The second floor opens up in a fully atmospheric atmosphere, set up as if the visitor were emerging from the hold of a burcio, with the wheelhouse in front and the view embracing the confluence of the Canale di Sotto and the Canale Rialto, which meet at the height of the Museum forming the waters of the Vigenzone.
Life on Board
The long display cases, arranged diagonally to divide the floor, hold period photographs, accounting and administrative documents of the barcari cooperatives, until they lead the visitor to the most evocative corner: the reconstruction of a fogàra, the brazier used on board, which offers an authentic and vivid glimpse of daily life on the vessels.
Means of Propulsion
The room houses a rich variety of implements and tools related to traditional propulsion techniques: oars; a large sail apparatus complete with brackets, collars and bolts; pulleys and blocks; and hemp shrouds; horse-drawn towing scales; and belts for human traction.
On the walls are propellers, portholes, lanterns, way lights, and other artifacts that marked the entry of motorization, first on large ships in the late 19th century and, a few decades later, on riverboats as well.
