What is true for Venetian boats is also applicable to riverboats: there are many types, all of which are characterized by the flat bottom and - apart from the comacina or gabarra - by the lack of bow stem. In fact the hull is joined at the sides and terminates with the bottom that rises to the top where it is joined to the sides. The most well-known type is the burcio or burchio, with the variant for transporting people known as a burchiello, but there numerous other types such as the rascone, barche da Padova o padovana (P 393), santor (P 377), barca comacchiese (P 394), barca del Po di Volano (P 395), bastardo (P 397), busintoro (P 396), barca pavese (P 398), barca pescantina (P 399), barchetto o corriera  (P 403) etc.

For those who would like to find out more about river navigation we recommend the Museo Civico dell Navigazione Fluviale in Battaglia Terme, Padova.

A rascona and, behind it,

a burcio in the Grand Canal.

Transport boat with sails.

See also: drawings   models   archeology

Burcio (Burchio)

The bùrcio was the largest river and lagoon cargo vessel, up to thirty metres long, characterised by the absence of the bow stem, with a steeply rising bottom that is joined, like a prism, to the sides. It had oars and two masts with lugsails.

See also: drawings   models

1902, burcio a vela in bacino di

S. Marco.

LThe lrge bow of an abandoned

burcio on the island of the

Tronchetto, Venezia.