What is a gondola? Gondolas and gondoliers in Venice

You've probably heard this word more than once. For many, it is primarily associated with romantic Venice. Let's look at what gondolas are in all senses? Let's start with the most traditional one.

Gondola - boat

Gondolas in Venice are traditional rowing boats, symbols of the city and province. Historically, they served as the main means of transportation along the Venetian canals - like modern buses and trams. However, today gondolas in this city are more of a means of entertaining tourists. Becoming a gondolier is not easy - licenses to conduct activities are inherited, and it is almost impossible for an outsider to obtain such a document.

What is noteworthy is that the design and dimensions of the boat were regulated back in the 18th century and have not changed since then. What is a gondola? The characteristics of such a watercraft are given below:

• The boat is 11.05 m long, 140 cm wide, and has a flat bottom without a keel.
• The shape is rounded, asymmetrical, with the bow and stern raised up.
• Weight - about 400 kg.
• 9 types of wood are used for production.
• One oar is used for movement.
• The maximum number of passengers is 6.

Gondola in aviation

We continue to learn what gondolas are. This term is very common in aviation, where it has several meanings:

• A structure that has a streamlined shape, into which various components of the aircraft are placed - cabin, engines, weapons, landing gear, etc.
• The engine nacelle is the element in which the aircraft engine is located.
• A balloon gondola is a type of structure where the control cabin of an aircraft is located.
• A suspended structure where passengers, crew or airship mechanisms are located.
• A balloon gondola is a basket for passengers of this aircraft.

Other meanings

What else are gondolas? Let's imagine a number of other values:

1. A cabin designed to transport passengers on a cable car. Analogue of a chair, trolley.
2. A gondola is also a type of retail island equipment, one of the types of racks for displaying goods. They have a limited height - 1.5-2 m. The lower tier is necessarily designed, which is wider than the previous shelves. Canopies, in addition to the latter, can be brackets, clamps, hooks, etc. More typical for self-service stores - shoes, food, jewelry, pharmaceutical products, and hats can be placed on gondolas. They are internally divided into two types:

• Wall-mounted (one-sided) - have a limited height, therefore they are used more in retail spaces that are limited in width.
• Double-sided - equipped with shelves on both sides. They are placed in the center of the trading floor to zone the latter, as well as direct the flow of visitors.

Synonyms and origin of the word

Depending on the context, the term can be replaced by the following synonyms:

• boat;
• gondola car;
• basket;
• engine nacelle;
• peota.

This word is of Italian origin. In Italy, gonda is one of the types of boat. Some researchers suggest a connection with Italy. dondolare - “to swing”, “to swing”.

So we have sorted out all the meanings of the word “gondola” in Russian. It is most associated with the Italian traditional boat, the out-of-fuselage structure in aviation, and the cabin for carrying passengers on a cable car.

Someone dreams of getting acquainted with the beautiful architecture of the city on the water, someone wants to tie the knot here, and someone goes to Venice to plunge into the culture of this place and learn as much as possible about its traditions and features. In addition to its outstanding architecture and landscapes of amazing beauty, of course, Venice is famous for being located on islands in a wonderful and picturesque lagoon, surrounded on all sides by water. Venetian gondolas, cutting through the waves of the lagoons, are often called the most beautiful boats in the world and are considered a “calling card” - one of the main ones. We will talk about them today.

Over the centuries, the appearance of Venice's popular river transport has changed several times. The current gondola is the result of a long process of “boat evolution” and adaptation to the needs of citizens and the variable quality of water. The history of the city and the history of this type of vessel are closely intertwined.

The first mention of a gondola dates back to 1094, when the Doge of Venice, Vitale Falier, granted a charter to some residents of the city for the right to build gondolas. Despite the fact that the sources documenting the appearance of Venetian ships are very old, they still fully describe what unusual boats looked like in ancient times. By the way, they were strikingly different from modern gondolas, as they were painted in different colors. However, after 1562 the color of the hull became black, as it remains to this day. Historians believe that this particular color was used by the Venetians as a mourning element, reminding them of the victims of the terrible plague that attacked the city. The disease subsided, but the residents of Venice were so accustomed to dark boats that they did not change their color.

