Garda’s Palio di Contrade Boat Race Celebrates Local Rowers’ Heritage

Ferragosto, the day of the Assumption and patron saint of the town: the Palio delle contrade takes place. In Garda, the Palio is contested on a boat: nine contrade compete, with four rowers each. The rowers stand, each handling a single oar, using the traditional style of fishermen. All thirty-six rowers involved in the race are from Garda: probably no other center on the Riviera could assemble a similar team.

The race is decided in a few minutes. Three elimination heats and a final on half a kilometer of water. Every year, the Palio reliably attracts thousands of spectators. But the true protagonists are the rowers, whom we will now introduce one by one.

The Contrade and their crews

The Antiche Mura, which have won the Palio three times in the last decade (’89, ’96, and ’97), rely on Fabrizio Sabaini, Aligi Pincini (who is also the coordinator of the Palio rowers), Claudio Maffezzoli, and Franco Crescini. Their outfit is yellow and red, with the fish symbol being the perch.

The Borgo, reigning champion for two years, fields Massimo Favetta, Pierfrancesco Maffezzoli, Silvano Dall’Agnola, and Roberto Avanzi. Maffezzoli and Dall’Agnola also compete in the rowing of bireme boats, defending the colors of «cousins» from Bardolino, for whom they have also won the lake’s flag. Their uniform is yellow and green, with the trout on the banner.

The Colors of the Corsetto are yellow and black, and their emblem is the rare carpione fish. On their boat are some of the most decorated rowers on the lake: brothers Ettore and Alberto Malfer and Pino Monese, who were part of the legendary Paloma, the bireme that triumphed for a decade in the lake banner championship, defending Torri and Garda colors.

Along with them rows Bruno Maffezzoli, also a winner of the lake’s banner for Torri (on the Berengario) and Bardolino; of the four, he is the only one still active.

The other crews

Here we have Losa, named after the elegant loggia overlooking the waterfront. Its red and black uniform (symbol is the pike) is worn by Alberto Maffezzoli, Loris Ridolfi, William Bonometti, and Enrico Mario Monese.

Ridolfi and Bonometti also compete on the Adelaide, one of Garda’s two bireme boats. The Piazza is the contrada admitted to the Palio last year. In Garda, «piazza» is the name for Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the street connecting the two gates of the historic center.

The uniform is blue and light blue, with the symbol being the bleak fish (alborella). On the gondola are Matteo Pincini (who also rows on Garda’s bireme), Raffaele and Andrea Monese, and Fabio Daducci. On the banners of the Pio, there is the eel. The uniforms are blue and red.

The small contrada’s crew includes Luca, Nino, and Aldo Monese, along with Mirko Sala; this is expected to be the youngest team in the entire Palio. Over the past ten years, the Porto has won the Palio four times: in ’90 and from ’93 to ’95.

The crew is strong. On their boat, dressed in yellow and blue (symbol of the sardine), are Guido Da Parti, Giovanni Franca, Michele Bertoncelli, and Alain Ballardini: Bertoncelli also rows on Garda’s bireme, and Franca won a lake flag on the Torri’s Berengario.

Another excellent team is Rosa, which won the Palio in the last decade in ’91 and ’92. The rowers are Marco and Valerio Monese, Mauro Faraoni, and Ivan Pozzani.

Faraoni also rows on the Bardolino bireme, and Pozzani rows for Lazise. The social colors are green and black, with the emblem being the lavander fish (lavarello).

Completing the lineup is Spagna, whose green-red flags feature the tench (tinca). The team defending the colors includes Marco Favetta (who also rows on one of Garda’s biremes), Cristian Faraoni, Bonifacio Bonometti, and Walter Zuccotto.

The celebration program

The schedule includes the rowers’ gathering at 7 p.m., the blessing of the wooden statue of the Assumption at 8 p.m. in the parish church, followed by a parade through the streets of the historic center.

Starting from 9 p.m., three races will be held with three contrade competing in each round: the first place finisher advances to the final. The final race takes place at 10 p.m.

Immediately after the awards ceremony, the Palio concludes with a fireworks display.