The gondola, a symbol of Venice

Imagine you are in Venice, Italy and see a sliver of the moon resting on the water. Suddenly you focus on the image and realize that the crescent moon is nothing more than the gondola, a symbol of Venice. A gondola that is thin, elegant, asymmetrical and glides silently along the canals, as if on a silk surface.

Experiencing a gondola ride is one of the first things to do in Venice, to live Venice like a local. Thus, you can book a Private Rialto Bridge Gondola Ride, departing from San Marco, with a tour of the canals and passage under the famous Rialto bridge.

The icon of the lagoon city, represented and photographed in a thousand ways, is evoked in all romantic stories. The gondola is not only the boat that has accompanied the movements of locals and tourists for several centuries. It is also a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a miracle of technology, and a complex of different skills.

Gondolas are traditional boats used for transportation in the city of Venice. They are long and narrow, typically around 11 meters long and weigh around 600 kg. They have a characteristic shape, with a flat bottom that allows them to navigate the shallow waters of the canals, and a high bow and stern that give them a slender appearance. The boats are constructed of wood and are traditionally painted black, with gold leaf ornamentation.

The gondolas are propelled by a single rower, called a gondolier, who sits at the stern of the boat and uses a long oar to navigate the canals. The gondolier is also your guide, pointing out points of interest and offering commentary on the city's history and landmarks.

Gondolas have been used in Venice for centuries and remain an important part of the city's cultural heritage. Today they are mainly used for tourism, offering visitors a unique way to experience the city's canals and architecture. However, gondolas are also used for weddings, funerals and other special events.

The gondola in history

Not much is known about the most famous boat in the world. Or at least there is still much to discover. Not even the etymology of the word is certain, even if the name "gundula" appears for the first time in a document dated 1094. Despite these uncertainties, the presence of the gondola in Venice has been a reality witnessed for centuries in hundreds of paintings, already from the end of the '400 in illustrations by famous artists. Even at that time, the gondola was black. The black colour depends mostly on the use of pitch, used to waterproof boats. In previous periods the gondolas had had bright colours and decorations, but it seems that a law of the Venetian Senate of 1584 established greater sobriety, especially in the colours. Upon the fall of the Serenissima Republic at the hands of Napoleon, in May 1797, the gondola was transformed from a boat that represented prestige and nobility and became a means of transport for hire.

The construction of a gondola

Made of 280 different pieces, with various essences of wood (oak, larch, fir, linden, elm, walnut, mahogany, cherry and a little dogwood), each piece has a precise structural or ornamental function. The construction of a gondola takes on average over a year of work and is done in the "squeri", small shipyards, made up of a low shed and an open space with a slide onto the water. The squero somehow recalls the houses of the surrounding mountains, in particular of Cadore, and looks very much like a wooden chalet, perhaps to remember the origin of the timber and the families of the woodworkers. One of the most special places in Dorsoduro is the Squero di San Trovaso, where traditional boats are built and repaired.

Visiting the squero is a unique experience, and it is possible to book a Historical Gondola Yard Private Tour, with a visit to the shipyard and a professional guide, to discover all the secrets of a gondola.

In the squero the hull comes to life, under the hands of the shipwrights, with its bizarre shape, and the different parts made by expert hands are assembled. Some take care of the hull, some of the oar, some of the forcola, decorations and accessories. Today all the workers who contribute to the creation of a gondola are gathered in an association which protects and promotes knowledge of craft traditions. Among these, there are still the gold beaters, who beat the 24-karat gold leaf by hand, to cover the wooden decorations of the gondola.

Despite the considerable length, the gondola is extremely easy to handle, thanks to the flat bottom and the reduced portion of the hull immersed, and remains the ideal vessel for moving in the narrow spaces of the Venetian canals. There is still a certain risk of accidents when turning into the narrowest canals, which is why the gondoliers let out small cries (òhe!), which are now part of the sounds of the most romantic city in the world.

The craft of the gondolier

With the classic striped shirt and straw hat, the gondoliers are part of the city iconography and are, in the collective imagination, skilled seducers, capable of enchanting tourists of all nationalities with their stories and their movements. In short, the gondoliers are such a consolidated image of Venice that they are even the subject of a calendar for sale in the city's souvenir shops and newsstands. Furthermore, the gondoliers are all men, due to an ancient tradition.

If you want to continue experiencing Venice like a local, I suggest a tour of the bacari, typical Venetian taverns where you can drink wine or the classic spritz, accompanied by “cicchetti”, small snacks of the Venetian culinary tradition. There are many in Venice, characterized by the rustic decor and a homely atmosphere. Book a Walking Tour with Local Food & Wine Tasting, and your Venetian experience will be truly authentic! You will thus have discovered all the secrets of the gondola, a symbol of Venice, and tasted authentic Venetian flavours. Enjoy!