In the late 1400s, gondolas closely resembled other forms of water transport then in use on the Venetian Lagoon. It was not until the early 1500s that the appearance of this type of boat began to change due to the fact that they were commonly used to transport the local poor. By the late 1600s, gondolas had taken on much the same shape as we see today. In the 1800s, some technical innovations were added to their hull, the asymmetrical design, for example, allowing gondoliers to control the vessel with ease, deftly maneuvering between other boats.

Until a few decades ago, gondolas were equipped with wooden cabins called “felze” and attached to the center of the hull. Such a structure was erected on boats in bad weather to shelter passengers from the rain, but was soon recognized as unnecessary: ​​the cabin prevented the gondoliers from seeing the road. By the way, today gondolas are used exclusively by tourists. According to some estimates, today the waves of the magnificent Venetian lagoon are cut by about fifty gondolas, which is half as many as in 1580.

Symbols and details

Every detail of the gondola symbolizes something. The decorators of the Middle Ages attached particular importance to forged and metal parts, combining elegance and practicality. For example, the iron bow of the ship, the “ferro da prora’”, usually made in an s-shape, reminiscent of the curves of the Canal Grande, was created so that the gondolier could use his weight to balance the boat. Also on the gondolas there is a counterweight standard with six teeth, which symbolize the six districts of Venice.

Gondoliers

Tourists who come to Venice may mistakenly assume that all gondolas are very, very similar or even the same. However, it is not. In fact, these amazing “black swans” are made according to certain parameters officially approved by the city authorities, and everything else is made exclusively for a specific rower.

Gondoliers always work on their own boats, the cost of which, by the way, is quite high: from 25 to 75 thousand euros. The unique profession of a gondola rower is passed down from generation to generation. But blood ties are not enough to give tourists a ride on a beautiful boat. To obtain a special license, you must complete a 9-month training course for gondoliers, and upon completion, pass a serious and difficult exam. Moreover, applicants to drive gondolas are also required to demonstrate their knowledge of the English language. And only then will representatives of the mayor’s office agree to consider the application for a license. It is also worth noting the fact that the gondola is a man’s business. However, history knows of cases when representatives of the fair sex became the stern of the Venetian “swans”.

• Modern gondolas are both similar and dissimilar at the same time. As mentioned above, the City Hall of Venice has determined the standards by which boats are manufactured. They all weigh 700 kilograms and consist of 280 pieces carved from eight different types of wood: oak, elm, lime, larch, fir, cherry, walnut and mahogany.
• There are several versions explaining the black color of modern gondolas. According to one of them, the mayor's office signed a decree prohibiting painting boats black in order to put an end to the serious struggle that broke out between representatives of the Venetian elite. The thing is that wealthy gondola owners previously tried to decorate their boats in one way or another in order to demonstrate to everyone their wealth. According to the second version, the black color of the gondolas signifies the grief of the Venetians who survived a terrible plague that killed thousands of people.
• Famous writers and poets regularly compared the "black swans" of Venice to coffins. And some studies confirm that Venetians associate gondolas with death.
• The first female gondolier received a license to drive this type of transport in 2010. Giorgia Boscolo, the 24-year-old daughter of a 40-year-old “veteran” gondolier, continued her father’s path. German Alex Hai also intended to get an unusual profession, but the girl failed to pass the boat control exam.
• One Venetian company offers to teach tourists how to drive gondolas. Row Venice agrees to provide a professional gondolier who, in an hour and a half, will tell you the basics of his work, and will also help you consolidate what he has heard in practice. You will be given at your disposal not a gondola, but another boat, which, however, is an almost exact analogue of the “calling card” of Venice. Row Venice website: www.rowvenice.com
• Instead of taking a gondola ride, tourists can also go to the Squero San Trovaso shipyard, where new boats are built and old ones are serviced. It can take about 500 hours to make one gondola, so there are only 20 more “black swans” in Venice per year.
• If you want to see gondolas not in the manufacturing process, but in all their grandeur, you should definitely visit Venice on the first Saturday in September. On this day, a parade of decorated gondolas and their rowers takes place in the Grand Canal. Moreover, the historical regatta “Regata Storica” is also held here, as well as a competition between Venetian boats.

