Ferretti Yachts, that purveyor of ultra-luxury yachts that have charmed royalty and Hollywood icons alike, put-paid to the rumours that nobody throws a party quite like the Italians earlier this summer. As the sea-faring brand hit the bit 5-0, it pulled out all the stops to host a no-holds-barred extravaganza in the beautiful city of Venice.

Esteemed owners of Ferretti Yachts from across the globe and the veritable who’s who of Italian high society descended on The Floating City to help celebrate the marque’s golden jubilee, which marked the culmination of five decades of dedicated, precision yacht-building.  

The Italian brand’s story first took root in 1968, when it was founded by siblings Alessandro and Norberto Ferretti as a small family business building bespoke luxury yachts for the social elite of the day. Succeeding decades saw Ferretti Yachts grow to an international scale, soon spreading branches across Europe, North America and Asia, and claiming such luminaries as Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton and Sophia Loren among its exclusive clientele.

Little of its originally humble family roots were evident across the weekend-long celebration, which kicked off at the Palazzo Ducale. Built in 1340, this well-preserved monument overlooks the touristy Piazza San Marco and was once the residence of the Doges of Venice, who ruled over the long-standing republic from this magnificent Gothic structure until 1797, when Napoleon conquered the city-state. Since then, it has acted as administrative offices for various bureaucratic and governmental bodies before finally being transformed into a museum in 1923.

On this particular evening, however, the palace served as the stage for the inaugural night of Ferretti Yachts’ 50th anniversary festivities. Arriving just as the sun began to set, guests were ushered onto the first floor balcony, with its Gothic ogival windows offering prime panoramas of the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront. The positioning could not have been more perfect. Resplendently lined along the directly adjacent harbour were a fleet of eight of its latest models, shown off splendidly in the waning sunlight.

The pièce de résistance, though, came as in the form of an unexpected overhead fly-by courtesy of Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale Frecce Tricolori, the Italian air force’s superbly able acrobatic demonstration wing. Flying in tight formation, nine fighter planes soared past the Palazzo Ducale and over the Venice lagoon, painting the sky entirely in Italy’s unmistakable green, white and red. It was the first time this legendary aerial team had flown over La Serenissima in 25 years – a perfect opening act.

Once suitably recovered from the spectacle, attendees commenced the wining and dining portion of the evening in the expansive Sala del Maggior Consiglio, the original meeting hall of the Grand Council of Venice. It was the first such gathering in this august venue since the last Doge passed away in the late 18th century. Surrounded by a veritable treasure trove of Italian art, most notably Il Paradiso by Tintoretto – the world’s largest canvas painting – and Triumph of Venice crowned by victory by Paolo Veronese, guests enjoyed culinary delights and musical performances late into the night.

After a well-deserved rest, Ferretti Yachts launched head-long into the second day’s itinerary at the historic Arsenale di Venezia complex. First constructed in 1104, this network of shipyards and armouries seeded the rise of Venice as a major regional naval and economic power. During its heyday, the complex churned out one entire ship per day, all without any leg-up from modern-day technology, electricity or machinery.

These days, however, the Arsenale is usually strictly off-limits to the public, but thankfully, the Italian navy in this case deigned to loosen this restriction over the weekend especially for Ferretti Yachts’ 50th anniversary. Visitors were invited to partake in a tour of the historic venue, engage in a host of fun-filled activities and explore upcoming products from the yacht manufacturer’s brand partners along the marina, including a first look at Maserati’s latest cars and Emirates’ new First Class Suite on the Airbus A380 airplane.

But without a doubt the biggest attraction was centred at the Darsena Nuovissima – the Arsenale’s central docking area. Berthed here and making its international debut was the Ferretti 670, the first-ever flybridge whose exteriors and interiors were designed entirely by Ferretti Group, with the help of renowned Italian architect Filippo Salvetti.

Boasting a roomy 25 square metres of space including a capacious front bow area, the 670 features a sumptuous master bedroom along with a well-appointed study, with potential owners free to customise its exact specifications according to their own needs.

Alongside this debuting model, moored like so many ducks in a line, were 10 additional specimens of the marque’s luxury fleet, ranging from the more down-to-earth 45-foot 450 to another all-new introduction – the 95-foot, four-bedroom 920, a true statement piece for today’s well-heeled millionaire.

After touring the various ships, lunch – a well-curated sampling of the finest modern Italian cuisine – was served at Terrazzo Danieli. The high-end eatery occupies an open patio within Hotel Danieli, A Luxury Collection Hotel – the partner hotel for the event, and one of the city’s landmark accommodations. Cinephiles may well recognise this establishment as it’s something of a Hollywood icon in its own right.

The unambiguously charismatic venue, which encompasses three historic palazzos including the 14th century Palazzo Dandolo, has been the set for such notable silver screen outings as James Bond’s 1979 adventure, Moonraker, Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr’s 1994 rom-com, Only You, and more recently, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie’s adventure/thriller, The Tourist.

Suitably satiated, there was nothing more to do but wait for the final chapter of the day. And finally, as dusk fell once more, the grand finale of Ferretti’s 50th birthday bash got underway as guests returned to the Venice Arsenale. The ancient Byzantine architecture of the iconic establishment was given a completely 21st century make-over, with strobe lights, an impressive sound system and a fully kitted stage awaiting the 200-plus attendees.

Catered to by none other than that most acclaimed of Italian eateries, Cipriani, guests enjoyed a tasting menu that showcased the very best of Tricolori cuisine. Capping of the night was a performance by Umberto Tozzi, one of the nation’s most famous singers. He took to the stage and performed renditions of his greatest musical numbers, including his 1979 hit Gloria, drawing Ferretti’s 50th festivities to a close on the highest of notes.

Ferretti Yachts’ 50th anniversary proceedings against the picturesque backdrop of Venezia were, in a word, epic. The weekend-long celebrations of its golden jubilee, not only paid homage in spectacular style to its Italian heritage, it also afforded the yacht-maker an opportunity to ably demonstrate its ability to deliver flawless luxury experience with absolutely no boundaries – both in hosting an exclusively extravagant party and in the delivery of its achingly beautiful, super-luxury yachts.

Text: Tenzing Thondup