Il Nuovo Trionfo is the only remaining ‘operational’ cargo ship in Venice. Up until the 1950s these types of wooden vessel plied the Adriatic Sea, delivering goods to Ancona, Ravenna and beyond.

The boat was saved by a group of Venetian residents, who got together to fund the renovation and restoration of this piece of Venice’s maritime heritage. Three years ago there was a ‘crowd-funding’ round that successfully raised the € 5000– required for urgent repairs to the wooden hull. Some of the readers of my blog, myself included, kindly contributed.

In February 2024 ‘Il Nuovo Trionfo’ is back in the shipyard for further repairs. I’ll keep you posted in case we need to offer a helping hand once more.

THE HISTORY – ‘Il Nuovo Trionfo’ dates from the 1920s. It is a wooden cargo ship – known as a ‘trabaccolo’ that was used to ship goods from Venice to Ravenna, Ancona and beyond. Cargoes would have included timber, wheat, and all manner of dry goods. The ship is the last floating example of its type. For the last few years ‘Il Nuovo Trionfo’ has been moored at Punta Dogana, Venice. The ship is part of the skyline of Venice – it’s up to us to help the people of Venice to respect and maintain this important part of their maritime heritage.

If you’d like to help or have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me: janet@grand-tourist.com

Note – With special thanks to the people of Venice who have grouped together to create ”Amici di Nuovo Trionfo” (The Friends of Nuovo Trionfo) with the express purpose of maintaining and preserving this fascinating ‘trabaccolo’ ship in the lagoon of Venice. You can find them on FB – type ‘Il Nuovo Trionfo’ into the search bar.

• December 2021 / Updated: 22nd Jan, 2022 – € 5000 raised!!Hurray!
• Update: 5th February, 2024 – back in the shipyard – fingers crossed!!

• For more on Venice and Venice’s Maritime Heritage – take a look at:
• The Historic Regatta, Venice
• Venice and the lagoon
• Venice by boat