Gondola color. Gondolas - Venetian Taxi

22.04.2020

The most famous and romantic water transport in the world boasts a long history and unique features that make it even more special.

There is not a single traveler in the world who has not fallen victim to their charms: the magic of the Venetian gondolas, with their characteristic silhouette, spurred on by the wind, walking between the canals of the city of love and romance, is undeniable.

These boats are one of the most important elements of all Venetian scenes, a real talk of the tongue, but do not think that you know much about them. The imperishable symbol of the Serenissima has many secrets, which we are in a hurry to tell you about right now.

So here are the most Interesting Facts about Venetian gondolas, the most romantic and bewitching boats on the planet.

Traditions

Their irresistible charm and admiration that their sinuous forms evoke are known to the whole world: every tourist who gets into dreams of riding a gondola at least once in his life. However, the characteristic appearance gondolas were not always inherent in them. In fact, the Venetian gondolas appeared many centuries ago and their appearance, as documented by numerous documentary evidence, has undergone numerous changes over the centuries. Thus, in the paintings of Venetian artists of the 15th-16th centuries, gondolas are depicted as shorter, wider and less elongated boats, and, above all, not asymmetrical.

Gentile Bellini "Miracolo della Croce caduta nel canale di San Lorenzo". This is what gondolas looked like at the beginning of the 16th century. Photo wikipedia.it

Today, the 500 examples that plow the waters of the canals of Venice retain the same characteristics familiar to tourists that appeared in their design about 200 years ago.

It should be noted that even today the symbols of Venice are built using a complex technology that is passed down from generation to generation in "squeri", ship docks. Once upon a time, the gondola building sites, which take their name from the word "squara" (la squadra, team), were numerous and all faced the Grand Canal, reflecting the importance of the business.

To date, there are only five docks in Venice and they are located in different parts of the city. The interesting thing is that they all still work without drawing up drawings, relying only on personal experience. It is for this reason that the job of "squerarolo" (nacelle designer) requires a long apprenticeship of at least 36 months and only after passing the exam can the apprentice take on this delicate activity.

Venetian dock "squero"

Each gondola, in fact, requires several months of construction and about 500 hours of work, and given that the average life of a boat is about twenty years, in order to maintain the current fleet of 500 elements, craftsmen must build about 20-30 gondolas every year.

Specifications

Each "Squero" consists of a piazza with access to the water for boats, surrounded by a fence on two sides, and a little further a wooden building called "tesa", which is used as a storage for tools and for protection from the weather. Directly on the dock used to be the home of the chief "squerarolo" or workshop owner.

The gondolas, which are produced in the Squero, are about 11 meters long and weigh about 600 kilograms. Each of the boats has a characteristic asymmetry between the right and left sides (more than 20 centimeters), and a flat bottom, which allows navigation even in very shallow water. The nacelle consists of 280 parts and has a black wood body due to the treatment with resin-based waterproofing material. In the manufacture of gondolas, craftsmen use eight types of wood - oak, spruce, elm, cherry, larch, walnut, linden and mahogany.

This is how a gondola is born

Despite the similarity of the gondolas, each one is unique because it is made to fit the gondolier who will drive it. In particular, for the construction of the boat, the craftsmen take into account not only the height and weight of the gondolier in order to balance the boat, but also whether the gondolier is right-handed or left-handed.

There is a place for symbolism in the design of gondolas. So, the form of "ferro", an iron tip that protects the bow of the boat and serves as a determinant of the height of the bridge and the possibility of a gondola passing under it, contains six ledges, symbolizing the six districts of the city, they are sometimes joined by three friezes, symbolizing the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. On the other side is fixed the tip "risso di poppa", which symbolizes the island of Giudecca.

The gondola is equipped with only one oar, which was caused by the narrowness of the canals, where wide boats could not pass each other. The only oar is fixed in the "forcola", a paddle lock that has a very complex shape. Indeed, the "forcola" allows the gondolier to slowly move forward and backward, quickly row forward, turn the boat around and perform other important maneuvers.

Gondoliers

Historically, being a gondolier is a priority for men, but in 2009 the first woman in history received a license to drive a gondola. This is a rather difficult profession that requires endurance and great skill. Gondoliers are inherited: skills are passed from father to son.

The maximum number of passengers who can ride the gondola at the same time is six.

