Sporting Events Organized in Venice: Male Boating and the Amazing Case of Women's Rowing Contests

In Venice between the middle ages and the modern era, a number of cultural entertainments as well as sporting contests and popular games were performed to celebrate the carnival and other important religious and civil events; these might include state visits of important people from abroad. Under control of the government, the organizers and participants of these events were of both noble and modest origins. Among them were the rival Castellani and Nicolotti groups who were common people living in the two main districts of Venice, and the well off young members of the Venetian aristocracy enrolled in numerous Compagnie della Calza (Companies of the Hosiery). The Castellani and Nicolotti regularly competed in popular games, such as the Gioco del Ponte, the Forze d'Ercole, the Moresca dance and in different kinds of boat races; the aristocrats enjoyed to personally practice sports such as hunting, fishing, horse riding and ball games. In addition, the latter collaborated in important state events leading to feasts and theatrical performances, and organized popular games, mock naval battles and regattas together with those in power. Among the regattas, the female rowing contests that started to take place in the middle ages was a unique, as, in general, the Venetian women were only allowed to be the gracious spectators in the numerous festivities organized for important visitors celebrating the glory of Venice. Drawing on both ancient and modern sources the paper will mainly focus on the less familiar Companies of the Hosiery and their contribute in the organization of mock naval battles and regattas till 1797, when Venice definitively lost its independency under Napoleon the First. Special stress will be given to the humble female rowers who were able to overcome the usual gender barriers training and racing for their own pleasure and amusement; they gave birth to an early model of female emancipation.