Gondola ride: rowing the canals since XVI Century
The gondola is perfect in its simplicity: no wonder it is still around at least since the XVI Century (the first graphic testimony of gondolas is on the Jacopo de’ Barbari’s Venice map and it dates to 1500).
Anyway, the gondola was quite different from now: it was a “general purpose” boat – we could say it was the “jeep” of the laguna indeed!
Usually it had not just one gondoliere but two gondolieri and it was used for moving people and goods as well.
While it is not true that the long row is used as a pole (Venice’s canals are too deep), the extremely low draft of the gondola allowed – and still allows – to reach even the smallest canals and to navigate in an elegant, agile way the intricate geography of The Floating City.
Gondola ride: the perfect way to experience the Venice “canali”
With the advent of steam power sooner and of the internal combustion engine later, the gondola golden age came to an end: from 8 – 10 thousand gondole to around 4 hundred nowadays, but the gondola started to be an iconic Venice attraction and a must – do experience for tourists.
Either in summer or in the magic Venice winter atmosphere a gondola ride is a romantic, out – of – time, deep experience. And it is a carbon free one as well! 😉
The best “gondole”
And if a gondola ride is a great experience and a Venice must do, the “Regata Storica Venezia” – a Venice annual event – is an occasion to see the most beautiful gondole and other historic boats.
A time travel experience that will make your Venice experience even more interesting!