The most famous boat in the world, featured in romantic novels and movies, has a long history which makes it all the more special.
A gondola is a type of boat that originated in Venice. It was a type of twin-oared boat but had to be altered so it could not squeeze through the canals. This made the asymmetry in design necessary, which also affected their engineering and control techniques.
No traveler in the world has not fallen victim to their charm: the magic of Venetian gondolas with their characteristic silhouette, which is instigated by the wind, walking between Venice’s small waterways – that’s really something you cannot forget.
The most common public transport in Venice is the gondola, and it is famous for being the oldest symbol of Venice. When it first started out, it was only used by wealthy people as a “horse-drawn carriage” in other cities.
Gondolas might not be as common as they once were but they make for an excellent tourist attraction. Riding one along the Grand Canal is a gondolier’s dream and many tourists enjoy that experience.
The world-famous Venetian cabs are the object of everyone’s admiration due to their charm and sinuous shapes. The appearance of gondolas in Venice, Italy has changed a lot over time. Originally developed centuries ago, the ancient version of “gondolas” was not the same as those we associate with Venice today. So, in the paintings from Venetian artists of the 15th-16th centuries, gondolas are depicted as shorter and wider and less elongated boats. They were also shown to be not asymmetrical.
The gondola is a historical means of transportation that also serves today to entertain many tourists. In the last years of Venice’s republic, there were about 10,000 gondolas.
Today, the 500 gondolas in Venice’s canals look almost identical to how they looked about 200 years ago and retain the same characteristics that tourists from back then would recognize too.
While it may seem like the symbols of Venice are built on a need-to-know basis, the truth is that these symbols are passed down through “squeri”. You’ll find many ship docks here. Once upon a time, gondola building sites were popular and many of these sites mirrored the importance of the business using the word “squara” which translates to team.
Until now, there are only 5 docks in Venice and they are located in different parts of the city. Interesting fact is that they still work without any project documentation – everything relies on personal experience. It’s for this reason that the job of nacelle designer requires a lengthy apprenticeship that can only be undertaken after the requisite exam has been passed.
Each boat takes a number of months to build and 500 hours of work, on average. To maintain the current fleet size, which is 500 boats, craftsmen must construct about 20-30 boats per year.
Historically, only men have traditionally been Gondoliers but in 2009 the first woman received her license. This is a difficult profession that requires endurance and great skill which is passed down from generation to generation.
The maximum occupancy of the gondola is six people – it should never carry more than this number.
However, even if the boat is empty, the gondolier has to apply the same amount of force in order to get from point A to point B. This is due to the boat’s design and not due to rowing.
The shape of the boat is asymmetric allowing the rower-gondolier to use one oar, which is on the side of a line dividing the boat along halves. The gondolier stands on the boat and steers it while looking ahead in the direction of travel.
There is no rowing involved when you take a gondola ride. The gondolier uses the oar to make certain movements along a special trajectory. Gondoliers are able to switch the oar from one mode to another and they leave the boat at night (because it’s safer) much like car owners take their battery home. Firstly, it’s difficult to steal a gondola without a fork, and secondly, the cost is affordable by itself! The production of the part only lasts for three days-a week.
Every year on the first Sunday of September, the Historical Regatta is held in Venice. Before the competition, a gondola parade is also organised. It’s followed by a gondolier competition. The race is this distance each island or region wants to place their boats in the competition.
The price is set by the gondoliers’ union and can’t be changed. Considering the boat is expensive, it’s made for each individual gondolier and its size must be strictly regulated, manual labor for transportation on top of that would make things even more expensive. However, there is a loophole. You can save money on getting from A to B by getting a taxi. Six people can get picked up with the same cost as it would be for one person with a taxi. So if you’re going to be around for at least an hour (could be longer!), why not rent a boat and go together? Definitely, it is not something you want to go through alone. But in this situation it’s a choice between your own personal feelings or business/economic standpoint. If you observe as I did, a more elaborate company for the job can be more preferable because the price per trip is cheaper and that could be just what makes the difference when your business needs reliable partners.
There is another way to ride a gondola—a traghetto. They are the most budget-friendly option and they can be found across the Grand Canal where bridges would otherwise be too far. Traghetto boats are a common part of Venice’s public transportation system and are often the only option for people in need of transport. They even provide a more authentic experience for travelers and locals alike, as rafts and gondola usually just serve as tourist attractions nowadays.
The Venetian gondola has been a constant symbol of this Italian city on the water for decades. Unique boats that resemble Turkish gülets or Arabian dhows are not found anywhere. You can find the same for Italian gondolas. And their design and construction has been retained through centuries of use, so it’s not surprising if you sometimes need to deal with regular maintenance issues