The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed boat used in Venice. It is designed to move easily through the shallow waters of the Venetian lagoon. A gondolier, or boat driver, uses a long oar to row the boat. The oar is not attached to the boat’s body and is used both to move the boat forward and to steer it. The gondola is not symmetrical, meaning one side is shaped differently from the other. This design helps the gondolier row more efficiently with a single oar.

For many years, gondolas were the main way people traveled in Venice. They were the most common type of boat in the city. Today, gondolas still help move people across the Grand Canal as small ferries, operated by two oarsmen.

Gondolas are also used in special boat races called regattas. However, their main purpose now is to give tourists rides for a set price. There are about 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice, and a similar number of gondolas. This is much fewer than the thousands of gondolas that once traveled Venice’s canals. Today’s gondolas are carefully made by skilled craftspeople, unlike the many homemade boats of the past.

History and usage

The gondola is moved by a person called a gondolier. The gondolier stands at the back of the boat, facing forward, and uses a special oar to row. The oar is placed in a carved wooden rest called a forcola, which is attached to the side of the boat. This rest allows the gondolier to pull the boat forward and then slightly push it back to keep it moving straight. Because the gondola has a flat bottom, it can also move sideways when needed. Unlike some other boats, gondolas are not pushed with poles in Venice because the water is too deep.

Until the early 1900s, many gondolas had a small cabin called a felze. This cabin protected passengers from rain or curious onlookers. The windows of the felze could be closed with louvered shutters, which are known as "Venetian blinds." Later, the felze was removed, possibly because tourists wanted to see the city better. For a time, gondolas had a summer awning called a tendalin, which can still be seen in old photos and films from the 1950s.

A law in Venice required gondolas to be painted black, and they are still painted this color today. Gondolas have been used in Venice since the 11th century, with the first written mention in 1094. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were about 8,000 to 10,000 gondolas, but now only about 400 are in use. Most of these are rented to tourists, while a few are owned by Venetians for special events or races.

In the past, gondolas were not the only type of boat in Venice. Old maps show many other boats, such as batellas and caorlinas, were common. Today, only a few batellas remain, and caorlinas are used for racing.

Historically, gondolas looked different from modern ones. Paintings by artists like Canaletto show gondolas with lower fronts, taller "ferros" (ornaments on the bow), and two rowers. The modern banana-shaped gondola was designed in the 19th century by a boatbuilder named Tramontin. His family still runs the Tramontin boatyard. Changes to gondolas stopped in the mid-20th century when the city government banned further modifications.

In the 1500s, about 10,000 gondolas of all types existed in Venice. By 1878, this number had dropped to 4,000, and today there are about 400. The origin of the word "gondola" is unknown, despite many theories.

Modern gondolas are up to 11 meters long and 1.6 meters wide. They weigh about 350 kilograms and are made from 280 handcrafted pieces of eight types of wood. Building a gondola takes about two months, and in 2013, it cost about 38,000 euros. The oar is held in a special oarlock called a forcola, which allows the gondolier to perform many movements, such as turning or stopping. The front of the gondola has an ornament called a fèrro, made of brass, stainless steel, or aluminum. This ornament balances the weight of the gondolier at the back.

Some people believe that every part of the gondola has symbolic meaning, but these ideas are not proven. For example, the "ferro da prorà" (a part of the fèrro) is said to balance the gondolier and symbolize the twists of the Grand Canal. Other parts are claimed to represent Venice’s districts or landmarks, but these symbols were not mentioned in old writings about gondolas.

The gondola is also used in ceremonies and races called regattas, where gondoliers compete using a special rowing style called Voga alla Veneta.

Gondolieri

During their most popular time as a public transportation method, groups of four men shared ownership of a gondola. Three of them were oarsmen (called gondoliers), and the fourth person worked on land, managing bookings and administrative tasks (known as Il Rosso Riserva).

As gondolas became more of a tourist attraction than a way to travel, nearly all of these groups and their offices have closed. Today, the category is protected by the Institution for the Protection and Conservation of Gondolas and Gondoliers, which is located in Venice’s historical center.

The job of a gondolier is managed by a guild. This group gives licenses to a limited number of people (about 400). To earn a license, individuals must complete training (400 hours over six months), an apprenticeship, and pass a major exam. The exam tests knowledge of Venetian history and landmarks, foreign language skills, and the ability to handle a gondola. These skills are needed to navigate the narrow canals of Venice. Gondoliers wear a blue or red striped shirt, a red neckerchief, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and dark pants. A gondolier can earn up to US$150,000 per year.

In August 2010, Giorgia Boscolo became Venice’s first fully licensed female gondolier.

Outside of Venice

The Comitato Internationale di Voga Veneta (CIVV) is an organization that connects about a dozen rowing clubs in Europe and the United States. These clubs offer Venetian-style rowing as a recreational activity. Member clubs row on the Main River in Germany, the Thames in Oxford, the Erdre and Seine rivers in France, and through the canals of Amsterdam. CIVV holds an annual regatta, which is usually raced in a sandalo or a mascaretta.

In the United States, gondolas are used as tourist attractions in about six cities, including New Orleans, the Charles River in Boston, Stillwater, Minnesota, New York's Central Park, the Providence River in Rhode Island, and several locations in California. The U.S. Gondola Nationals competition has taken place every year since 2011. This event includes American gondoliers competing in sprint and slalom races.

References in literature and history

Mark Twain traveled to Venice during the summer of 1867. In chapter 23 of his book The Innocents Abroad, he described the unique sights of city life, including gondolas and the people who row them, called gondoliers.

The first part of the two-act comic operetta The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan takes place in Venice. The main characters and the male chorus in the operetta are gondoliers, even though the political themes in the story are more closely related to British society than to Venice.