 |
|
|
Definition:
it is the well-known wooden boat used in Venice to transport people (today
mainly tourists). Its hull is slender and coloured black; it has a flat bottom and raised ends and is 11.10m long and 1.42m wide. Its
bow has an axe-shaped ferro with ‘teeth’, the stern has a
raised platform for the gondolier. The boat is asymmetrical to allow the
boat to be rowed with a single oar from the side of the stern using the forcola
– the wooden rowlock – as a fulcrum. Form:
the gondola has evolved, both aesthetically and technically, over the
centuries. It is difficult to draw the boat because of its complexity and
irregularity, both of which contribute to its hydrodynamic efficiency. The
stern and bow are tall and slender, an original but purely decorative
feature. Parts:
there are about 280, each one corresponding to a precise structural or
ornamental function. Woods
used: oak, larch, fir, linden,
elm, walnut, mahogany, cherry and cornel. |
 |
|
The
gondola has been referred to as:
‘a boat-symbol of Venice’, ‘an emblem of the city’, ‘a
metaphor for the uniqueness of Venice’, ‘a floating sculpture’… ‘To
go by gondola’: phrase, ‘to experience great joy’ (Salvatore
Battaglia, Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 1970. El fèlze was a removable cabin placed at the centre of the gondola, a shelter for the passengers in winter, at night or in case of wind and rain; it was only used on the boat when necessary; it had a front opening with a small door, small side windows and a curved roof. The structure was complex and richly decorated in wood and metal. It was made by the felzèri and other craftsmen. Once every gondola – expensive or modest – had a fèlze, but a few decades ago it fell into disuse because of its incompatibility with the modern-day function of the gondola. |
|
|
||
 |
associazione 'el felze' - san marco 430 - 30123 venezia - italy |  |