How much does it cost to ride a gondola?

A visit to Venice almost includes the obligatory “gondola ride.” And this is not surprising: the city opens up from the other side, from the outside, when you sail along the waves of the Gulf of Venice. What could be more romantic in Venice than a late evening gondola ride in the company of your significant other? However, it is worth keeping in mind that the prices for gondolier services are not that low.

Rowers usually charge 80 euros for a 40-minute trip, but this is the cost of renting the entire boat.

So, for example, if you are traveling with four friends, the fare will cost 20 euros each. However, remember that the number of seats in gondolas is always limited. Moreover, in the evening the cost of the trip increases (within 20 euros).

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The world's most famous and romantic watercraft 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 spell: the magic of Venetian gondolas with their characteristic silhouette, whipped up 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 town, but do not think that you know much about them. The imperishable symbol of Serenissima has many secrets, which we hasten to tell you about right now.

So, here are the most interesting facts about Venetian gondolas, the most romantic and fascinating boats on the planet.

Traditions

Their irresistible charm and the admiration that their sinuous shapes evoke are known throughout the world: every tourist who comes to the city dreams of riding a gondola at least once in their life. However, the characteristic appearance of gondolas was not always inherent in them. In fact, Venetian gondolas appeared many centuries ago and their appearance, as evidenced 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 ply the waters of the canals of Venice retain unchanged characteristics familiar to tourists, which appeared in their design about 200 years ago.

It should be noted that even today the symbols of Venice are built using complex technology, which is passed down from generation to generation in the “squeri”, ship docks. Gondola construction sites, which take their name from the word "squara" (la squadra, command), were once numerous and all overlooked the Grand Canal, reflecting the importance of the business.

Today 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 a "squerarolo" (gondola constructor) requires a long apprenticeship of at least 36 months and only after passing an exam can the apprentice undertake 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 lifespan of a boat is about twenty years, to maintain the current fleet of 500 elements, craftsmen must build about 20-30 gondolas every year.

Characteristics

Each "squero" consists of a square with a slope to the water for access by boats, surrounded by a fence on both sides, and a little further away a wooden building called a "tesa", which is used as a storage for tools and for protection from the weather. Directly next to the dock used to be the house of the main "squerarolo" or owner of the workshop.

The gondolas produced at 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 gondola consists of 280 parts and has a black wood body due to treatment with a resin-based waterproofing material. When making 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 of them is unique, because it is made “for the gondolier” who will control it. In particular, to build a boat, 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 also a place for symbolism in the design of gondolas. Thus, the shape of the “ferro”, the iron tip that protects the bow of the boat and serves as a determinant of the height of the bridge and the possibility of the gondola passing under it, contains six protrusions, symbolizing the six districts of the city, sometimes joined by three friezes, symbolizing the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. On the other side, the tip "risso di poppa" is fixed, 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 single oar is secured in a "forcela", an oar lock that has a very complex shape. Indeed, the "forcola" allows the gondolier to move slowly back and forth, quickly row forward, turn the boat around and perform other important maneuvers.

Gondoliers

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

The maximum number of passengers who can travel on a gondola at the same time is six.

However, even if the boat is empty, due to its design, the gondolier essentially applies the same force when rowing.

Where are gondolas built?

If several centuries ago it was full of docks, today only five exist. These are two historical docks: 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 Tramontin, Crea and Costantini - De Rossi dock in the Giudecca.

Addresses

To explore the history of shipping and shipbuilding in the beautiful Repubblica Marinara, head to the Arsenale di Venezia, an ancient complex of shipyards and workshops. Today the complex is accessible to visitors in various areas (some free to visit, others on request and with a guided tour) and is owned partly by the city and partly by the Italian Navy.

Gondola with the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in the background. Artist Camille Corot.

Gondola is rightfully considered a symbol Venice. This is a very ancient type of vessel: the classic design of a narrow, flat-bottomed boat with raised ends developed about a thousand years ago and has not changed much since then. Latest adjustments to the design gondolas introduced in the 18th century - then all their characteristics, including sizes, materials and even coloring, were legally regulated and are strictly observed to this day. Perhaps, it is unlikely that you will find such an unshakable commitment to tradition anywhere else!

