Why You Should Definitely Take a Gondola Ride in Venice?

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The Mysterious “Ferro” on the Bow

The curved ornamental “ferro” on the front, called the ferro, isn’t just decorative. It serves the functional purpose of stabilizing the boat across Venice’s waters. Its six prongs represent the six districts of Venice, while the curved top represents the Doge’s hat.

It Takes Over a Year to Build One

A single gondola is handcrafted using 280 pieces of wood from 8 different types of trees, and it takes expert artisans more than a year to complete!

Every Gondola is Asymmetrical

A gondola is not perfectly symmetrical! The left side is slightly longer than the right (about 24 cm) to balance the gondolier’s weight and allow smooth navigation.

Gondoliers Must Pass a Tough Exam

Becoming a gondolier is no easy feat! They must complete rigorous training, along with oral examinations on Venetian history, foreign language fluency, and boat skills to get one of the city’s limited licenses.

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