Arzanà
Arzanà is a non-profit organization based in Venice that focuses on the protection and restoration of traditional Venetian wooden watercraft.
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| Director | Giorgio Suppiej |
|---|---|
| Address |
Cannaregio 1936 / d |
| Telephone | (+39) 347 262-5999 |
| Website | http://www.arzana.org |
History
In 1992, seven members joined to found Arzanà and the organization has grown over the past years with the addition of new members and collaborators. [1]
Mission
Arzanà works to study, restore and conserve the traditional boats in the lagoon of Venice. The organization seeks to restore the boats to full rowing or sailing capacity. Arzanà appeals to local and international agencies, companies, foundations and associations, who understand the need to safeguard traditional boats and to convey to future generations the importance of what was once, and still should be, the most common aspect of the Venetian culture. Arzanà currently keeps their preserved items in a small ancient shipyard in Calle delle Pignatte in Cannaregio.
Activities
Arzanà has acquired over fifty native boats in the lagoon of Venice. They are all wooden boats, most made for sailing and/or rowing, and many of them have now become unique pieces. Additionally, the organization has recovered many tools, instruments and other artifacts of historical interest from squeri (boat yards) that have closed down. However, the majority of these items have been donations from private citizens.
The radical restoration of many boats often requires financial support that Arzanà, a non-profit organization run by volunteers, often lacks. To help raise money, Arzanà has rented parts of the collection to films making pieces about Venice. For example, several of Arzanà’s boats and nautical artifacts can be seen in movies, including [The Merchant of Venice] and [Casanova].
See Also
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- Museo Arzana: Preserving the Traditional Boats of Venice
- [http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-110905-122120/unrestricted/E05BoatsFinal.pdf Preserving the Nautical Traditions and
Maritime Heritage of Venice, Italy]
References
Bibliography
External Links
WPI project concerned with preserving the traditional boats of Venice