Memento Vivere

Giostre d'Acqua (Water jousting) is a sport in Venezia, though pre-dated by Carnivale and the Regatta d’Venezia by several hundred years, the Giostre d'Acqua is practiced principally as part of the integral opening celebratory events right after the Festa della Maria (the Feast Day of Mary) and the Parata Marittima (the Water Parade).

Then the watercraft and their crews take to the maritime “field” for their jousting events. It is a form of jousting in Venezia, where the adversaries, much like its terrestrial counterpart, carry a lance and protected only by a shield, stand on a platform on the stern on their boat, propelled by oarsmen.

The aim of the sport is, as the two competing boats draw level with each other, to send the adversary into the water whilst maintaining one's own balance on the platform. The exact rules of the contest vary from region to region and country to country.


History
The oldest representations of water jousting have been found on bas-reliefs dating from the Ancient Egyptians (2780–2380 BC). It would seem however, that these relate more to a form of brawling than a leisure activity; given that the jousters are wearing no form of protection and carry gaffes armed with two points at their end.

Evidence of jousting is subsequently found in Ancient Greece. The Greeks introduced the practice into Sicily where the Latins, great lovers of all kinds of spectacle, immediately adopted it. There are countless signs of jousting in the Roman Empire, especially during staged naumachia (literally "naval combat"). The latter featured naval re-enactments and other water-sports that took place in arenas designed to be flooded for the purpose. In all likelihood, the Romans introduced these types of games throughout their empire.

The sport survived for centuries mainly in communities close to water, but it is not mentioned anywhere except for a few instances mentioned in history until games held on the Saône in 1548 for Henri II and Catherine of Medici.

With Venezia not to be outdone by a Medici, water jousting was made as part of the Venetian Carnivale ceremonies in 1550.

The Event
One jouster (jouteurs) on each boat stands on a special raised platform (il palco) at the stern of the boat about three meters (10 feet) above the surface of the water.

In addition to the jouster and the rowers, the crew consists of:
-- helmsman (il timoniere)
-- two musicians (musicisti), one playing a kind of drum (tamburo) and the other a kind of oboe.
-- jousters who will take part in the next joust are also on board, under the palco.

The *home* crew and boat will be donned in red ...while the opposing (or guest) crew and boat in blue...

Jousters carry a shield (scudo) 70 cm high and 40 cm wide, and a lance (Lancia) 3 metres long. They are obliged to wear pure white costumes and white shoes and appropriate colored (home or guest) shirt.

A direct hit will propel the unlucky jouster up into air before he falls into the water (unseat). The winner of each pass is the one (if there is one) remaining on the palco after the other has been pushed into the waters. Good Balance is a necessity.

The overall winning boat shall be the boat who has the most points. The Jouteur with the most *unseats* will receive a separate prize as overall individual winner.

To add to the carnival atmosphere the crews sing ancient jousting songs (canzoni da giostra), accompanied by their onboard ensembles as the boats speed towards each other. As well as the two musicians on board, an on-shore musicians plays along with events for the terran-bound spectators.