We cannot imagine Venice without black, elongated gondolas. Some would add pigeons and the extremely lively St. Mark's Square, which Napoleon once called the Salon of Europe. But gondolas, which most of us don't know much about, are a symbol of the city on the water. Do you know their history?
They operate the elegant black boats gondoliers in white and blue t-shirts, which sometimes also serve us some Italian tunes, while we sit comfortably in cushioned benches and catch our breath at the sight of Venetian palaces. Has it always been this way?
Historians are not unanimous about the date of origin of gondolas, but the first records of them date back to year 1094. At the time, these boats were much larger, had a higher bow, a lower stern and usually two oarsmen. Less than half a century later, gondolas got covered cabins in which rich Venetians were transported, who competed with each other to decorate their gondola with more gold and colors. A not long after, the Venetian senate passed a decree that all gondolas must be black, as their behavior with wealth seemed inappropriate. Well, of course, the richest ones preferred to pay fines rather than follow the law.
Gondolas have continued to change shape and size over the years, decades and centuries. They got their 'banana' shape in the 19th century, and a hundred years later they are the city authorities definitively prohibited any changese. Today, gondolas with the exception of various metal decorations on the stern and bow and various types of goods they do not distinguish between each other. They weigh 700 kilograms, they measure bad in length 11 meters, in width 1.40 meters and they have one side for 24 centimeters longer than the other. The asymmetry helps the gondolier to maneuver through the Venetian canals significantly easier.
Of course, the Venetians no longer use the gondolas for trade, so their symbol lives on only from the unique experience of eager tourists.
More information:
gondolaromantica.com
