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Residents of the Italian city of Venice were treated to a free concert on Saturday when a giant violin floated down the Grand Canal, carrying a string quartet from the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory, which performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for their audience.
The hand-carved violin-shaped boat, named “Violin of Noah” and measuring 12m in length, was built during the pandemic by Venetian artist Livio De Marchi in collaboration with the Venice Development Consortium.
De Marchi, unofficially known as the Carpenter of Venice, produced many other floating sculptures, including a wooden Ferrari.
The project is dedicated to those who died from Covid-19, as well as to Venice’s emergence from the pandemic and the city’s link with art, culture and music.
During its hour-long journey, the concert attracted other small ships that accompanied the violin through Venice.
The trip ended at the Church of La Salute, which was built as an offering to the Virgin Mary for delivering the city from a plague that swept through it in 1630.
The violin is made from a dozen different species and is powered by an internal motor.
“As Noah has put the animals on board the ark to save them, we will be spreading art through music on this violin,†De Marchi told Venezia Today last month.
Travel restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 have halted tourism in one of the most visited cities in the world.
Although Venice’s travel operators, hotels and restaurants suffered, the city flourished in other ways.
Dolphins have been spotted in the city’s waterways, swimming near St. Mark’s Square. The water in the city’s famous canals has also become clearer, thanks to a drop in boat traffic during the closures.
Large cruise ships have since been banned from Venice and a tourist tax of € 10 (S $ 16) has been introduced as authorities work to curb overtourism in the city.
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