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the carpenters specialised in the construction of wooden boats, including
the gondola. In Venetian vocabulary squèro is the workshop where small wooden boats are made. The dark and asymmetrical form of the gondola begins in the cantièr, the ‘template’ of the boat, with the two vertical elements, ‘aste’ or ‘dritti’ (stems), onto which the timber and the bottom of the boat are fixed. The ‘aste’ the ‘ordinate’ (sections) the còrbe and the vòlti (parts of the frame), the sancòni (curved elements of the frame), the piàne (straight parts of the frame), the sércio (bulwark)… the names and the pieces and the types of wood multiply as the boat is gradually formed. The
wood is bent gently with ancient techniques using slow-burning marsh
reeds. A greater variety of woods are used for the gondola than for other
types of boat: oak, larch, fir, linden, elm, walnut, mahogany, cherry and
small quantities of cornel. First on the cantièr, then with the culo
par aria (upside down) the boat takes shape. The construction is
laborious and complex and follows a precise sequence: the caulking, the
application of pitch to the bottom, the blacksmiths’ insertion of the
bow and stern ferri, the work of the engravers… and the finishing
and painting. |
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The
tools are those of a typical boatyard: various types of axes (a key role
is that of the ‘maestro d’ascia’ – the master axeman),
and of planes, saws for straight or curved cuts, hand drills (now
electric), hammers of various sizes, rasps, chisels, mallets and tools
for caulking. The squerariòl is fond of his tools, a fact that provides a guarantee of greater precision and professionalism. The squerariòli were often descendents of families who had worked at the trade for generations and made up a tight-knit profession that was proud of its skills. They were part of the marangòni da nave (naval carpenters); these were divided into squerariòli da grosso (medium or large tonnage) and squerariòl da sotil (boats with flat bottoms such as the gondola). They had their own independent guild in 1610. In the past the banks of the lagoon, the canals and even the city centre were packed with squèri. |
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associazione 'el felze' - san marco 430 - 30123 venezia - italy |  |