Venice is synonymous with its gondolas. These uniquely elegant and romantic black boats have a fascinating history, as do their gondoliers—the men (and now one woman I’m pleased to say - she’s called Giorgia Boscolo) who have rowed the gondolas for centuries.
Gondolas on the Grand Canal at the Rialto Bridge
The world of Venice’s gondolas is one of deep tradition, that has changed little within our ever changing world, yet it still manages to preserve a timeless charm and elegance that helps to make Venice the fantastic place that it it is.
Sunrise over the lagoon
Up until recently I thought that a gondola ride were simply an expensive tourist trap that was rated and out dated but I am pleased to say that I have seen the light now, after spending the time to read a bit more that has let me understand how they fit into the landscape. As a result, I hope to be able to convey some of the gondola’s history, charm and style that makes it one of those experiences that is truly unique.
Waves lapping at the taxi rank
The Gondola: A Vessel of Tradition
Let’s talk about the gondola itself. At first glance, it may seem like just a strange boat, designed to catch a tourist’s eye, but they have a design that is both artistic and immensely practical. Designed to navigate the shallow, winding canals of Venice, they’ve been around for over a thousand years, and despite the changes in technology and transportation, the design has remained largely unchanged through the centuries.
Showing some of the intricate details that make each gonola unique
They’re all wood - no fibreglass in sight. They take 6 months to build from scratch (2 months for the structure and 4 months for the painting) and are comprised of eight different woods.
- Elm (frame)
- Oak (sides)
- Mahogany (top)
- Pine (bottom)
- Linden (front & back)
- Larch (footrest)
- Cherry & walnut (for decoration)
If you want to see one being built - there are very few options - but if you are interested. Drop me a note and I will give you some info to possibly get a contact for an inside track.
The stern of the gondola is custom made to cater for the weight of the gondolier who will stand at the back of the boat that ALWAYS measures 11.1m in length. This also means that there needs to be a counterweight at the front of the see-saw (sorry - boat) so have you ever wondered why the gondola has a heavy metal prow - yup - you’ve guessed it, it’s all about being a balance for the gondolier’s weight at the back of the boat…!
Showing the forcula and also why the port ide is higher than the starboard - the gondolier's weight
Gondolas are asymmetrical - the port side being 9 inches wider (and slightly higher) than the starboard side.
Each gondolier also has a made to measure “oar lock” or forcula. In truth it’s not a “lock”, it is multi-function device because the oar needs to be placed in different positions depending on what direction or stroke is required. It’s unique, made to measure and therefore expensive to make and so when a gondolier ties up his (or her) boat at night - the forcula is taken home for security, as it’s a once in a lifetime build for the gondolier and takes into account the user’s height / weight / oar stroke power etc.
Tied up at night
The front part of a gondola is called a fero - it’s one of only two pieces of metal in the boat. It’s lines are quintessentially stylish - as we would expect from an Italian design. (OK I know that Italy has only been a country since 1861 and gondolas were about for hundreds of years before that, but gimme some artistic licence please?)
The top bit is shaped to resemble the Doge’s hat (the Doge was the elected leader of Venice) - so imagine a cardinal’s hat. The semicircular hole below represents the Venetian lagoon, whilst the six rectangles facing forward stand for the six sestiere (areas) of Venice ie San Marco, San Polo, Santa Croce, Castello, Cannaregio and Dorsoduro. One rectangle also points backward - representing Giudecca (another island in the lagoon) and the S-shaped swooping curve of the length of the fero represents the Grand Canal, whilst the three ornate items between the forward facing rectangles are representative of the islands Murano, Burano and Torcello.
See the detail become more meaningful with the fero's symbolism
Gondolae used to be painted in family colours, but in the 1500’s, a law was passed to make them all black. A shame, in my view!
A gondola will last about 40 years but will have had the bottom of the boat changed three times - approximately 10 yearly……
The Gondolier: Venice’s River Navigators
There's something uniquely grand about a gondola ride!
The gondola is a symbol of the gondolier who guides it and these gondoliers have been part of Venice’s fabric for centuries, serving as both the transporters and the storytellers of the city. Today, there are around 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice, and each one is required to undergo a training and apprenticeship which some enthusiastically equate to “the knowledge” of London cabbies, but I’m inclined to think that the London guys have a more difficult job with the navigation.
Having said that, the gondoliers do have 12-18 months of schooling, which includes the learning of languages, local history and passing swimming tests - so I feel this claws back a little bit of respect from their London counterparts (how many cabbies are polyglots?)….
