‘Dark and meaningless’: Venice’s traditional gondola shipyards now lie silent
VENICE: Already under threat, Venice’s traditional gondola shipyards now lie silent apart from the gentle sound of canal water lapping at their doorsteps.
When Italian master Canaletto was painting his panoramas of the floating city in the 18th century, the “squeri”, as they are known, were ten a penny. Now only four of the small shipyards remain.
All of them have been at a near or complete standstill since a blanket ban on sailing gondolas was imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Venice without gondolas is dark and meaningless,” said Roberto Dei Rossi, one of the few remaining traditional carpenters who build the long black boats.
The 58-year-old crafts between four and five gondolas a year by hand, each one taking some 400 hours to make.
“Every time I put a new one into the water, it’s like witnessing a birth. It’s my creation,” he told AFP.
The boats are just over 10 metres long, 1.38 metres wide and weigh 600 kg.
They are made up of 280 pieces of wood from eight different species of tree - oak, larch, walnut, cherry, basswood, cedar, mahogany, and fir.
They are bought almost exclusively by gondoliers, who pay between 30,000 euros ($33,000) and 50,000 euros depending on the finish.
Each is made to measure and adapted to the weight of its new owner. “We also have had a few enthusiasts who have placed orders with us, in the United States, Germany and Japan,” said Dei Rossi.
They were once considered a present fit for a king: some, along with their gondoliers, were offered by Venice’s Doge to France’s Louis XIV for the “royal flotilla” that sailed on the Palace of Versailles’ Grand Canal.
The bulk of the fleet now glides along the canals of Venice, punted by some 400 gondoliers. Would-be newcomers have to bid for a limited number of navigation licences granted by the city hall.
These are glum times for gondoliers though: the pandemic has put a temporary end to romantic tours by water. The sector had already suffered during exceptional high tides at the end of last year, which put off tourists and damaged boats.