L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano ELIZABETH SALTHOUSE F or centuries they were the only way to travel, criss- crossing the shallow lagoon and navigating the city's iconic canals. Today, whilst Venice's gondolas still glide silently through the waterways few visitors know their history, happy to just enjoy the view or the occasional melodic song of a gondolier. Look closer, however, and you'll see that they're more than just a decorative way to travel. If you know how to read them, they'll tell you everything you need to know about the city. Here's how to decode the hidden symbology of the iconic Venetian gondola. Decoding gondolas in Venice The gondola is the indis- putable symbol of Venice, recog- nised the world over. Many see a ride along the Grand Canal in one of the sleek, black craft as the epitome of romance. And whilst you certainly get a differ- ent perspective on the city from the gondola's low position in the water with palazzi looming over- heard, their origins lie in much more practical roots, driven by the necessities of daily life in the lagoon. And their history is writ- ten all over them, if you just know where to look. So let's begin with the shape. At first glance the gondola looks like a long, flat-bottomed wooden canoe. And all gondolas are the same shape and size, by law. So everyone is 35ft 6 inches long, 4 foot 6 inches wide. Every one weighs 1,500 lbs (700 kg). And every one is made from 280 individually hand-crafted pieces gathered from eight different woods. Even with a casual glance you can see the skill that goes into making these craft but those with eagle eyes will begin to spot some interesting anom- alies. For a start the gondola notice- ably leans over to one side. And its sides aren't straight or an equal length either with one being a full 10 inches longer than the other. It's an odd looking canoe but these aren't just local quirks; there is method in the old Venetian boat makers' madness. When the first Venetian set- tlers arrived at the lagoon the saltwater offered protection from their attackers, as it was impossi- ble for anyone to creep up across the open water unnoticed. But whilst the water looks, and indeed is, deep in places, in many more spots it's barely knee high. Venetians therefore needed shallow-drafted boats in order to survive in the unique habitat. Hence the flat-bottomed gondola was born, enabling gondoliers and fishermen to glide through the shallow waters and avoid grounding on the mudflats. The odd sideways pitch of the gondola is another feature that helps in shallow water. Venetians discovered that rowing in a standing position, instead of seated, offered them better sightlines to spot, and avoid, mud banks or underwater obstacles. But standing, and espe- cially rowing, in an ordinary boat is a precarious thing as it greatly affects the balance so local boat Many see a ride along the Grand Canal in gondola as the epitome of romance. Photo by lachris77 ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Decoding Venice's iconic gondolas Gondolas are more than just a decorative way to travel. Their history is written all over them, if you just know where to look. Photo by .shock makers not only built the gondola with a flat bottom but also a slightly lopsided one to counter- balance the gondolier's weight. The curved, asymmetrical shape further helps to offset the lone gondolier and makes steering the heavy gondola with just one oar much easier. The gondolier also has two more tools in his box that help him make rowing a gondola look effortless; namely his oar and forcola, or oarlock that holds the oar in place. They're the 2 ele- ments of the boat that weld man and boat together to give lever- age, control and speed. And they're the only parts of a gondo- la that are made to fit the gondo- lier rather than to a standard blue- print, so if you know how to read a forcola or an oar you can tell the rower's height, rowing style and sometimes even whether they have posture problems or injuries. It's just another of the iconic Venetian gondola's inge- nious and mysterious design fun- damentals that go totally unno- ticed by smooching passengers. And finally, there's one last feature that hides some serious symbols and that's the prua or metallic prow. Few things are more emblematic of Venice than the gleaming pronged prow of a gondola and yet so few visitors understand what it really stands for. At a practical level the gleam- ing pronged prow is another counterweight to the gondolier at the back. It also protects the front of the wooden boat from acciden- tal scrapes and collisions. But the prow is so much more and if you know how to decipher it will reveal information about the geography, landscape and power of this most beautiful of cities. As you look closer the details start to stand out. And every one has a meaning. The domed top, for example, represents the cere- monial hat of the Doge or presi- dent of the old Venetian Republic. The 6 prongs to the front represent the 6 districts or sestieres of the historic centre. And the prong facing backwards denotes the island of Giudecca that floats just off the bottom of the city. Some boats also have 3 additional prongs interspersed between the 6 main ones and these signify the main islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. But that's not all. The overall S- shape of the prow mirrors the characteristic curves of the leg- endary Grand Canal that winds between the city's grandest palazzi. And finally the small semi-circular opening beneath the dome represents St Mark's Basin, the expanse of water in front of the Doge's Palace that leads to the city's front door. Ultimately the entire city is encased in this wonderful metal- lic prua so it's fitting that it's become the motif of Venice across the world. So as you can see, despite their apparent monochrome sim- plicity and uniform shape, Venetian gondolas are actually bursting with unique historic symbols, secret signs and hidden information if only you know how to read them. From deci- phering the history of the boat and why it's the shape it is, to reading the geography of the city from the design, to measuring the size of the gondolier just from the forcola or oarlock, few things bring Venice to mind or tell you as much about the city than the gorgeous, gleaming gondolas. Maybe next time you're in Venice, you'll see more than just romance in the gondolas gliding along the Grand Canal, you'll see the world through Venetian eyes.

• Cover