>The Gondolas of Venice: their origins and future, including the one owned by Marie Corelli
Nick Birch
Nick researched and rediscovered Marie Corelli’s gondola in 1994, restored it and returned it to the river Avon. The project took him to Venice where he worked in one of the few remaining gondola yards, learning how they are built, and rowed in Venetian regattas. Back in Stratford, he has built two Venetian boats at the boathouse where he works. Nick regularly travels back to Venice with his Italian wife.
Watch the presentation here (50 seconds in)
Nick Birch’s interest in gondolas sprang from Marie Corelli’s gondola, which he acquired in 2010 and restored. Corelli did not buy the gondola in Venice, but from an exhibition in London in 1903. It cost 1,250 lire. She kept it at Avonbank and had a Venetian gondolier until he was sacked , then her gardener took on the role until he died in 1904. A Mr Grey bought it, took it to London, then it came to Ragley Hall in 1960. It sank but was rescued and then Nick bought it. It is unique and is two thirds of the normal length, i.e. 24 feet long, not 36 feet.
In Venice, gondolas are one of many types of boat. The gondola's essential characteristics are suited to its particular circumstances. It has a double ended hull, rounded topsides, a flat bottom, and it is asymmetrical: curved to the right. It has a fero (or prow) at the front (they used to be made of iron), which has 6 teeth. They are always black apart from fancy fittings, and there is a single oar at the rear.
The word gondola first appeared in 1094, derived from the words kondura or cymbula, meaning short ship or small boat. They were rowed standing up to be able to see the way through the traffic. They developed in the 15th century and by the 16th the ends were more pronounced and sometimes had two rowers. In the 17th century they became a vehicle for the elite and sometimes had covers for the passengers. At this time the state ruled that they should all be black. In the 18th century Canaletto painted very accurate depictions of them, and in one 1730 painting he depicted a single gold gondola used for a foreign ambassador. The fero became higher as the passenger cabin (felze) obscured the gondolier’s view. However, the felze was then replaced by a tendalino (a canopy), which was smaller, or disappeared altogether. In the 19th century Venice’s economy was in ruins and tourism saved it.
There are many different types of wood used in the making of the various parts of a gondola. The sections are wetted and bent to fit exactly according to the client’s requirements. As there is no keel the strength comes from the box structure in the body. It takes two men 30 days and £30,000 to build one, and on completion they weigh 750 kgs. The gondolier stands with his right foot in front of the left and sways with the oar pressed against the rowlock. It is a highly technical skill, and very subtle movements are used to row a gondola as it pivots rather than travels in a straight line.
There are 450 gondoliers plus permitted substitutes. There were once three categories of water transport:
- ferries, wider with two gondoliers
- the standard 'de noto', for up to five people costing about 90 euros for half an hour
- the 'da casada' gondola for private hire, which are no longer available.
We were shown a picture of Peggy Guggenheim in her de casada.
Venetians only use gondolas for weddings and funerals, a regatta in September and a big race in May out to Verano in which about 1,000 boats with 50 rowers take part.
The future of the gondola: it is something of a cultural icon, a popular commercial tourist vehicle now. The vaporetto (canal boat, originally a steamboat, now a motorboat) threatened them in the 19th century, and the motor launch in the 20th century. Motor barges and speed boats are a problem creating huge waves. There is also the sandolo, which has a flat bottom and is rowed from the middle of the boat. They are lighter but also stronger. Bamboo has also been suggested as a building material.
Questions followed:
- There is an apprenticeship system and a test of language skills, culture and historical knowledge
- Their hats are made of straw. The striped shirt has a naval origin
- Female gondoliers are rare: the first dating from 10-15 years ago
- Marie Corelli’s boat is hired out sometimes on the Avon and Nick currently does the tours
- There are about 20 boats in a gondola club in this country
- Hire tariffs in Venice are regulated and exhibited at the hire point, but these may be ignored!
The talk was well attended and well-illustrated.
Report by Helen Elliott.
Image of Venice courtesy of Damiano Baschiera.
