Regata delle Bisse

Traditional rowing competition on Lake Garda.

The Regata delle Bisse is a traditional rowing race featuring historic boats, dating back to the time of the Venetian Republic. It has always sparked great passion and interest, exerting, among other things, an intense influence on the customs and traditions of the towns along the Riviera, giving rise to a long list of traditions.

Since 1548, the regattas have accompanied very important historical events for Lake Garda. The bisse, evolutions of flat-bottom fishing boats with Venetian rowing, are 10.40 meters long and 0.65 meters wide.
The bisse have four oars, each 4.50 meters long, made from a single cylindrical piece with one end shaped like a blade; Venetian rowing is named after the way Venetians and fishermen on Lake Garda rowed, standing and facing forward, with their faces towards the bow, in the manner of the Phoenicians and many other men who came after them.

In 1967, a group of enthusiastic amateurs from Gargnano (about 50 km from Sirmione) decided to revive the competitions, and today the Regata delle Bisse includes 14 municipalities from Lake Garda and Lake Iseo, with a total of twenty boats.
The Regata delle Bisse is organized by the Lega Bisse del Garda and takes place every year between June and August; the winning boat of the championship receives the Flag of the Lake as a trophy, and the best rowers are honored with the opportunity to parade in Venice on the Grand Canal during the Historical Regatta.