When was the first gondola built

In the 16th Century, the Italian government placed a blanket ban on increasing extravagance and ordered that all private gondolas be painted black, a practice that continues till today to maintain uniformity. By the 17th Century, towards the end of the Italian Renaissance, around 9, gondolas floated around the city, connecting citizens from point A to B. Today, almost all the gondolas in Venice follow a uniform design.

It takes about two months to construct a gondola and only those who have mastered the art and abide by a strict code called the mariregole can build one. Each gondola is surprisingly similar to the other. They weigh about kg and measure about 11m long. The boats are built to seamlessly navigate through the narrow canal system and footbridges in Venice. While it is flat-bottomed like a canoe or kayak, the resemblance ends there.

Gondolas are asymmetrical, longer and narrower. Interestingly, each gondola is made from eight different kinds of wood -- elm, mahogany, birch, oak, lime, cherry, walnut and larch. Each serves a different purpose in ensuring the boat stays afloat and can carry maximum weight.

It also dually helps keep the gondola level above water. Ropeway Components. Show all products. Application areas. Grip revision. Services, contacts, hotline. Quality and Ethics. Company sites. HTI Group. Useful information. Annual reports. Suppliers section. I am searching for The evolution of ropeways. The history of ropeways A short overview. Keep up with the latest news. Subscribe to the newsletter Subscribe. In the know on the latest ropeway technology. After Sales For questions regarding after sales and customer training courses.

Sales For the realization of ropeway projects. Contacts worldwide. The first mention of gondolas came in as a simple means of transport around the canals of Venice. They later appeared in paintings by Canaletto, Carpaccio and Bellini though by the s they had become increasingly ornate and ostentatious luxury vessels. The embellishment of gondolas got so over the top that in , the Senate issued a law to end the exuberance by requiring all gondolas to be painted black.

That tradition has remained to this day. Gondolas continued to grow in popularity. It is estimated that there were up to 10, gondolas crowding the Venetian canals between the 17thand 18thcenturies.