However, even if the boat is empty, due to its design, the gondolier is actually applying the same amount of force when rowing.

Where are gondolas built?

If a few centuries ago it was full of docks, today there are only five of them. These are the two historic docks of San Trovaso - the oldest - located on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro quarter, and Tramontin in Ognisanti. They were joined by the relatively recently opened Squero Bonaldi, located next to the dock of Tramontin, Crea and Costantini - De Rossi in Giudecca.

Addresses

To learn about the history of shipping and shipbuilding in the beautiful Repubblica Marinara, head to the Arsenale di Venezia, ancient complex shipyards and workshops. Today, the complex is open to visitors in various areas (some of them can be visited freely, others on request and with a guided tour) and belongs partly to the city and partly to the Italian Navy.

Venice - the eternal city of romance! For many centuries in a row, he is predicted to be completely flooded, but he, like a phoenix bird, resurrects from the water, leaving multiple "scars" on his body from experienced floods.

When I hear the word "Venice", a romantic picture is drawn in my imagination - evening, a narrow canal, a couple in love in a gondola, to which the gondolier sings a song, slowly floating along the houses that grow out of the water and are connected by bridges.

If you ask a gondolier about the history of the gondola, he will tell you a beautiful legend about a young boy and girl who wandered the streets of Venice all day long in search of a secluded place, but could not find it. And when it got dark, the moon took pity on the lovers, descended from the sky directly into the waters of the canal in the form of a shining gondola, where they enjoyed each other's company all night.

Once the profession of a gondolier was seasonal, from May to September. The rest of the time, the gondoliers were engaged in other crafts. Now, with the influx of tourists, it is in demand all year round.

The Venetian gondolier is not a job or a profession, it is a vocation and an art!

Back in the 17th century, Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy, a stolnik from Russia, who visited the Venetian Republic, described the situation in the city as follows:

"There are no livestock on the territory of Venice, there are no carriages, no loaded carts, no horses, no luxurious carriages with coats of arms in the city. The Venetians do not even know what a sleigh is."

The narrow streets of Venice, located between the canals, are so unpredictable and cramped that it is difficult for riders to drive through them, because of this, back in the 16th century, the use of horses in the city was strictly prohibited by the Venetian authorities, residents of the city on the water could only use water transport for movement .

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Initially, the word "gondola" was used to refer to absolutely any boat, regardless of its size or shape; over the years, the appearance of the gondola has changed significantly. The word "gondola" in the original sounds with an accent on the first syllable. It is believed that the origin of the concept of "gondola" is etymologically connected with the word "gonger", which translates as "sea eel".

The canals of Venice are so narrow that it was difficult for boats with passengers and various goods to pass each other.

Therefore, they tried to make the gondolas as narrow as possible, and to increase their carrying capacity, the length of the boat was maximized. Now the gondola is a narrow, oblong boat of an asymmetric shape, while sliding along the water surface, it moves forward in zigzag movements, and the gondolier, trying to keep the right direction, constantly has to align its position.

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The length of the boat is 11.05 meters, the width is 140 centimeters, the bottom is flat without a keel. The weight of an empty gondola is about 900 pounds (about 400 kilograms). Due to its asymmetric shape, the length of the port side is 24 cm longer than the right side. The hull of the boat has a rounded shape, the bow and stern are raised up to minimize the area of contact with water and set the rower's direction of movement.

In the manufacture of the gondola, nine types of wood are used. After manufacturing, the hull of the boat is covered in several layers with a special black varnish.

The gondola has only one oar, historically this was due to the narrowness of the canals, in which two-oared boats could not disperse. The oar is held in an oar lock called "forcola".

The design of the forkola has a complex shape, allowing several positions of the oar to be implemented:

for slow forward movement, powerful fast rowing, turning and turning the boat, slowing down and rowing back. A special iron knob - "ferro" is installed on the nose of the gondola.

The installation of a ferro serves several purposes: the iron tip protects the bow of the boat; is a counterweight to the gondolier standing at the opposite end; it determines the height of the bridge and the possibility of the passage of the gondola under it. In the form of a ferro, there are six protrusions, symbolizing the six districts of the city, characteristic of 1169, in the other direction, the sign is crossed by the seventh strip, associated with the island of Giudecca, and the rounding itself at the top of this gondola element resembles the hat of the Doge of Venice.

