Gondola

A gondola (Italian Gondola ) is a Venetian boat guy who probably first arose in the 11th century. It is a narrow boat of up to 11 m long and 1.5 m wide with wide upturned ends. Under the traditional, but now outmoded, amidships arranged roofing ( felze ) to seats are for two to six people.

History

The word gondola designated thousand years ago, all flat, keel -less boats as they had already been built by the Romans for driving on shallow rivers. The oldest recorded message to a supposed gondola is included in the chronicle of Giovanni Diacono, who lived about the year 1000: The Doge Pietro Orseolo II ( 991-1009 ) was driven with a gondola after his election to his palace. Is from the year 1094 a document obtained that the residents of Loreto - a southern settlement - to be delivered by compulsion, to the Doge of Venice, a gondulam, free. It is unknown whether these words refer to a specific type of boat or just generally a boat and looked like these boats. From the 12th to the 14th century there was a type of boat that was scaula or scola called a flat, elongated boat, which takes its name after the sole ( solea, sogliola ) to have received. Perhaps it has become gondola over time. Derivatives of greek. / Lat. cymbae / cimbula " small boat, skiff " or from the Greek Kondu or concula " cup " of kondylion " box " of account " short" and helas "ship" or KUNTO " drive, rowing, push " are disputed. 1292 is the first time in a document of the name for the other major Venetian Boat Type Sandolo handed. The oldest building description a gondola is only to build the book On the Art of boats, handed down by Teodoro de Nicolò, from the 14th century. The designs were not completely uniform and changed over the centuries. Originally there were gondolas in all sorts of colors and the former Venetian noble and patrician houses sought to outdo each other in the magnificent facilities of the boats. In order to stop the unbridled ostentation stop, issued during the reign Gerolamo Priulis the Senate of Venice in 1562 which supported also by the Church sumptuary law, which is a uniform black outfit for all gondolas - except those of the foreign envoys and also to parties there were exceptions - prescribed. In the 16th century there were more than 10,000 gondolas in the city.

The modern gondola, as it is still in use today, there is only since the end of the 19th century: A narrow boat from 10.83 to 11.10 meters in length, 1.38 to 1.42 meters wide, a freeboard ( Altessa ) of 50 to 55 centimeters and with wide upturned ends. This construction was from 1882 to 1884 developed by the boat builder Domenico Tramontin. He shortened the boat on the ( right ) starboard side at about 24 cm, gave him such a curvature so that it can be easily paddled by a rear left standing, right rowing person. Previously gondolas were usually rowed by two gondoliers. Pictorial representations prove, however, that skilful rowers even earlier drove alone. Whether there has been slightly curved structures before the Tramontin gondola, is controversial among experts. A gondola by Domenico Tramontin - the oldest completely preserved and because of their age no longer floating gondola - from 1890 is in the Palazzo Barbaro on the Grand Canal / Rio della Fornace on Dorsoduro near the Traghetto S. Maria del Giglio - S.Gregorio.

Driving technique

The modern Gondola is from one to the rear Schnabel ( poppa ) (left rear) gondolier standing moves with only a belt ( remo ) forward. The several -meter-long belt is a special device, the fork ( forcola ), which is inserted into a rectangular opening in the hull on the starboard side ( trincarino ). To compensate for the one-sided propulsion of the boat hull along the central axis is made ​​asymmetric; the left side ( port side) is more curved than the right starboard side so that it is on the starboard side about 0.25 m shorter than on the port side. The technique of jacking the car is similar to that of Wriggens with the difference that is directed at sculling the belt astern, while the belt side of the gondola is immersed obliquely into the water.

Construction

A gondola consists of nine different woods that are read by weight, age and dryness and serve certain tasks. Oak wood is used for the top two planks and the ribs on the body of the nacelle, pine for the floor and the foredeck, larch for the sides and the rear deck, walnut for the seat and the front bench, Cherry for the rear bank and for the inclined platform. Elm and fir are for indoor boards, Linde for decorating bug, Ramin is used for the strap bar and the surface of the belt is made of beech wood. The belt fork, called FORCOLA, was made of walnut. The body of a cable is made up of 280 parts. The construction of a gondola takes about five hundred hours. A middle gondola costs an average of 25,000 euros. In 2008 the cost of a 35-minute gondola ride without vocals average day over 80 €, dinner from 19:00 clock € 100.

2005 there were four yards gondola in Venice, one in the Dorsoduro district in San Trovaso, Tramontin the Rio Ognissanti and Crea in the Centro Nautico on the Giudecca and Roberto Rossi, also on the Giudecca, behind the Redentore. The forcole are manufactured in small specialized workshops, one in Calle Corta Rotta, in S. Zaccaria, the other near the Guggenheim Museum by Saverio Pastor.

Meanwhile, more and more yards to go over the gondolas increasingly to build from plywood, because it is cheaper, more durable and lighter.

Bow fitting

Originally only as a counterweight to Gondolier, today used as decoration and symbol of the city of Venice bears the bow of the light vehicle at the top of an approximately 22 -kg metal fitting (metal tail ), the ferromagnetic, the above in a kind of horn in the form of the fisherman's cap ends, which carried the Doges in their State costume as a head covering. Among them jump out six points. They symbolize so a now common interpretation, in turn, the six Sestieri ( districts ) of Venice: San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Cannaregio, Castello and Santa Croce. The rear-facing spikes should stand for the Giudecca.

Different types of Venetian boats

Sanpierota - A multi-purpose boat, suitable for sailing, rowing and most visible provided with a outboard.

Ballotina - gondola like boat with another bow fitting, former police boat.

Desdotona - From 18 men / women rowed boat in which the moves are opened on the water.

Caorlina - Popular regatta boat for six oarsmen, who came from the Caorle.

Gondolino - Specially designed for the small gondola regattas, very fast, for two rowers.

Mascerata because regata - Popular boat races of women. Typical narrow fuselage.

Sandolo s'ciopon - Built With eight meters in length, the smallest boat in the lagoon in earlier times for duck hunting.

Sandolo Buranello - Older than the gondola, take a ride but is offered cheaper because no duck ( professional association ) exists.

Sandolo puparin - the largest Sandolo and how the gondola built asymmetrically with nine to ten feet in length.

Gallery

A Gondola on the Grand Canal

Full jewelry ornaments on two gondolas

Moored gondolas on a Venetian boat dwellers in Venice

Inboard view of a Venetian gondola

A Venetian gondola from 1883, O Gondola Fresco since 1883, built by Domenico Tramontin

Another historic gondola from the 19th century

A Venetian gondola, issued by Peggy Guggenheim in 1979

Another historical model with cabin ( here in the Doge's Palace )