Fisherman Tradition Evenings - Guest stars: Libar and Neno Belan
Depict the life of Rovinj's fishermen including the construction of batana, attractive entertainment program and culinary delights
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Despite the fact that the people from Rovinj are very much aware that they live in one of the most beautiful Mediterranean towns, the hustle and bustle and life happening on its streets, squares and along the waterfront during the Evenings of fishing t
With the aim of showing appreciation and promoting the traditional values and customs of the destination, the Tourist Board of the Town of Rovinj will this year once again hold its traditional event called Evenings of Fishing Tradition. The event will take place on July 7 and August 31. It celebrates the beginnings of the tradition of building batanas, traditional Rovinj boats, the open-air boatbuilding process and the launching of the boat into the sea. It also presents the customs and skills of Rovinj fishermen and traditional Rovinj songs called bitinade. The entire event is accompanied by a rich culinary, cultural and entertainment program.
In 2007, the event won the title of the most attractive tourist product in the Adriatic in the framework of the Blue Flower national competition run by the Croatian National Tourist Board. The same year, part of the project called A Procession of Batanas with a Dinner at the Spacio brought to the Tourist Board of the Town of Rovinj the Golden Goat recognition in the category of events offering an authentic and autochthonous destination experience, a recognition given by the Tourist Board of the Istrian County.
Over the years, the people of Rovinj and the numerous visitors to the town (more than 30,000 per day during the summer season), have had an opportunity to witness the open-air process of building and launching the following batanas: Fiamita, Calsanta, Arupina, Liliana; as well as the process of restoring and launching of: Adria, Camaiore and Leonberg. In 2010 and 2011, the Antonietta, the Santa Croce, the Regina, the Antea and the Loreta - batana boats owned by the members of the House of Batana Association used for the purpose of organizing the Processions of batana boats with a dinner at the Spacio, a typical Rovinj wine cellar, were restored and launched into the sea.
The event features a demonstration of fishing skills (repairing and weaving of fishing nets, traps and straw woven bottle covers called damižane, etc.) and traditional customs from the past century, an open-air exhibition organized by the Trani Gallery and the House of Batana Eco Museum. The culinary offer for the numerous visitors gathered at the event venue is prepared by Maistra d.d. and its Adriatic Hotel in cooperation with the House of Batana Association, while the top-quality Rovinj wines and olive oils are supplied by renowned Rovinj wine and olive oil producers.
Program of the first Evening of Fishing Tradition (July 7, 2012):
7.00 p.m. Wind music and KUD Stjepan Žiža in the streets of the town
Marshall Tito Square
8.00 p.m. KUD Marco Garbin (bitinada songs)
8.30 p.m. Launching of the batana into the sea
9.00 p.m. Neno Belan & Fiumens, Libar Band
Riviera Square
9.00 p.m. Anelidi Band, Vesna Nežić-Ružić, Sergio Preden-Gato and Riccardo Bosazzi with a Quintet
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END OF THE FIRST EVENING OF FISHING TRADITION
Our precious sea
Despite the fact that the people from Rovinj are very much aware that they live in one of the most beautiful Mediterranean towns, the hustle and bustle and life happening on its streets, squares and along the waterfront during the Evenings of fishing tradition, repeatedly, but with some new enthusiasm, remind them of this fact.
Because, just an open display of old, and until recently, somewhat forgotten crafts and skills such as wrapping demijohns in wicker, repairing fish traps and nets, as well as fishermen’s talks over a glass of good wine, is something that really makes Rovinj special and different. The Tourist Board of Rovinj has promoted these evenings and moreover, turned them into a brand – one more reason for both domestic and foreign tourists to visit the town of St. Euphemia, and won the "Blue Flower” award for this project back in 2007. Namely, that year the event was declared the most attractive tourist product in the Adriatic within the national competition run by the Croatian National Tourist Board, while the part of the project called "Procession of Batanas with a Dinner in Spacio" won the Tourist Board of the Town of Rovinj the "Golden Goat, Capra d'oro" in the category of events offering an authentic and autochthonous destination experience.
As expected, again this time the Evening of fishing tradition attracted a large number of devotees of the sea, good food and music to the town of St. Euphemia and every visitor can find something for themselves in a variety of events and new experiences. This "Marine" happening started as the sun appeared high up in the sky by the performance of the Brass band, folklore group from the Cultural and Artistic Company (KUD) Stjepan Žiža from Rovinjsko Selo and members of the KUD Marco Garbin, who performed bitinade (a singing style using voice to imitate musical instruments) and ended late in the night. Two stages hosted excellent musicians and the audience kept cheering for more. The central stage hosted klapa Libar and Neno Belen and Fiumens, and the more intimate one, situated on the Grand Pier was reserved for Anelidi from Pula, Vesna Nežić Ružić, Sergio Preden Gatto and Riccardo Bosazzi Quintet.
Besides music, in the Marshal Tito Square one could also enjoy watching attractive documentary films shot in Rovinj in1937 and 1963, and the exhibits of the private Museum "Trani."
A particularly attractive event was also an official launching of "Leonberg" batana into the sea, which the shipbuilders, after several days of reconstruction occurring during several evenings on the plateau in front of the House of Batana Museum, brought back into life. Batana "Leonberg" is the twelfth restored and reconstructed fishing boat in the organization of the House of Batana Association.
A feast would not be complete without food and drinks. Maistra d.d. and House of Batana Association provided seafood delicacies, while the "local" wine and olive oil producers are the most responsible for a nice drop of wine and heady aroma of the high quality olive oil.
The next (and the last) in the series of the Evenings of the fishing tradition is scheduled for August 31 when Tedi Spalato and klapa Kampanel will accompany a display of old customs and skills of Rovinj fishermen.
