Anzolo Rafael, Madonna dell'Orto and other Venetian boats

Home

There are now over twenty Venetian rowing boats in in the United Kingdom, mostly based at City Barge, Oxford. Our boats Anzolo Rafael and Madonna dell'Orto are at Upnor on the river Medway. We visit rivers, lakes and canals all over the UK.

Only a few of these boats are gondolas. There are many other types, including a balotina and several sandolos, pupparins and mascaretas. What they have in common is the Venetian style of rowing, the voga alla veneta in which the rowers stand up and face forwards, as distinct from the voga all' inglese (the English style) where they sit down and go backwards.