1935-1990
VAPORINI E VAPORETTI
A Vaporetto (little steamer) is a water taxi from Venice, Italy. There are now 22 local lines that travel within Venice, and between Venice and the nearby islands.
The Venetian Vaporetto is strong, loyal, safe, and offers a smooth swift ride.
‘In the beginning’..in the western world, good land transport by rail was already in full swing while plans for steam vessels were still in their infancy. The use of small steamers for public transport occurred mostly in far-away lands such as India, Paraguay, Oregon, and China. Venice however, was the European exception. In Venice,’La Serenissima’, steam launches of 65-75ft long/ 20m, were the public buses, to the great irritation of the gondoliers at the time, who went on strike at the prospect of buses taking their business. Nothing changes!
Photo courtesy Artú Chiggiato 1896 . 1882-class steam water bus on the Grand Canal, Venice
See Gilberto Penzo’s book ‘Vaporetti’ (Libreria Editrice)
1896 photo of an 1882-class steamer water bus on the Grand Canal in Venice
1881 . The commune approves navigating the Grand Canal in Venice with a public fleet of 12 boats.
The first two Vaporetti were made in Nantes, France, but all subsequent ships were Italian built. All Vaporetti were constructed in steel, first with a steam then eventually diesel engine onboard, the hull riveted, the whole hand made.
Photo graziadei, archivio ACTV, Venezia. Vaporetto no.45 ‘Franco Gozzi’ 1934
1883 . Torcello, Malamocco and Pellestrina are added to the route
1887 . Murano and Fusina join in the fun
1891 . Another 12 boats are added to the fleet
Gradually, journeys to all the little islands are included
1920’s. electric diesel propulsion is considered
Photo Giacomelli
Photo Giacomelli
Photo Giacomelli
Photo Giacomelli
Vaporetto '20 VA'
Vaporetto no. 72 . 1955
Vaporetto no. 42 . HIPPO!
Vaporetto no. 42 . HIPPO!
Archive ACTV Venice
Vaporetto no. 72 . 1955
1934 . Valentine’s day Feb 14, 20 of a new model are ordered: the first diesel fleet – Series 20 VA . ‘Annibale Foscari’ (now ‘Hippopotamo’) is the first model of this fleet, and is given the first Diesel engine ever.
1935 . So she was born.. No42, HIPPOPOTAMO, originally baptised ANNIBALE FOSCARI entered service on February 1st, her maiden voyage on the Grand Canal, Venice. Named after Conte Annibale who was a privileged Venetian aristocrat (1833-1896), and member of an enduringly powerful family. You can still wonder at Villa Foscari on the Grand Canal. HIPPO’S proud nose to diva rump : 22+m, girth :4m. She could officially carry 85 seated passengers, 80 passengers standing-though she often transported closer to 200 passengers, jostling for space.
No42 Annibale Foscari – now HIPPOPOTAMO
No43 Spartaco Bello
No44 Alberto Zambon
No45 Franco Gozzi
No46 Ugo Pepe
No47 Severino Francescato
No48 Luigi Passoni
No49 Antonio Catapan
HIPPO’S MAIDEN VOYAGE 1935 . GRAND CANAL VENICE
She worked for 50 solid years gliding locals and tourists from stop to stop, from home to place of work, from love affair to marital home. Countless millions, millions..of passengers have boarded and alighted this beautiful steel whale, with shouts, laughter, song and possibly tears onboard. Imagine.. she could easily carry 160 at a time during peak hours, a few hundred passengers a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, for 50 years- five decades, with a little break now and again for repairs. A work horse, a strong lady.
Her wheelhouse was small to maximise passenger space, and her deck was generous, protected from scorching sun and Mediterranean downpours by her curved roof. Her interior was vast, with sleek shiny steel clutch-poles, steel windows with little opening flaps along the top for ventilation and leather and wood banquet-seats for her 80 seated passengers. Very chic, very modern. The first Vaporetti were more luxurious than they are now. Utilitarianism has won over romanticism.
She accelerated away from every Vaporetto stop with speed and grace, and carved her rounded bust, belly and rump through the lagoon with ease. After 50 years, new Vaporetti models were uncomfortably nuzzling up to her stern, ambitious less gracious wannabes. Her salt-wracked steel skin not what it once was, the Venetians put her out to pasture to finish rusting in a scrapyard for elderly river employees. There she lay, no longer deemed worthy, exhausted, used and probably more than a little abused. Little did she know that her curves, her strength, her integrity and magnificence could never be overlooked, and that some day, her prince would come.
Enter lagoon left : Michael Simonsen Kiersgaard from Denmark, on his sailing boat. Dreamer, shipbuilder, traveller.
For more, read on in next chapter.