Canal San Marco and Doge's Palace. Artist Francesco Guardi.

Venice is the only city in the world where there are no wheeled vehicles. The role of streets and avenues here is played by canals. The land streets are so narrow, cramped and humpbacked due to the abundance of arched bridges that even in the 16th century Venetian The Doge issued a decree prohibiting not only carriages and carts, but also riding horses. Since then, residents of this amazing city have used only one type of transport - water.

Gondola on the Grand Canal.

Shape and design gondolas- a striking example of evolution in the field of “small-tonnage shipbuilding”. The volume of transportation was large, the canals were narrow, special seaworthiness was not required, so a boat with a very long and narrow hull looked most rational. Traffic along the canals was extremely intense, and ordinary oars with rowlocks would interfere with neighboring and oncoming ships. Therefore, the movement technique gondola not quite rowing, but rather rowing-push. Gondola Usually one person controls it: standing facing forward, he rocks the boat and at the same time performs ingenious manipulations with the oar.

Because gondolier works with an oar from one side (the right side), then in order to compensate for the deviation to the left, the hull of the boat has an asymmetrical shape: the contours of its left side are fuller than those of the right side. Gondola glides through the water not straightly, but along a wave-like trajectory, and steering the vessel in tight channels requires certain skills. It is curious that the effort expended gondolier, practically do not depend on the loading of the boat.

Gondolas in the parking lot. It is clearly visible that the hull of the boats has an asymmetrical shape.

IN Venice gondolas supplanted all other types of ships back in the Middle Ages. There is evidence that during the heyday Venetian Republic in the city there were about 10 thousand gondolas and 14 thousand gondoliers. In the 18th century, a law appeared regulating the size and design of boats, and "to combat waste" they were prescribed to be painted only black. True, it is possible that black gondolas began much earlier: according to one version, they were ordered to be repainted in 1562, when a plague epidemic was raging in the city. Then on gondolas the bodies of the dead were being transported, and the colorful colors of the ships looked out of place. Later, the authorities ordered that the boats be left black in memory of the tragedy that befell the city, and the law of the 18th century only confirmed the established tradition.

Gondolas are the “black swans” of the Venetian canals.

One way or another, but today through the channels Venice only blacks prance gondolas. They are all the same size: the hull length is 11.05 m, the width is 1.4 m. The empty weight of the boat is about 400 kg. The hull has an asymmetrical shape: at the midsection relative to the keel, its left part is 24 cm wider than the right. The bow and stern of the boat are raised upward to minimize the area of ​​contact with the water, and, accordingly, the resistance to movement, and also to increase maneuverability. During production gondolas nine types of wood are traditionally used. The top of the body is decorated with decorative carvings and covered in several layers with a special black varnish.

The gondolier steers the boat, facing the direction of travel and working with one oar.

On the nose gondolas a flat iron comb is installed - "ferro". It performs several functions: protects the bow of the boat from impact, serves as a counterweight to those standing at the stern to the gondolier, it is used to estimate the clearance height of the next bridge and determine whether it will pass under it gondola or not. The six protrusions on the ferro symbolize the areas of the city that Venice was divided in 1169; the seventh protrusion at the back signifies the island of Giudecca, and the curve at the top signifies the doge's headdress.

As already mentioned, modern gondolas only one oar, which is installed in a specially shaped oarlock called "forcola". The design of the forcola allows the experienced to the gondolier masterfully wield the oar, providing various speed modes of the boat, turns and circulation, emergency braking and accurate mooring.

Maximum capacity gondolas- six passengers. Sometimes boats are equipped with a small cabin-tent for protection from the scorching sun or bad weather.

Gondola with cabin-tent and two gondoliers. This photo was taken almost a century ago.

