The modern Gondolier
Venice, Italy
Think of Venice and you immediately think of gondoliers - the first ever mention of an Italian gondola was in Venice in 1094 and, of course, as long as there's been gondolas there's been gondoliers to drive them..
Can anyone be a gondolier? The simple answer is no! Driving an Italian gondola has always been very much a ‘closed shop’. The gondolier’s licence used to be passed from father to son, or if there was no son, to another male family member. These days it's even more difficult to get a licence. Every gondolier must belong to the strictly controlled thousand-year-old Gondolier’s Guild. He must find an experienced gondola driver to act as mentor, attend four hundred hours of instruction, and later pass a rigorous examination which tests not only physical endurance but navigational skills, knowledge of other languages and, most importantly, knowledge of Venice’s culture and sights. There are 425 licensed gondoliers. Once they have passed the examination, both theory and practice, they must await acceptance, but they are sworn to secrecy about the details of the tests.
It has always been deemed a male profession but Giorgia Boscolo changed all that when she became the first women to complete the rigorous training in August 2010. She was given her licence despite reservations not only from the Gondoliers’ Guild, but from her gondolier driving father who commented that he was not sure whether it was a “suitable profession” for a woman.
Being a gondolier is very much a revered profession in Venice - before you scoff at the cost of riding in one, spare a thought that the cost of becoming a gondolier and getting a licence is probably the equivalent cost of lumbering yourself with a decent sized mortgage in the UK!
A gondolier's uniform is very strictly regulated and their clothes are all purchased from a shop next to the Rialto Bridge. In the summer, they wear a white sailor’s shirt or a striped tee shirt (red or navy - this is personal choice and nothing to do with experience!) and a straw boater with matching band. In the cold weather, a navy woollen reefer jacket of traditional style is worn. It can get frosty in Venice in winter and they combat the cold by wearing balaclavas under their straw boaters, making them look rather sinister I think but who cares if it keeps them warm!.
These two gondoliers have each added a very modern twist to their uniforms - I'm not sure how they've managed to flaunt the strict regulations ... and get away with it!
The modern Gondolier
Venice, Italy
Think of Venice and you immediately think of gondoliers - the first ever mention of an Italian gondola was in Venice in 1094 and, of course, as long as there's been gondolas there's been gondoliers to drive them..
Can anyone be a gondolier? The simple answer is no! Driving an Italian gondola has always been very much a ‘closed shop’. The gondolier’s licence used to be passed from father to son, or if there was no son, to another male family member. These days it's even more difficult to get a licence. Every gondolier must belong to the strictly controlled thousand-year-old Gondolier’s Guild. He must find an experienced gondola driver to act as mentor, attend four hundred hours of instruction, and later pass a rigorous examination which tests not only physical endurance but navigational skills, knowledge of other languages and, most importantly, knowledge of Venice’s culture and sights. There are 425 licensed gondoliers. Once they have passed the examination, both theory and practice, they must await acceptance, but they are sworn to secrecy about the details of the tests.
It has always been deemed a male profession but Giorgia Boscolo changed all that when she became the first women to complete the rigorous training in August 2010. She was given her licence despite reservations not only from the Gondoliers’ Guild, but from her gondolier driving father who commented that he was not sure whether it was a “suitable profession” for a woman.
Being a gondolier is very much a revered profession in Venice - before you scoff at the cost of riding in one, spare a thought that the cost of becoming a gondolier and getting a licence is probably the equivalent cost of lumbering yourself with a decent sized mortgage in the UK!
A gondolier's uniform is very strictly regulated and their clothes are all purchased from a shop next to the Rialto Bridge. In the summer, they wear a white sailor’s shirt or a striped tee shirt (red or navy - this is personal choice and nothing to do with experience!) and a straw boater with matching band. In the cold weather, a navy woollen reefer jacket of traditional style is worn. It can get frosty in Venice in winter and they combat the cold by wearing balaclavas under their straw boaters, making them look rather sinister I think but who cares if it keeps them warm!.
These two gondoliers have each added a very modern twist to their uniforms - I'm not sure how they've managed to flaunt the strict regulations ... and get away with it!