... and this is why the Gondoliers call out as they approach a bend in the canal!
Becoming a gondolier is no easy feat—it’s a demanding job that requires physical skill, deep knowledge of the canals, and a healthy dose of chat, not to mention a willingness to take on a pretty big loan for the gondola, (although I suspect that this is pretty well catered for by the €90-120 price of each ride - an expensive flat rate). There’s a waiting list to get on the water too - no retirements in a year means no new gondoliers.
When the gondolas were regulated black in the 1500’s, so was the gondolieri’s uniform and this stayed the same till after WW2. Now they have the instantly recognisable uniform of black trousers, striped shirt and straw hat with a black or white jacket.
Fancy a gondola ride at sunset on the Grand Canal with all that evening traffic - not for me !
There is a shop, Emilio Ceccato, (Just next to the Rialto) that sells authentic gondolier shirts (Campo San Polo 16/17) and by purchasing the authentic option, you are helping to safeguard the gondola industry. Sustaining the economy in Venice is massively important. At some point in time I will write about this, but in the meantime, please promise you will not go to Venice on a cruise. That’s a blog post on it’s own. We need to Save Venice.
Back in the day, gondoliers were highly respected, and their status could even bring them some fame. Today, while the role is still respected, the job is more tourist related. The job of a gondolier is less about being a social figure and more about providing an iconic experience for tourists looking for that quintessential Venetian ride.
However, if you can’t (or don’t want to) afford the €90+ fare, just remember that there are limited bridges across the Grand Canal - so look out for the Traghetti - which are essentially big gondolas with the exclusive job of traversing the canal. It costs more for tourists (€2) to use than the locals (€0.70), and you can always tell the locals - they stand on the boat (a big gondola) whilst crossing - the tourists sit! Don’t moan too much about the price discrepancy, the locals need to get about town on their daily business and the tourist fare helps to maintain the service that is stressed greatly by foreigners!
Top tips for a gondola ride….
Don’t insist on a gondola trip to take you under the Bridge of Sighs as the “sigh” thing is nothing to do with romanticism anyway, the sighs were sighs of despair from the prisoners walking over the bridge from the court in the palace into the prison - which offered little other then misery, cold, overcrowing, disease and darkness! (The diseases recorded here were highly influential in providing medical education for the medical teaching in Europe - pathology not for the feint hearted!)
Palace LHS - Prison RHS - it's obvious now perhaps & nothing romantic about the cells that's for sure!
Avoid the cruise ship area (Piazza San Marco) - beautiful as it is, because the gondoliers here have to put up with selfie wielding, self obsessed individuals who are often rude and demanding and on a tight cruise schedule (this is also where there are gondola-jams too). The gondoliers will not be able to tell you apart from the less pleasant clients, so don’t expect much in the way of banter from them.
Pretty - but lots of selfie wielding cruise passengers, traffic jams & bumpy rides on the open lagoon
Be aware that on the Grand Canal, you are in competition with a lot of things that are bigger, wider and definitely faster than your 11.1m of gondola....!
See the gondola (bottom left) avoiding the faster, bigger traffic...?
Go to the quiet places - you’ll get more talking and a better atmosphere. Compare a car drive in the countryside to rush hour city driving - imagine the “gondoliering” equivalent….
That's more like it...!
Daytime cost is the same anywhere at €90 during the day and then €120 at nighttime. This doesn’t include a tip.
Make it an event of the day - it’s going to cost, but consider just a couple of you doing it in style, rather than trying to cram loads of travellers into the same boat to reduce the price.
As well as the gondolieri clothes noted above, Consider visiting one of the four remaining forcula workshops in the city for a bit of authentic Venice - here’s the links:
Chat away to your gondolier, he will be a font of knowledge for the local area and you’ll learn loads about the real Venice.
"Taxi Rank"
So next time you’re in Venice, take a moment to appreciate the gondolas and their gondoliers. They’re symbols of a city that has lived through centuries of change, yet help it to continue to sail forward, one oar stroke at a time.
Tied up for the night
So this is my last post for now about La Serenissima (Venice’s stylish and suitably romantic name of old). We’ll go onto somewhere else in the world for my next post, I reckon.
I'm excited to share some more places with you in the months to come, some will be familiar and some perhaps less so. So here's till next time.... Oh and by the way - all but one of these images were iPhone photos.
All the best,
Colin
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