It was an ordinary day. Reading an article about a giant motorized watercraft called "Noah's Violin" which went floating down the Grand Canal of Venice, Italy a few days ago. The same canal that Carol and I, along with a group of people assembled by St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania traveled down in October of 2007 while on a visit to Italy. We had the best of times with some of the nicest friends while on our two week journey through Italy. But, perhaps my most favorite day was the day we traveled to Venice and had a chance to ride in a gondola for an hour on the Grand Canal.
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| Carol and I in Venice, Italy |
The canal is close to 1,600 odd years old and has seen many sights over its lifetime, but it never had the chance to carry a gigantic violin with a string quartet playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" while floating down the canal.  |
| Riding in a gondola with our friends on the Grand Canal |
This most unusual vessel is a large-scale replica of a real violin, made from about a dozen different kinds of wood, with nuts and bolts, as well as a space for the motor. The unusual vessel was created by Livio De Marchi, a Venetian artist, who conceived the idea during last year's lockdown due to COVID. The project was meant to be a sign of Venice restarting after the lockdown. De Marchi named the vessel "Noah's Violin" since it was meant to bring a message of hope after a storm, through "art, culture and music." |
| Traveling along the canal. |
The trip on the canal was planned to end beside the church of La Salute, Italian for health, in the Dorsoduro district, which was built as a votive offering to the Virgin Mary for deliverance from a plague that decimated the city in 1630. The musician Vivaldi was a native of Venice, thus the reason for the large violin. A helmsman in a black cape and black 18th century tricorn hat steered the musical piece of artwork. The project gave life to all those who worked on it and offered them all hope after the darkest days of the pandemic.  |
The four musicians on the gigantic violin.
The helmsman can be seen in the center of the photograph.
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A parade of other boats followed the violin down the Grand Canal while onlookers yelled "Bravo Livio!" in praise of De Marchi. De Marchi in returned yelled, "Bravo Tutti!" The four musicians who were accompanying the violin along the canal stood barefooted on the violin for a better grip. All went well until the musical score for the viola flew off the music stand into the water. It was quickly recovered and returned to the musician who didn't seem to miss a beat. When "Noah's Violin" was first begun, the builders were told they would need a vehicle registration plate, but they didn't know how to classify it. It wasn't a raft, but it also wasn't a gondola. Not sure what type of plate it eventually had, but it traveled on the canal without any objections. There were plenty of people gathered along the Grand Canal to watch the floating concert that included works by Bach and Schubert. The journey down the Grand Canal was designed to end beside the church of La Salute, Italian for health, in the Dorsoduro district, which was built as a votive offering to theVirgin Mary for deliverance from a plague that decimated the city in 1630. Why was the vessel designed to be a violin? Seems that De Marchi is a big fan of Vivaldi, who was a native of Venice and is venerated there. De Marchi added that he always regretted not having learned to play an instrument. The gigantic violin was the next best think. When the musicians had exited the violin, there was a brief ceremony that was attended by members of the consortium and their families and friends. The Rev. Florio blessed the violin and said he hoped it would "travel the world as a message of hope." There has been interest in the violin from businesses in Italy and a museum in China. I think back to the time that we spent along, and on, the Grand Canal. Would have loved to have had the chance to see something like this while we were meandering along the Canal. I can just imagine the photographs that I would have taken to share with everyone. A once in a lifetime chance which never happened. I guess I'll just have to imagine listening to works by Bach and Schubert as we meandered the Grand Canal. Perhaps if I close my eyes right now I can see the violin as it passes us along the Grand Canal. And...a minute later I will be asleep! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. |
| A final photograph of lovers along the Grand Canal of Venice. |
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