As every September in Venice, this year too the Historical Regatta was held.

September in Venice: When the Regata Storica marks the start of autumn

22.09.2025

News

A few days ago, on Sunday, September 7, was the day of the Regata Storica. For those who live in Venice, like me, it is not just an event on the calendar: it is a sign that something is changing. The city pulsates, historic boats parade down the Grand Canal with rowers in costume, and voices echo between the buildings.

It is one of the city’s oldest traditions, dating back to the 13th century, created to celebrate the maritime power of the Serenissima and its skill in Venetian rowing. This year, it began with a parade of richly decorated historic boats, with crews in period costume parading along the Grand Canal, followed by various races: from caorline to gondolini, where the rowers competed with strength and technique until they reached Ca’ Foscari.

It’s an ancient celebration, but for me it’s also the start of a time of year I particularly love: the Venetian autumn. It’s one of those moments when the city is in full swing and the Grand Canal becomes a long catwalk where boats and rowers are the stars. And the banks fill with people, eager to witness a spectacle you’ll only find in Venice.

Then, little by little, the spotlight fades and the city changes its skin. The summer heat disappears, the air grows fresher, and the light turns golden. It’s the season I love most for wandering aimlessly, crossing the Accademia Bridge at sunset, stopping in a quiet campo for a coffee, or taking a vaporetto to the Lido once the crowds have gone. The colors grow more intense: the water takes on deeper hues, the façades of the palaces seem more alive.

Autumn is also when the city begins to lower its voice. Museums such as the Gallerie dell’Accademia or the Doge’s Palace return to being quieter places, and in the calli you can once again hear the sound of the water. Sometimes, in the early morning, that light mist arrives, wrapping everything in a veil that seems made especially for Venice.

And Suite735 can be the starting point to discover all of this every day. I love welcoming those who come at this time of year, because I know they will see an authentic Venice: the one that, after the grandeur of summer, allows itself the luxury of simply being itself.