The Venetian Association of Gondoliers monitors the observance of the rules and the purity of traditions. The history of the Association has almost a thousand years - it arose in 1094. It is hard to imagine the city of love and romance without black gondolas)

The maximum number of passengers carried on a gondola is six.

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It is allowed to have a small passenger cabin to shelter passengers from the sun and rain. On the canals, as well as on ordinary streets of modern cities, traffic lights have long been installed. As a rule, they are located above the "crossroads", at the intersection of the Venetian canals, but there are only two colors on the Venetian traffic lights - green and red.

According to tradition, gondoliers rarely look at traffic lights, and before crossings they begin to shout loudly so as not to collide with another boat. Although the gondolas are now mainly for tourists, so their number has drastically reduced, the natives of Venice usually travel by motorboats, which is much faster and cheaper.

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Today in Venice, the number of gondoliers is limited, there are just over 400 of them, and before there were thousands. Licenses for this work can be inherited from father to son, as a result of which it is not easy for a person from outside to get into the number of gondoliers. There are a lot of people who want to become one of the Venetian gondoliers. Becoming a gondolier is not an easy task, it takes a long time to prepare, study and pass many exams, including English language, to know the geography of Venice and of course the practice of driving, maneuvering the gondola through the narrow canals of Venice.

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Traditionally, only men have worked as gondoliers for centuries. 23-year-old Georgia Boscolo became the first certified female gondolier in the history of Venice. Boscolo is a family of a hereditary gondolier, her father, Dante Boscolo, was engaged in this craft.

He still believes that the gondolier is not a female profession, but still proud of his daughter.

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Previously, the gondolas were painted in different colors, but now they are all traditionally black. According to a well-known legend, the elderly Doge of Venice was married to a young beautiful girl, and some time after the wedding, the servants informed him that at night his young wife was visited by a man wrapped in a cloak, swimming to the palace on a black gondola. The old Doge turned out to be beyond his strength to fight the betrayals of his wife, and the introduction of a law that all gondolas in Venice were repainted black allowed the old ruler to partially wash away his shame so that the Venetians would simply cease to recognize the gondola sailing up to his palace.

A gondola ride in Venice is a must on any tourist itinerary and the most romantic way to see the city. The gondola in Venice is both a transport for movement and a symbol of the city.

Design and control technology

When Venice began to be built up with houses, due to the lack of land, the streets turned out to be very narrow, and some houses were designed in such a way that they did not have access to the street at all, but only to the canals. So water transport is a forced necessity already for the 11th century.

In the days of the Venetian Republic, gondolas were almost the only transport plying to any point in the city. Now it is a way of entertaining tourists and a good income for gondoliers. Until now, this profession is inherited, and there is no way to get into gondoliers from the street. Only once in history has a woman been licensed to operate a gondola. This "nonsense" happened in 2009. To get a license to be able to row is not enough. You need to know the following:

foreign language;
city map;
traffic rules and signs;
history of Italy;
complete 9 months of training;
be able to sing.

The gondolier is easily recognizable by his costume: a blue and white striped sweater and a straw hat with ribbons. And they are not required to wear this costume, but they always do.

Until the 18th century, the colors, sizes, designs of boats were different, but then a standard was developed that is valid to this day:

length - 11 meters;
width - 1.4 meters;
weight - 400 kg;
black colour.

There are many stories associated with color. The most romantic - under the cover of night, lovers swam to their ladies of the heart, and in order to keep a secret and remain unrecognized, the gondolas were made inconspicuous against the background of the dark waters of the canals.

The design of the boat is rounded, with the bow and stern pulled up, which makes it easier to control it while moving. The bottom is flat, without a keel. The left side of the vessel is wider than the right side, due to which it constantly lists slightly to one side, but this allows the rower standing on the right side not to pull the oar out of the water.

Traditionally, the gondola is made from 9 tree species: beech, linden, mahogany, oak, walnut, elm, cherry, spruce, larch. Then covered with black lacquer paint. Each boat is 280 parts, three years spent on its manufacture and 45 thousand in European currency.

Now in Venice, only one shipyard is engaged in the manufacture of gondolas to order and their repair.

