For some time now there have been no longer only transporters, taxi drivers and gondoliers in the canals, but an increasing number of women driving topette and sanpierote, the typical boats used by the Venetians to get around the lagoon.
Until now, the presence of women on the boats was very rare. However, in recent months, over a hundred fie (girls in Venetian) have entered the canals and the number is increasing. More and more of them of all ages are seen alongside the Venetian Marta Canino, founder of the amateur sports association “Fie a manetta”, affiliated to Uisp and recognized by Coni, the first school in Venice that teaches how to drive motor boats with the aim of involving more and more women. The name is in fact a play on words that means many girls, but also girls at the most.
The story of Giorgia, the only gondolier in Venice
The school that wasn’t there before
“During the lockdown I realized that there was no school in the city that taught how to drive a motor boat because a license is not required and you usually learn in the family” explains Canino, 37, a resident of Giudecca. “So I combined my experience on the boat with my commitment to women, giving them the tools to be more autonomous in a male-dominated space, the canals”. Canino knows how to do boats and the lagoon, and not only for a past as a sailor, even a competitive one. “My uncle Veniero took us every Sunday to explore the islands of the lagoon, teaching us the names of plants and birds” he recalls of his childhood also spent in Mozambique and Egypt where his hydrogeologist father worked. His greatest training ground, however, was his experience as an activist and leader of the No Grandi Navi movement. “During the demonstrations on the water I took care of the safety of the small boats and I learned a lot” says Canino. “Safety is essential on the boat, but it is often not taught and, especially the younger ones, they risk getting hurt”. The birth of Fie at full throttle thrills other women, such as the pharmacist and sailor Luisa Bittolo Bon and the social worker Chiara Buratticurrently both on the board of directors.
More and more registered
After two years of running-in and bureaucracy, this summer ‘Fie a manetta’ took off, obtaining a growing number of registrations (80% women). “The presence of women softens the canals because it is less aggressive and a woman in a boat raises the problem of those around her more, also because female movements are most often linked to accompanying children to school or other family members, therefore passengers fragile, unlike the men who use the boat to transport goods “explains Canino who, thanks to diplomacy, skill and a few pastries, managed to win the sympathy of the insiders, all men. “We are open to anyone” continues the founder who has also had to deal with a couple of jealous husbands who did not want their wives to become independent. “Venice is fragile and it is a good for everyone. This is why I teach not to make waves and avoid creating waves”. In the city of water there is a lot of traffic and there are still few examples of an electric motor. Recently Fie a throttle won the assignment of a space by the Municipality to start workshops open to young people and to increase electric mobility. For now, the small fleet of girls is made up of the flagship Fie a manetta (a little mouse), the Sanpierota Carla and the sailing caiccio Saltanuvole. A fundraiser (the girls’ boat) is still open on Eppela to buy an electric motor for Carla, the social vehicle available for those without a vehicle. Despite going to class, many friendships are also being born between the channels. “Teaching is also about creating a relationship and in the safe space of the boat an immediate sisterhood arises between us all”.