A giant violin carrying a string quartet floated down the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, on Sunday Sep. 19.
It shuttled along the canal, making its journey down the canal from the city hall to the Church of La Salute in the Dorsoduro district.
The 39-foot long violin, made from different types of wood, was designed by Italian sculptor Livio De Marchi.
De Marchi named his work “Noah’s Violin” after what Noah’s ark represented – a message of hope after a storm.
“The violin is a sign of Venice restarting”, De Marchi said during an interview at his art workshop in the San Marco district, adding that he hoped to convey the idea of Venice’s rebirth after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A quartet, standing barefoot on the violin, performed Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” as people enjoyed the performance from their boats and along the banks of the canal.
“As a Venetian and a musician, it was the most moving experience of my life,” the cellist, Tiziana Giasparoni, told the New York Times.