The narrow Venetian canals are the reason why the boat has only one oar. With two oars, it is simply impossible to swim along them.
The paddle attachment is designed in such a way that it allows you to change the speed of the stroke, make quick maneuvers and move backward. An iron tip is mounted on the nose - ferro. It is designed to protect the tree from splitting in contact with stone jetties. This tip is quite heavy - it serves as a counterweight to the gondolier standing on the opposite side. Its image symbolizes the 6 districts of Venice, so the ferro is made in the form of a comb.

The design is such that the gondolier exerts the same amount of effort both when driving an empty boat and with passengers. The capacity of this type of transport is 6 people. Deviations from the above design are allowed in rare cases, mainly for boats participating in any events.

The gondolier sets the vessel in motion with an oar, but at the same time, he does not make rowing movements, but jerks with a slight rocking of the boat. The paddle moves along a trajectory that resembles something English letter"J".

Many tourists tend to get to Venice on the first Sunday of September, as on this day every year a parade of gondolas and competitions are held.

Today there are 425 gondoliers in Venice and no circumstances can change this number.

Where to get a boat

If you want to ride a gondola, this can be done in any part of Venice. There are especially many boats near shops, hotels, places of interest, that is, where there are most tourists.

But in three places in the city they will be guaranteed:

Rialto bridge;
the island of Murano;
St. Mark's Square.

Parking places can be identified by long wooden piles sticking out of the water. They are called palinas.

To be guaranteed to get on the tour, you can book a trip via the Internet. And in case of bad weather or high tide, when the rowers are not working, the money is returned to the customer with a 100% guarantee. Through the resource, you can order an individual trip or a group trip, choose a route, and then at the appointed time and at the specified place, the gondola will be waiting for customers. If the route is not predetermined, then it is determined by the "captain".

Schedule:

8.00-19.00;
19.00- 8.00.

In the daytime, you can order a service such as a gondolier serenade. Singing is prohibited in the evening and at night.
The owners decorate their vessels with capes, fringes, flowers, candlesticks, but with a sense of proportion. It is allowed to equip the boat with a protective cabin from the sun and rain. In general, the type of gondolas is quite strict. There are a lot of rules that rowers must follow. This is strictly monitored by the carabinieri. For example, one such rule is to shout a long "OE" when turning to warn the other gondolier and avoid a collision.

How much does a gondola cost in Venice

Local residents prefer to travel by river trams - vaporetto, and gondolas are designed exclusively for visitors. The cost of the trip depends on several factors:

route;
guided tour by gondolier interesting stories and Italian songs;
the presence or absence of music;
ship decoration.

The fee is for the boat. The cost is divided by the number of passengers, respectively, the more people, the lower the cost for each.

The average cost is 100 euros for half an hour, there is no fixed price. In the evening, the price is higher than during the day by about 25%. But you can discuss with the rower the time of the trip, on which the cost will also depend. You only need to do this before you get on the boat. Otherwise, if a tourist boards a gondola without discussing the details, then he automatically accepts the conditions of the gondolier. It is not customary to bargain in this matter, especially with a large influx of people who want to ride, and it is useless. If the announced price does not suit you, then it is better to look for another gondola.

The cost also depends on the starting point of the route. On the outskirts of the city, a trip can be more profitable than in the center. Rising fares during public holidays and carnivals.

Payment is due prior to departure. There are no discounts for children and seniors. You can take pictures for free. It is even possible to hold wedding events, but in this case you will have to pay a round sum - prices start from 1700 euros.

Musical accompaniment increases the cost of the trip, but makes it possible to enjoy Neapolitan (most often) and Venetian songs with a guitar or accordion.

If you want to ride through the canals and have no money, you can use a less romantic, but cheaper option - tragetto. This is a ferry boat, the route of which runs from St. Mark's Square to the Rialto Bridge. The ferry ride will cost only 50 cents, but the duration is no more than 2 minutes. Tragettos are parked in bypass channels. These places are marked with yellow signs.

Gondola and gondolier - these two words are firmly rooted in Venice. It is this type of transport that is considered the legendary symbol of this city. Venice itself arose from rural villages that were scattered along the lagoon of a small river. Over time, many channels appeared, and a huge water labyrinth was formed. As the years passed, the city grew, and in order to move around, gondolas (small boats) were used, which were the only possible transport.

