That the gondola is Venice’s most important watercraft is a given . . . there cannot be one without the other. This boat has evolved over 1000 years to its present sleek, asymmetrical form. This unique design allows just one oarsman, standing upright, to navigate using a single oar. While there were thousands of gondolas in Venice in the 1600s, with the advent of motorized boats and the reduction of Venice’s population today that number has dwindled to 350. But how are they made, and where?
The construction of a gondola follows a strict and traditional procedure. For example, they are painted black as a result of a 16th century sumptuary law which aimed at restraining extravagance and luxury. The building process is so long that a gondola can take up to 1½ months to build, incorporating the use of seven different kinds of wood. Embellishments and the painting of the boat are the work of further artisans.
As for boatyards still producing gondolas, there are only three left. Such a boatyard is called a squero, the picturesque Squero di San Trovaso (pictured here) being the oldest. It is easy to find, not far from the Accademia and next to the San Trovaso church. It is distinguished by its geranium bedecked windows and low wooden Tyrolean buildings, most out of place in Venice. So why this style from the Alps? Much of the wood used in a gondola, and the carpenters too, come from Cadore, in the Dolomites. View it from across the canal, where great photos can be taken, but don’t try to enter the shipyard itself: it is – almost – impossible!
– Contributed by Patricia Glee Smith (see bio), accomplished artist and very involved archaeology aficionado based in Otricoli, Umbria. Click here to view her artwork.
