The Peota, the only Venetian boat still existing in the world and in a good state of conservation, is on display at the Royal Palace of Venaria. For some years, it has been included in a spectacular and unusual setting, where didactic films, lights and original music perfectly blend with the image of the Venetian Bucintoro.
Historically, the boat was donated by the Venetian Republic to the Savoy in 1731. Some scholars have speculated that it could be the work of the master Antonio, an expert venetian carpenter from 1700.
The robust oak wood hull is a real colossus: 16 meters long and 2,70 meters wide, it weighs about 60 quintals.
In addition to its considerable size, the boat is truly beautiful: full of golden sculptures: in the bow is a carved image of Narcissus is reflected in the water, flanked by two old men pouring water from two wineskins, personification of the Po and the Adige, the two major rivers of Piedmont and Veneto.