Now there are many theatrical productions, legends, stories and even novels that are dedicated to the Venetian rowers or where they play an important role. There is even "Gondoliers" - a film that Stephen King specifically shot about them. These boatmen have firmly entered the life, history and culture of Venice and Italy as a whole. And rightly considered the most famous landmark of the city. There is no such tourist who visited Venice, who at least once would not ride a gondola.

Gondolas

Of all the water transport, this boat came up the most. It is light, roomy, maneuverable and fast. In its grace, the boat is not inferior to small yachts upper class. It was decided to build gondolas only with a flat bottom, since their purpose is to transport people and goods along shallow canals and channels.

Gondoliers

These boats need to be steered. Gondoliers are just the people who do this. Initially, they stood in the center of the boat, but to accommodate as many passengers as possible " workplace"moved to the beginning of the vessel, aft. The meaning of the word "gondoliers": boat operators, rowers.

Thanks to this rearrangement, innovations also appeared: a heavy long oar was required, which was made of strong and dense beech. To manipulate it, the gondolier required considerable dexterity and strength. And the second innovation is the position of the oar, which served to control. In order for it to hold tight, an oarlock (fork) was invented. It was made from this oarlock. There was a series of grooves into which oars were inserted in turn. It was possible to change the length of the lever and thereby regulate the speed of the gondola.

After the oars, it was necessary to change the bow of the boats, and it was made heavier, as opposed to the gondolier, who was at the stern. Thus, another innovation appeared - "iron". This is the name of a heavy metal plate with 6 teeth arranged horizontally and curled up. Outwardly, it resembles the comb of the headdress of the Doges of Venice.

A little about the profession

It requires a special skill from a person, and usually it is inherited. The Venetian gondolier begins his training as a boy. Since the age of 10, he has been trained to use a paddle and taught history, singing and foreign languages. Gondoliers even have their own songs called barcarolles. The word is Italian and comes from "boat".

Special attention is paid to wealthy tourists. Today, the Venetian gondolier is a special caste of handsome men who know several languages, have aristocratic manners and know how to give the most exquisite compliments to the fair sex. And age doesn't matter. Therefore, gondoliers are often presented in the form of gigolos, who are in special demand.

Profession: gondoliers - who are they?

They are slow and have a sense dignity. They have their own uniform, which consists of a straw hat framed with ribbons and a striped T-shirt. This profession is considered very prestigious, so licenses are severely limited. In total, strictly 425 of them can be issued - no less, no more.

Women gondoliers

It so happened that gondoliers are always men, but in 2009 a tradition that has been observed for centuries was broken. Boscolo Georgia, who was only 23 years old, successfully passed the exams and was the first in the world among the fair sex to receive a license. This caused great discontent among men. Even her father, although secretly proud of his daughter, does not approve of her chosen profession.

Traditions of gondoliers

Venice has traffic lights at all intersections to regulate traffic. But the gondoliers still do not trust them, and in places of traffic jams they prefer to shout loudly, warning of their arrival. This tradition has been preserved since ancient times.

Boats were always painted black. But to attract tourists, gondoliers began to break the usual traditions and decorate their water transport with neon lights, gold bedspreads and pillows. But authorities have threatened to revoke licenses from those who violate restraint and change the rules. Therefore, the old tradition has been preserved.

Gondoliers are well-known charming "macho". They also have their own songs (we have already mentioned them), which they perform, but modern and popular ones are not included in their folklore. Therefore, Venetian traditional melodies are preferred in the craft.

License and legacy

The right to become a member of the Gondoliers Guild Club can only be inherited. And only to the son from the father. But it is quite difficult for an outsider to get there. If the gondolier dies, then his license is transferred only to the direct heir, and the latter can sell it in the future.

Its cost is very high, but it is justified, since the salary of boaters is far from small. In just 30 minutes they earn 100 euros. And the working day is quite long and can last up to 15 hours.

Before a person receives a license, two exams must be passed: first theoretical part and then practice. In general, there are even special courses lasting nine months. It is important to be able to properly manage the gondola.

Working nuances

Gondoliers are people who must know the city and all the channels well, have oratorical skills and an excellent voice, as they have to sing a lot of songs. But some, such as the barcarolle, are performed by boaters only for an additional fee. The price is negotiable. It often happens that artists and singers with accompaniment are invited on board the gondola.

