A dive into the tradition of Livorno rowing

If you stroll along the fossi livornesi and see a 10-oar boat with a helmsman urging on the rowers, you are probably witnessing a training session of one of the crews of the Rowing Races, one of the most cherished and beloved traditions of the people of Livorno. The Livorno rowing season opens every year on April 25th with the “Liberation Trophy”, an event that precedes four major classics: the “Palio dell’Antenna“, the “Coppa Risiatori“, the “Coppa Barontini“, and the “Palio Marinaro“. Four beautiful, intense, passionate, and completely different races.

During the competitions, which also include a women’s and an under-18 version on 4-oar boats, the crews of the eight historic districts of Livorno compete against each other, each proudly waving their own colors: Venezia (red-white), Borgo (black-white), Labrone (maroon-yellow-sky blue-black), Ardenza (red-green), Ovo Sodo (yellow-white), Pontino (yellow-red), Salviano (maroon-white), and San Jacopo (white-green). If you stop along the banks of Darsena Nuova or the Medici canals, you will also have the opportunity to see the team headquarters of the different districts, where the athletes train and the trophies won over the years are kept.

The “Palio dell’Antenna”: the historic Livorno rowing race

Among the Livorno Rowing Races, the Palio dell’Antenna is the oldest and most captivating. Included among the Tuscan historical reenactments, it takes place in the Darsena Nuova of the Medicean Port on the evening of May 21st, on the eve of the feast day of Santa Giulia, the city’s patron saint. In the center of the racecourse, a square perimeter of about 600 meters, stands a 12-meter steel antenna with an amaranth flag called “Cencio” fluttering at its peak. Each corner is connected to the top of the antenna by a climbing rope. Each crew, made up of 10 rowers and one climber, starting from the base of the antenna, must reach their corner, complete a lap of the racecourse counterclockwise, and return to their climbing rope. At that point, to win the race, the climber must climb up to the top of the antenna and grab the “Cencio” before the others.

The “Coppa Risi’atori”: the epic challenge in open water

Inspired by the exploits of the ancient Livorno port unloaders. The “Coppa Risiatori” is also known in Livorno as the “marathon of the sea“. It is indeed an exciting but also very exhausting race that requires determination, courage, and exceptional physical preparation. With its 7,600 meters of rowing in open water, it does not allow compromises: the skill of the helmsmen in managing waves and currents is as crucial as the endurance and strength of the rowers. Starting from the Secche della Meloria, the crew that first reaches the finish line inside the Darsena Nuova wins.

The “Coppa Barontini”: a tribute to a unique tradition

The Coppa Barontini is a truly spectacular rowing race held at night, usually in June. Dedicated to the legendary partisan Commander from Livorno, Ilio Barontini, the challenge unfolds along a 3,200-meter loop track along the Medicean canals, between bridges, narrow passages, and sharp turns. A real water slalom in which the skill of the helmsman and the cohesion of the crew are just as important as the power of rowing. To win, the gozzi boats from the districts, starting at intervals determined by the widening of the Cantine di fronte alla Fortezza Nuova, must complete the circuit in the shortest possible time.

The “Palio Marinaro”: the triumphant closure of the season

The “Palio Marinaro” is the main event that closes the rowing season. The most classic of the classics, a spectacular race strongly linked to the identity of the Livornese rowing tradition in which the power and coordination of the crew often make the difference. The challenge takes place along a straight path of about two thousand meters, between the historic Pancaldi Baths and the Livorno Aquarium, in the stretch of sea in front of the spectacular Mascagni Terrace, which is constantly crowded at every edition and offers a breathtaking view of the race.