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A Wedding in Venice: Pt 2 Gondolas and Gondoliers

© Mary Ellen Bradshaw

Gondolas, Gondoliers, Canals

After an excellent continental breakfast in our room, we meander down to the walkway below our balcony. Here a couple of Gondolas are moored by a pair of candy-striped mooring posts, which are also used as channel markers throughout the many canals and crowded waterways.

Our Gondolier has made ready his boat and greets us with a smile. He is wearing the traditional beribboned straw hat, striped shirt, covered by a black coat and black pants.

He tells us his job was handed down from his father, as was the extensive knowledge and secrets of these ancient waterways. He sadly tells us that he will be the last oarsman in his family, as none of his sons or nephews are interested in the job.

We are also told that the modern Gondolas are a copy of ancient vessels that date back over 1000 years. Although now they are mainly used as pleasure craft for tourists, originally they were used to transport goods and people throughout the city. In early times these vessels might be brightly painted and richly carpeted. Gondolas are now painted black with a small amount of ornamental trim on the Ferro. This is the bow of the ship, with symbolic Doge cap on top and 6 teeth like protrusions. These represent the six sestieri or municipalities that make up Venizia. They are San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Cannaregio, Santa Croce, and Castello.

Rich color and ornamentation was banned on Gondolas in the 14 hundreds, except for ceremonial vessels. The rich display was considered to be ostentatious.

Gondolas are now used mainly by tourists and are quite expensive to hire. Local citizens would probably only hire them for weddings or other such occasions. Ceremonial vessels, including the traditional funerary ones are rare.

As we glide down the narrow canal, we notice that the water is a milky turquoise and there is no sign of refuse. Although, we do see a lady on an upper balcony dump the contents of her dustpan over the side. We pass under a tiny bridge, one of many we will encounter. These are what connect these quaint independent communities. Some are beautifully wrought.

We pass by decrepit, decaying buildings and brightly painted and beautifully ornamented Palazzos and villas, many of which are now hotels, museum and shops. They come in many shapes and sizes and represent many styles of architecture, Byzantine, Gothic Renaissance and Baroque. There are water marks on many buildings. histories of floods and low water.