The uniform is special - a straw to which ribbons are attached, a striped T-shirt, and a simple white shirt can be worn over it. The dress code is spelled out in the rules, and it must be strictly observed.

rowing technique

Due to the fact that the shape of the gondola is asymmetrical, the rower can control it with only one oar. At the same time, it is located on the side of the dividing line, which divides the boat in half. The gondolier controls the oar from the bow (it is also the steering wheel).

The technique is more pushing than rowing. The gondolier first swings the boat and moves the oar along a certain trajectory.

Competitions

Gondoliers are professionals who hone their skills not only at work, but also in sports. Every first Sunday in September, Venice hosts the Historical Regatta. Initially, before the competition, a parade of gondolas is arranged, and after that rowers compete, showing their skills and art. The distance is seven kilometers. Moreover, there are competitions on an internal scale - they are held between certain areas and islands, or even gondolier clans-families.

About the device of gondolas

"Gondola is a single-oared flat-bottomed boat with raised figured extremities." You can read it in an encyclopedia. The Venetians will never agree with such a dry definition. The gondola, for them, firstly, is a symbol of Venice. Secondly, - the queen of boats. And finally, this is a beautiful woman.
Venice is the only city in the world where there is no wheeled transport, not even bicycles. The Russian stolnik P. Tolstoy assessed the situation in the city on the water in the 17th century as follows: “There are no horses and no cattle in Venice, there are also no corets, carriages, carts, and they don’t even know sleighs.” At first, boats of any shape and size were called gondolas in Venice, but the canals were always very narrow, and it was desirable to carry more passengers and goods, so the boats gradually lengthened and narrowed. The modern gondola is an elongated and narrow asymmetrical boat that glides through the water in a zigzag pattern, constantly being corrected by the gondolier to keep it in the right direction.

Why is this boat called "gondola"

The name "gondola" (by the way, this word should be pronounced correctly with the accent on the first syllable) first appears in a document of 1094 and probably comes from "gonger" - "sea eel". Then the boats had an arbitrary shape and were distinguished by the richness of color and decoration. By the 18th century, there were more than 10 thousand gondolas in Venice (now there are no more than 500). At the same time, “in order to combat waste,” a law was introduced according to which all gondolas must be black and of the same size: length - 11.05 m, width - 1.4 m. But the fact that the city authorities suddenly decided to introduce such strict the requirements for the parameters of boats were not connected with the struggle for economy. This innovation had a completely banal explanation.

Why is the gondola black.

According to Venetian legend, an elderly doge was married to a very young girl. Soon the venerable ruler heard a rumor that at night his wife was visited by a mysterious man in a raincoat. The servants reported to the ruler that he was sailing on a black gondola. The old doge could not stop the secret meetings of young people, because it was in his power to issue a decree that all boats in the city be repainted black. So he managed to partly hide his shame.
There is another version of this color of gondolas: Venetian gondolas became black only in 1562, when during the plague the bodies of the dead were transported around the city on gondolas. The elegance of the boats then looked simply ridiculous, and the government issued a decree to repaint the gondolas black, like coffins. So the sad events of the Middle Ages forever changed the face of the city.

Gondola decoration.

The Venetian gondola is black. Its only decoration is an iron comb-shaped tip. It is called ferro, it is the highest mark of the boat, the gondoliers use it to determine whether the gondola will pass under the next low bridge or not. The six stripes on the ferro symbolize the districts of the city into which Venice was divided in 1169; the seventh strip, which has a different direction, symbolizes the island of Giudecca, and the rounding symbolizes the doge's hat. On the right side, the gondola is 24 cm lower, this is due to the position of the gondolier, who lowers the oar to control the gondola only on the right side.

Gondoliers.

At first glance, these boats are the same, but in fact each of them is made for a specific person - a gondolier (they work only on their own boats). As a rule, this profession is inherited, but as an exception, it can also be obtained for other merits (for example, by winning the "Historical Regatta"). In any case, in order to get the right to drive a gondola, you need to study at special gondolier courses for 9 months and pass serious exams: in boat management, in a foreign language and in the history of Venice. Only after that, the mayor's office will consider the applicant's application for a prestigious license. The number of licenses to work as a gondolier in Venice is strictly limited - 425. Licenses can be inherited from father to son, as a result of which it is not easy for an outsider to become a gondolier. The greatest chances are for the natives of Venice. Well, you also have to be a man, because women are not hired for this job. The current gondoliers are mostly young guys, it is very rare to see a man in years.

