VENICE – In the heart of the Venetian canals a new gem has been born: the gondola “Aurora”.
Built with passion and dedication on the construction site Dei Rossi Roberto at the Giudecca, this boat represents not only a celebration of tradition, but also a tribute to the commitment of the young talents of Venice. “Aurora” marks an important milestone, being the first gondola physically built by the young collaborators of maestro Roberto Dei Rossi. Giacomo Dalla Puppa, Simone Vecchiato, Lorenzo Desideri and Claudio Geromin have in fact combined their skills to give life to this vessel. The aforementioned four-oared gondola was commissioned by the rowing company “Sportmare DLF” from Venice.
However, “Aurora” is not only destined to sail the Venetian canals, as it will be the protagonist of the feast of Saint John of Nepomuk in Prague on May 15th. The “Sportmare DLF” rowing team has been invited to the event: two exceptional transports will take not only “Aurora”, but also four other boats along the waters of the Vltava river. With them, 32 rowers will bring Venetian elegance and tradition to the heart of the Czech capital.
Saint John Nepomuk, protector of sailors and patron saint of Bohemia and Prague, is honored every year on May 14th and 15th with the Navalis, a celebration that has its roots in 1600 and which continues to be one of the most heartfelt and significant moments of the city’s religious and cultural tradition. Prague and Venice share an ancient and profound bond, notable from the stained glass windows of the San Vito cathedral, created by master glassmakers from Murano, or from the stone statue dedicated to the aforementioned saint, positioned in Venice at the entrance to the Rio di Cannaregio.
Around 1800, the Navalis unfortunately lost value in the city, but in 2009, Zdenek Bergman, the first and most important tourist shipowner in Prague, decided to give them life and splendor again, establishing a fleet of traditional boats and creating a public navigation line along the Vltava, guaranteeing a river transport and crossing service to citizens for many kilometres, especially in areas with poor road bridges.
Furthermore, Bergman made use of the precious collaboration of a friend originally from Dolo, resident in Prague for over 30 years, to establish contact with a group of Venetian rowers who could participate in the event with the characteristic boats typical of the Venetian Lagoon. This is how in 2009, thanks to the synergy between the sports group Voga Veneta Mestre, the Municipality of Venice and Prague, the Navalis of San Giovanni Nepomuceno came back to life. With the presence of caorlines, gondolas, sandoli and a myriad of rowers, the event is broadcast live on television every year on the first Czech television channel. Over the years, the event has seen a constant improvement in the technical and artistic level, so much so that every year it attracts the attention of journalists, photographers and national television networks, contributing to further growing the prestige of the Navalis.
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