After many years seems that finally the Bucintoro reconstruction will start. Also the French President Sarkozy is interested in it.
The Bucintoro was the golden boat the Doge used (from 1200 until 1797) for the marriage of Venice to the sea the Ascension Day.
It was 35 meters long and 7 meters large, with 168 rowers and oars 10,5 meters long!
The reconstruction will cost about 5 millions of Euros.
Venice from beyond the bridge 
4 March, 2012 at 9:39 am
Great news for Venice! Do you know where one can contribute money to its restoration?
I would like to make a donation.
I also love your blog – please keep posting your beautiful pictures and comments.
Grazie,
Bridget
18 January, 2020 at 8:46 am
The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in his work Italienischen Reise (Italian Journey, 1816–1817) which was an account of his travels in Italy between 1786 and 1787, described the bucentaur on 5 October 1786 in these terms:
In order to express the concept of the Bucentaur with one word, I call it a Prachtgaleere [magnificent galley]. The older one, of which we still have illustrations, justifies this designation even more than the present one, as we are dazzled by the glare of its origin. …
I always return to my old theme. If a genuine object is given to the artist, then he can achieve something genuine. Here was laid on him the responsibility of constructing a galley worthy of carrying the heads of the Republic on the most solemn day to consecrate their traditional dominion over the sea, and this task is carried out excellently. The ship is itself an ornament; therefore one may not say that it is overloaded with ornaments, and only a mass of gilded carvings that are otherwise useless. In reality it is a monstrance, in order to show the people that their leaders are indeed wonderful. Nevertheless, we know this: the people, who are fond of decorating their hats, also want to see their betters in splendour and dressed up. This grandiose ship is quite an item of inventory and shows what the Venetians were and imagined themselves to be.