Now in Venice there is only one shipyard left, engaged in construction and repair gondolas. All work on it is carried out manually, using ancient technology. Each boat is assembled from 280 individual parts and takes approximately three years to build. Price gondolas comparable to the cost of a prestigious car and measured in tens of thousands of euros. All boats in service are the property of gondoliers, and therefore the owner tries in every possible way to protect his transport, which is the source of his income. Average service life gondolas is approximately 15 years. The high cost of the vessel, its relatively short life, coupled with increased requirements for the qualifications of the owners operating them, predetermine the fact that boat trips on "Venetian taxi" They are very expensive for tourists.

The transverse bulkheads of the gondolas are often decorated with picturesque paintings.

About the profession gondolier should be described separately. It requires great skill and is usually passed down from father to son. From the age of ten, a boy is taught not only how to wield an oar, but also history, foreign languages, singing (it’s not for nothing that gondoliers there is a special kind of song called barcarolle- from the Italian word barca, that is "boat"). Particular attention is paid to the complex science of communicating with wealthy tourists. Today Venetian gondolier is a representative of a special caste of handsome men with aristocratic manners, capable of making exquisite compliments in different languages ​​to representatives of the fair sex of any age... It is not surprising that in the minds of many gondolier is a gigolo who enjoys increased attention from rich foreign women.

Gondoliers leisurely and full of self-esteem. They have their own uniform - a straw hat with ribbons and a striped T-shirt. Their profession is considered prestigious, and the number of licenses to work gondolier V Venice strictly limited: 425 of them are issued, no more, no less.

A gondolier stands by his boat, waiting for those wishing to take a boat trip.

Historically gondoliers Only men could become, but in June 2009 this centuries-old tradition was broken. 23 year old Georgia Boscolo passed difficult exams and became the first in history Venice officially recognized female gondolier. Although she comes from a family of hereditary gondoliers, however, her obtaining a license caused discontent among her male colleagues. Even the father Georgia Dante Boscolo Although he is proud of his daughter, he still believes that she has chosen a profession that is not at all feminine.

Gondolas on the Grand Canal. Artist Bernardo Belotto.

I wonder what the word "gondola", first encountered in Venetian document of 1094, in Italy it is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, they said the same thing in Russia. However, Russian poets did not like this sound, who often dedicated Venice poems: by the way "gondola" It was very difficult to find a rhyme. And they unanimously began to shift the stress to the second syllable - then the task was significantly simplified (for example, to "gondOle" rhymed well "barcarolle"). Gradually, this pronunciation became traditional among us. Only in recent years has the word begun to be heard again "gondola"— in particular, it is used by Russian guides working in Italy.

In addition to traditional passenger gondolas, now used exclusively for the entertainment of tourists, in Venice there are special and ceremonial gondolas. They occur quite rarely - usually on holidays or on the occasion of certain important events. For example, there is wedding gondolas, gondola hearses, gondola ferries (traghetto), racing gondolas (gondola di regatta). They sometimes accommodate up to 15 people and have several rowers. It should be emphasized Doge of Venice gondola, which takes part in the annual September Historical Regatta Regatta Storica. This ornate vessel houses a record-breaking gondolas number of rowers - 12.

Ceremonial gondola hearse. Photos of the first half of the last century.

One of the symbols of Venice is the gondola boat. (By the way, the word must be pronounced correctly with an emphasis on the first “o”.) These graceful black boats are everywhere in the city of love; it is simply impossible to imagine the image of Venice without them.

Venice is a city where wheeled vehicles are not allowed. Here you either have to walk or swim. Today there are a lot of boats plying along the canals of Venice, but previously the main transport was the gondola.

Nowadays, the gondola in most cases serves as a romantic attraction for tourists. The Venetians themselves do not ride gondolas, primarily because of the very high price. A half-hour walk along the canals costs from 100 euros, depending on the time of day and the number of people wishing to ride. Since there are always plenty of people willing to ride, it is useless to bargain. The gondola can accommodate up to 6 people. The only way to save money is to gather a group of willing people. But, of course, many romantic couples who come to Venice ride together.

If you do without romance, you can ride a gondola for just 50 euro cents, crossing the Grand Canal as if using public transport.

Such special traghetto gondolas run between the banks of the canal, you just need to find a stop; there are plenty of them between the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square. There is no catch with the payment; the crossing actually costs 50 cents, but you will only be in the gondola for a couple of minutes.

