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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 07 December 2008 19:18 |
The inhospitable nature of the lagoon, from which Venice grew as if by magic, has demanded of the Venetians an extraordinary capacity to adapt to a particular lifestyle implemented by means of an uncommon spirit of initiative. To combat the waters, now too high, now too low, and to make their way around the myriads of islands, the Venetians built the gondola and hundreds of bridges as well as planting thousands of poles.
Gondola
No-one knows exactly when the gondola was invented: the word gundula appears as early as 1094 in a decree of the Doge Vitale Falier although the reference relates to a massive boat equipped with a large crew of rowers — a far cry from the gondola we know today.
In the 14C, small boats covered with a central canopy, bore metal decorations on the prow and stern. At the end of the century the vessel began to be made longer and lighter, the prow and stern were raised and the felze or cabin was added which gave shelter in bad weather. Some had decorated prows. Others were painted in bright colours and decked with satin, silk and gleaming brass. On the prow and stern stood painted cherubs bearing the coat of arms of the family to which the gondola belonged. From the 16C, boats were gradually toned down by being painted black: a colour we might judge to be rather funereal, but in Venice red, not black, is the colour of mourning. Today the gondola is about 1 1 m (36 feet) long, 1.42m (4 feet) wide and comprises some 280 pieces of wood.
Building a gondola
The shipyards where gondolas are built and repaired are called squeri. At one time, each of these was allocated primarly to a family from Cadore, the wooden galleried constructions resembling a pine houses.
The ferro, a sabre-toothed projection made of iron placed at the prow and stern, is without doubt the most crucial element of the gondola: implemented initially as a fender to safeguard against knocks, today it serves as a counter-weight to the gondoliere, and is used to align the boat around hazards in the narrowest passages. The curved fin is said to echo the-dogal corno and to symbolise its power over the six sestieri or divisions of the city represented by the six serrations. The tooth that "guards" over the gondola itself is the Giudecca.
The forcola or oarlock, is an intricate piece of carving hewn from walnut wood, designed as a pivot that allows the oar maximum mobility. The oar is made of well- seasoned beechwood.
But perhaps only the most observant will notice the two bronze sea-horses cleating the cords of the seats.
Pali, paline, dame and bricole
Whether travelling by gondola, vaporetto or boat, there is always the risk of running aground. Navigable channels are_identifie_d_by means of the bricole - a series of large poles roped tog,ether_ the entrance to a canal or a junction meanwhile is indicated-by dame-whith-k&smaller poles than the bricole. The paline are those thin individual poles that project from the water at odd intervals to which private craft are tethered. They are particularly evocative if painted with coloured swirling stripes, outside some fine building to mark the landing stage of some patrician family in days of yore.
The bridges
Among the hundreds of Venetian bridges crossed to the sound of laughter and merriment during the tussles of "Su e zo per i ponti" meaning 'up and down the bridges' (see Traditional events), there are several like the Ponte Chiodo without railings or parapet, where the rival factions like the Castellani and Nicolotti faced each other during the "fist fights". Projects for bridges with three arches met with less success (see GHETTO). |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 13 December 2008 09:48 |