Gondoliers are women.

This summer in Italy, the first woman in the country was able to successfully pass the exams and obtain a license to drive a gondola. 23-year-old Italian Georgia Boscolo received her gondolier license in special school that no woman has ever been able to do before. True, in the spring of this year, the first female gondolier appeared in Venice. However, 42-year-old Alexandra Hai was able to obtain a license only after going to court. And Georgia Boscolo passed the exams required to drive a watercraft (gondola control, the history of Venice and a foreign language), on an equal basis with men. Alexandra Hai succeeded only on the third attempt. In addition, Boscolo's predecessor did not meet the important criteria of a real gondolier - she could not sing. But the main thing that the Association of Italian Gondoliers emphasized, refusing to take High into its ranks, is that since the creation of the association, since 1094, neither girls nor foreigners have been gondoliers. In the end, only the trial helped her acquire the crust of a boatman. Boscolo's disfavor of 425 stern gondoliers from the association has passed. Georgia has worked long and hard to obtain this status. Since childhood, she was imbued with the romance of the craft of the Venetian boatman. Her father Dante is a gondolier. By the way, he is also convinced that it is not a woman's business to manage a gondola. The father did not deviate from this opinion even after the success of his daughter. However, this does not prevent him from now being proud of his heiress. After all, she passed all the tests with honor and remained the only woman who completed the course. In addition to Boscolo, there were two more contenders in the stream.

Gondolier fares.

The boat is expensive - from 30 to 90 thousand dollars. The most expensive are the so-called "wedding" gondolas. The duration of the operation of the gondola is on average 15 years. But the life of the boat depends on many factors, in particular on where it is stored; if the parking is located somewhere in a secluded place on the canal, then the period is quite high, and if the gondola is parked in open water, then due to wind and waves, the duration of operation is noticeably reduced. Only six passengers can take on board the boat. Or just one, whichever you like. Gondoliers charge up to 100 euros from each for a 60-minute trip, every 20 minutes on top - another 50. Those who have been to Venice say that gondoliers are very reminiscent of Soviet-era Intourist taxi drivers: important and lazy, they cost a bunch all day, but their fare is not reasonable. reduce. But as soon as you give in to their demands, the gondolier will come to life like an automaton that has just swallowed a token. He will smile for the entire paid period, sing, deftly stick a pole into the water, dodging other boats.

Gondolier shape.

Gondoliers wear a straw boater with a red or blue ribbon and a red or blue striped T-shirt. Violators without this uniform may lose their license. But often gondoliers do not follow the dress code, instead of traditional costumes XVIII century dressing whoever in what much.

Gondoliers are a special caste of handsome men.

Gondoliers have recently received more and more attention from women. From the age of ten, a boy learns to use an insidious oar and drive gondolas with daring along the narrow Venetian canals. In addition, he absorbs the complex science of communicating with wealthy tourists, acquires aristocratic manners and masters the art of uttering such compliments that literally drive Scandinavians, Englishwomen and other representatives of the fair sex crazy. The "set of rules" spelled out some taboos that self-respecting "ladies' men" do not have the right to cross. So, only women who arrived without a male escort are allowed to cheat, it is strictly forbidden to break up couples. In addition to prohibitions, the code contains recommendations on how to seduce women, depending on their nationality. According to the authors of this work, Canadians and Australians are very easy prey, and they “give up” after the very first candlelit dinner or a romantic gondola ride. But in order to achieve the favor of a hot Latin American diva, you have to have dinner with her at least three times.

Association of Gondoliers.

