Rowing in Venice today. An ethnographic inquiry

There are relatively few people left who row through the canals or the lagoon of Venice. This situation reflects the steady decline in the city’s resident population. For over 70 years, Venice’s demographic trends have shown a clear trajectory of depopulation, driven by urban restructuring and re-functionalizing processes that compel inhabitants to move elsewhere. These changes are largely fueled by the dominance of a touristic economic monoculture. Furthermore, the environmental impact of the tourism industry has placed the lagoon itself under significant ecological strain. Paradoxically, depopulation and the high human footprint have progressed hand in hand, leading to the gradual yet increasing decline of the millennia-old practice of Venetian rowing. This research approaches the issue from three perspectives. First, it highlights how and why the “art of the oar” represents a way of life that fosters a co-evolved and respectful relationship between the lagoon environment and human society. Second, it examines the cultural consumption and recreational dimensions of Venetian rowing. Finally, drawing on ethnographic evidence, it seeks to argue why rowing remains fundamentally important from socio-ecological and urban perspectives.