Gondolas

Gondolas are special boats from Venice, Italy. Venice is a city built on water, with canals instead of streets. Gondolas have been gliding through these canals for over a thousand years. A gondolier stands at the back and rows with a single long oar.

All About Gondolas

Each gondola is handmade from eight types of wood. They are about 36 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds. A gondola is actually a little bit curved to one side. This helps the gondolier steer straight while rowing on just one side of the boat.

Gondoliers

Gondoliers are the people who row gondolas. Becoming a gondolier takes years of training. You have to pass a tough test about Venice's history and waterways. There are only about 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice. Many gondolier families have been rowing for generations.

Fun Facts

• All gondolas in Venice are painted black because of a law from the 1500s.
• It takes about two months to build a single gondola by hand.
• There are only about 400 gondolas left in Venice, down from thousands in past centuries.

Did You Know?

Venice has over 150 canals and 400 bridges. Since there are no roads for cars, people get around by boat. Even the ambulances and police cars in Venice are boats!