The intense mercantile activity that developed on Euganean waterways for over seven centuries owed its expansion to particularly versatile boats for river transportation, among which the more recent (and therefore adapted to engine propulsion) became the quintessential vessel of these inland waters: the bùrchio (in dialect bùrcio). Used for transportation of goods, the burchio is a large flat-bottomed wooden boat similar to the traditional vessels of the Venice lagoon and the inland of northeastern Italy. In terms of size it could reach a length of 35 metres and a capacity of around 180 tons. They transported all kinds of goods over the centuries: trachyte and limestone extracted from the hills, beets and cereals from the countryside, coal, wine, timber, sand, cement, salt, and fertilizers for agriculture. Euganean and Lagoon products were exchanged, giving rise to a constant flow of traffic between Venice and the hills.
Three men normally worked on board: the captain (often the owner, or paròn), the sailor (marinèro) and the cabin boy. Women could be also found on board. Inside the boat, along with ample spaces for goods, the kitchen and living spaces for the crew were found, below stern and bow. Traditional wooden boats were not only a workspace, but a living space too, and contained everything necessary to this.
The last bùrchio crossed the navigation basin of Battaglia Terme in 1965. In order to remember the fascinating and lost world of Euganean river culture, the Navigation Museum of Battaglia Terme has installed several sections which faithfully recreate the atmosphere of those times. Many life size models of traditional wooden boats can also be seen.
