In Venice, a Young Boatman Steers a Course of His Own
In Venice, a Young Boatman Steers a Course of His Own
By
Eliot S. Corwin
It all began over a hundred years ago, when a twenty-three-year-old Venice native named Pietro D’Anza set out to sail his thirty-footer from the Venice docks to a destination that had eluded him since he was twelve.
In his time, the man who would go on to become known as the Grand Captain of the Mediterranean would set an endurance record of over 5,000 miles, navigate through the dangerous Red Sea, and circumnavigate the globe twice.
In his time, D’Anza would become a legend in Venice, a subject for stories and song. He is even the subject of a painting by Venetian artist Domenico Tintoretto.
Yet, even with all of this, it is D’Anza’s story that will continue to resonate in the minds of future sailors. Because, in all likelihood, that is what will keep Pietro D’Anza from being forgotten.
As I watched the sun rise over Venice’s skyline, I was struck by the beauty and romance of it all. The city, as I had seen it for the past three and a half months, had a warmth, a sense of energy, and even a certain glamor to it that was difficult to ignore.
I had been to Venice before, as many of you know, but I was not one for the city. I was an artist, for sure, but my primary love had always been for the sea. So, on this day, as I was standing on the dock, watching the sunrise across the Grand Canal, I kept thinking about the young gentleman who had taken a life-altering choice.
It is a question that has come up in all of my classes, at least once or twice a year, when I teach about the nature of courage and risk. It is a question that has come up in all of my classes
