S4 Ep.8 - The Hidden Life of Venice’s Public Transport. A chat with ACNL

Venice is a city that moves on water.

Every day, thousands of residents, workers, students and visitors step onto a vaporetto without always thinking about what happens behind that simple act of getting from one stop to another.

But in Venice, public transport is not a road, a bus lane or an underground line. It is the lagoon. It is the Grand Canal. It is tides, fog, wind, night shifts, crowded landing stages, sudden changes in weather, wave motion, and the constant responsibility of moving people safely through one of the most delicate cities in the world.

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with Lorenzo Boscolo, President of the Associazione Capitani Navigazione Lagunare, and Agostino Benvegnù, Vice President of the association, to explore the world of Venice’s public water transport commanders.

Together, they discuss what it really means to command a vessel in the lagoon, the difference between a captain and a commander, the training and skills required for this profession, and the unique challenges of keeping Venice moving 24 hours a day.

This conversation also looks at some of the most important issues facing the city today: wave motion, overtourism, respect for public transport, safety on board, and the need to understand that a vaporetto is not just a scenic ride. It is an essential service for the people who live and work in Venice.

Through their words, we discover Venice from a different point of view: not from a postcard, not from a tourist map, but from the cabin of those who navigate its waters every day.

Key Notes

In this episode we talk about:

• What the Associazione Capitani Navigazione Lagunare is and why it matters in Venice today
• The difference between a captain and a commander
• The path and training needed to become a commander in Venice’s public water transport system
• Why navigating a public transport vessel in Venice requires far more than simply knowing how to steer a boat
• The most delicate areas of the lagoon and the city from a navigation point of view
• Why Venice’s public transport system is unlike buses, metros or trams in any other city
• What it means to be responsible for a vessel full of passengers in a city where the “road” is made of water
• The beauty and the hidden difficulties of life as a commander
• The importance of remembering that vaporetti are an essential service for residents, workers and students
• What it means to guarantee public transport 24 hours a day, through fog, rain, high tides, events and tourist peaks
• Why wave motion is such a serious issue for Venice
• The impact of wave motion on safety, boats, landing stages, embankments and the city itself
• How overtourism affects the daily work of commanders
• The future of this profession and whether young people are interested in becoming part of it
• Which tourist behaviours make the service more difficult, and which ones would help everyone

Listen and Subscribe

This episode is an invitation to look at Venice differently.

The next time you step onto a vaporetto, you may notice the city in another way: the movement of the water, the precision of an arrival, the patience behind a crowded stop, the responsibility carried by those who keep Venice moving every day.

Listen to the full episode of Venice Talks and subscribe to the podcast to discover more stories from the people, places and voices that make Venice extraordinary.

Because Venice is not only a city to visit.

It is a city to understand.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.

✨ Credits:

Hosted by Monica Cesarato

Produced by Monica Cesarato, Sentire Media

Guest: Lorenzo Boscolo & Agostino Benvegnù from ACNL

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