Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy
Gian Marco Benedetto • 17 February 2025 • update: 17 February 2025
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
VENICE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 3: Gondola masters keep traditions alive by crafting unique boats, preserving an art form that has defined the city’s waterways for centuries in Venice, Italy, on February 3, 2025. The gondola is one of the oldest boats in Venice, a city famous for its iconic gondola rides, winding canals, beautiful bridges, and stunning architecture. Once used for transporting goods and people, the gondola has undergone numerous transformations over time, evolving into its present form. It is a narrow boat with a raised point at both ends, used on the city's canals. At the historic San Trovaso and Tramontin shipyards, Venice’s oldest, known for their collaborative craftsmanship, artisans continue to build and maintain these boats using traditional techniques. Their asymmetrical design, slightly tilted to the right, ensures greater stability and smoother navigation through the canals. Operated with a single oar, the gondola is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing a gondolier to maneuver with minimal energy expenditure. Today, gondolas are primarily used for transporting tourists and serving special occasions like weddings, film productions, documentaries, and advertisements. ( Gian Marco Benedetto - Anadolu Agency )Gian Marco Benedetto
