The Italians are coming - after appearing at the very British Henley Regatta.

The Disdotona, a fine Italian craft, will be rowed down stream and arrive in Richmond in the afternoon of Monday 5th July, accompanied by two venete - Venetian racing fours.

The Disdotona is the flagship of the Querini, the leading Venetian boat club. She has 18 oars, and is 82 feet long so she has two similarities with the eighteenth century city company barges of London painted sby Canaletto. The Disdotona and the venete would all be strangely new boats to the painter, who included so many gondolas of his era in his pictures.

The Italian flotilla will be rowing the route that the first recorded Venetian rowing boats on the Thames (gondolas) followed when Charles II chose them to escort his Royal Barge in 1662 when he took Catherine of Braganza from Hampton Court to Whitehall.

The Doge of Venice had given the two gondolas to Charles II in 1661. The records say that Charles II loved the gondolas so much that he had them out on the Thames almost daily. They were in the gold and red colours of the Venetian State and always drew a crowd of admirers.

The Duke of York was so taken with the gondolas that he ordered some himself. English rowers at the time did not know how to row standing up and facing forward in the Venetian style so The Doge of Venice sent Venetian rowers to England.

The schedule is expected to be:
3.30pm The flotilla enters the tidal Thames at Teddington Lock. If you would like to row with the flotilla, row to Teddington Lock and wait on the tidal side of the Lock. Follow the Italian flotilla as it rows to Richmond where the rowers will finish their day's row from Chertsey. There are boats for hire at Richmond Bridge Boathouses. The row from Teddington Lock to Richmond will take between 30 and 45 minutes.

4pm For rowers joining in, with guidance if required, tie up alongside the footpath by Richmond Terrace where there are rails and several sets of steps. The tide will be rising. High tide is at 17.58 at Richmond and is a 7.0m tide.

For everyone, come and meet the Italian rowers. Bring an English afternoon tea to share with the visitors and bring any friends who speak Italian.

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

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