Gondoliers have their own trade union. To coordinate their work, union members use a mobile phone and email. Through these means of communication, they exchange information about the arrived tourists, and also send reports on the work done to the "headquarters". Requirements for gondoliers in the city on the water are very serious. First, you need to take a special nine-month course. During this time, students must not only learn how to manage their boat, but also pass tests in English, knowledge of the geography of Venice and maritime law. Provided successful delivery a license is issued. You can, of course, according to some sources, try to get the notorious license "from the street." But this pleasure is very expensive.
Second, a certified gondolier must complete a practical course. Thirdly, in further work, the gondolier must comply with the old traditions of the workshop, otherwise you can lose your license. Gondoliers constantly violate this rule, and the Association of Gondoliers is trying to set them on the right path. In 2006, the association launched an anti-bad taste campaign, writes the Times newspaper. A special instruction was drawn up for gondola owners. According to this directive, the traditional Venetian boat should be black without decorations, and its leather seats should be solid dark shades. It was in this form that the gondola was preserved from the 16th to the beginning of the 21st century. But today's boatmen decorate gondolas like Christmas trees to lure customers. In the course are flashing lights, fluorescent patterns, plush pillows, gold bedspreads. In addition, instead of barcarolles and gondoliers, traditional songs, gondoliers sometimes perform popular ones. The association categorically does not like the Neapolitan aria O Sole Mio instead of the canonical songs, so it asked the gondoliers to refrain from singing "hits" during the skiing of tourists.

Gondola rules.

Today in Venice there are less than 500 gondoliers at the oar, while the city cannot do without gondolas. Any wheeled transport, including a bicycle, is prohibited, but it is not needed - you need to swim in Venice, not drive or walk. On the canals of Venice, as well as on any city streets, there are traffic lights. They hang over intersections and have only two "eyes": red and green. But the gondolier, as a rule, before reaching the intersection, loudly shouts that he will not collide with anyone. The Venetians themselves rarely ride gondolas, they mostly use water taxis (motor boats), which are cheaper. For gondola parking in Venice, long poles driven into the bottom of the canals are provided at the piers.

Historical regatta.

It is held on the first Sunday of September and presents one of the most picturesque spectacles. The event in honor of which the festival was established was the official abdication of Queen Caterina Cornaro (a Venetian by birth) from the Cypriot throne in favor of the Republic of Venice. Katerina, having signed the act of renunciation, returned to her homeland in 1489, where she was given a grandiose meeting with a parade of ships. In those days, it was accompanied by almost any significant incident, whether it was the visit of a foreign monarch, the election of a new doge or pope, the celebration of the winners.
The modern Historical Regatta begins with a costumed parade - a symbolic ceremony of welcoming the Queen of Cyprus, and then the rowing races begin. This sport has been popular in Venice since the 13th century: due to its specificity, the city has never experienced a shortage of rowers. The spectators take an active part in the races, shouting, gesticulating and cheering their favorites. Fans are located along the banks of the Canal, as well as on special floating stands or in boats moored to the pier. The winners of the regatta get symbolic prizes: for the 1st place - a red flag, for the second, third and fourth - white, green and blue, respectively. This is instead of traditional medals. Until recently, there were other awards, the most curious of which was a live pig. Then, at the initiative of animal advocates, they stopped giving the piglet. All the gondolas that take part in the competition are brightly colored and have a variety of shapes, and the team and many spectators are dressed in historical dress, which can be made to order or rented from special ateliers. An indispensable component of the Regatta is a carnival procession, in which you will definitely see such historical characters as the Doge and his wife, the Queen of Cyprus, ambassadors and ministers dressed in the fashion of the 15th - 16th century. This vintage-dressed crowd against the background of ancient buildings and richly decorated gondolas allow the viewer to imagine being in Renaissance Venice - a luxurious and proud city.

English Channel by gondola.

Recently, two 60-year-old Venetians crossed the English Channel in a gondola for the first time in the history of shipping. I must say that they did it extremely quickly: the way from the British Dover to the French port of Calais, where they were met by friends and countrymen, took the gondoliers a little more than seven hours. Throughout the 35-kilometer journey, the Italians sang their native Venetian songs and thus cheered themselves up.

Poets about gondolas

The crews are like coffins, the coachmen are only rowers. Nearby - dirty slums
And luxurious palaces. Poverty, splendor
Amazing blend; Gold, marble and rags: Fallen glory sorrow and arrogance!
Vyazemsky.
The night is quiet, in the heavenly field. Shining Vesper gold. The old doge floats in a gondola
With dogaressy young. The air is full of laurel breath. The Bucentaur flags doze.
The dark sea is silent...
Pushkin.
Near the places where golden Venice reigns, Odin, a night rower, driving a gondola,
In the light of Vesper, she floats along the seashore, Rinald, Godfred, Herminia sings ...
Pushkin.