Gondola

This article is about a means of water transport. For other meanings, see Gondola (disambiguation).
"Gondolier" redirects here. For other uses, see Gondolier (disambiguation).
A black-and-white photo of what appears to be a cool, gray day. Four people, indistinct, sit in the middle of a long, thin boat, the gondola, moving to the right. High on the stern (left) stands a man with both hands on a long oar, which disappears into the water to his rear and slightly to his right. In the distant background, across the calm water, the buildings of Venice can be made out, standing in the mist.
A gondola ride

The gondola (English: /ˈɡɒndələ/, Italian: [ˈɡondola]; Venetian: góndoła, Venetian: [ˈɡoŋdoɰa]) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, in a sculling manner, and also acts as the rudder.[1] The uniqueness of the gondola includes its being asymmetrical along the length, making the single-oar propulsion more efficient.

For centuries, the gondola was a major means of transportation and the most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times, the boats still do have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (small ferries) over the Grand Canal operated by two oarsmen.[2]

Various types of gondola boats are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held amongst gondoliers. Their primary role today, however, is to carry tourists on rides at fixed rates.[3] There are approximately 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice and a similar number of boats, down from the thousands that travelled the canals centuries ago.[4] However, they are now elegantly crafted, as opposed to the various types of homemade boats of the past.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Le barche". Città di Venezia. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  2. ^ Hanley, Anne (25 June 2020). "The best things to do in Venice". The Telegraph.
  3. ^ "The Gondola, its history and useness". gondolavenezia.it.
  4. ^ Openshaw, Gene. "The Gondolas of Venice — Rick Steves' Europe". www.ricksteves.com.
  5. ^ "Italy, France, Belgium & Netherlands in 2017 - International Travel News". www.intltravelnews.com.
  6. ^ Beltramello, Barbara (11 May 2017). "The Gondola Maker – Hakai Magazine".