Throughout Venice there are exits to the water, to which, if necessary, a boat - gondola or other - can moor.

Gondola sites throughout are rows of long wooden poles, called palinas, driven into the bottom of the canal.

The design of the gondola is unique; there is nothing like it anywhere in the world. The asymmetrical boat is 11.05 meters long, 1.4 meters wide, the left side is 24 centimeters higher so that the gondolier can control the boat while standing on the side. The gondola only has 1 oar as it is designed to navigate narrow canals.

When the boat moves, the gondolier applies the same force regardless of whether the gondola is empty or with passengers. The oar should move along a certain path, reminiscent of the letter “J”.

On the nose of the gondola there is a tall massive decoration - ferro (ferro) in the form of a crest of 6 stripes according to the number of districts of the city and one additional stripe, symbolizing the island of Giudecca. The curve at the top depicts the hat of the ruler of Venice, the Doge. Ferro weighs about 30 kilograms and is intended to serve as a counterweight to the gondolier standing at the other end of the gondola. Ferro also helps determine whether the gondola can float under the bridge in height.

Today, gondolas are produced by a small group of artisans who call themselves the San Trovaso shipyard. The cost of manufacturing the gondola is about 45,000 euros.

The first gondoliers in Venice were black slaves who belonged to aristocratic families. Over time, the work became prestigious, citizens of Venice began to engage in it, and a corporation of gondoliers was formed. In the 15-16 centuries in Venice there were, according to various sources, from 15 to 25,000 thousand gondoliers.

Today the association limits the number of gondoliers to 425. There cannot be more under any circumstances. The profession is inherited, the young gondolier takes an exam in driving a gondola, as well as exams in the history and geography of Venice and English. In 2009, the first female gondolier appeared in Venice, emancipation had already reached Venice...

A gondolier's working day lasts up to 15 hours; it is hard work. Mandatory dress code is a striped T-shirt and a straw hat with a blue or red ribbon. It cannot be said that they strictly follow the rules, although there is even provision for deprivation of a license for going to work in different clothes.

Some sources claim that gondoliers also take singing exams. She pestered me with questions and requests to sing to the gondolier during a gondola ride. He categorically denied information about singing exams and refused to sing barcarolle (Italian boat - barca).

Gondolas are traditionally all black. There are several versions of where this tradition came from. According to the first, they became black in 1562, when there was a plague epidemic in Venice, and the corpses of the dead were often transported on gondolas. According to another, bulky decorations were removed from the gondolas simply because some were too carried away and sometimes such boats had difficulty moving. The most romantic version is that gondolas began to be made all the same so as not to stand out. After all, lovers floated on gondolas under the cover of the night to their ladies.

They say that when sailing under the bridges of Venice on a gondola, you need to kiss your loved ones, or at least do it mentally if your other half is not around, in order to find eternal happiness.

Everyone reading these lines has the opportunity to sail with the author of the blog under the bridge on a gondola. Watch the video and kiss!

There are 466 bridges in Venice, but you shouldn't kiss under one of them.

The Bridge of Sighs connects the Doge's Palace with the prison building, so there is no sense of romance in this place, although most gondola rides along the canals start here.

At any time of the day, under the Bridge of Sighs you can see a string of gondolas floating along the Rio del Palazzo canal street.

Today's gondoliers decorate their gondolas with rugs, velvet seat covers, tassels, flowers, bronze candlesticks, but they do so in moderation. In general, the boats look strict.

Gondoliers have a lot of rules that must be followed. Control over compliance with the rules is entrusted to the carabinieri, the fines are considerable. For example, you are supposed to light a lantern at the bow of the gondola at dusk and at night. You cannot go on a gondola into the open lagoon. When turning in canals, you are supposed to shout something like “OOOOOOEEEE” to avoid colliding with another boat that may be turning.

Every city has its own sounds. Perhaps the sounds of Venice are the voices of gondoliers echoing from the walls of the houses. It’s a pity that they don’t sing songs anymore...

P.S. While looking through photos from Venice, I discovered this strange gondola in one of them. Not a gondola at all, however. And the boatman is dressed in a gondolier costume... The price for a ride from ignorant tourists, I wonder what it is?