Venice has been on my mind lately. The last time I organised a tour there was 2022 when I was desperate to return to Italy after two years of shutdown due to Covid. Not many people had started travelling in June of that year and Venice was pristine and uncrowded.

Now, I want to walk the fondamenta again (the streets that run along canals), get lost in the sestieri (districts), absorb every detail and feel the emotion of a city that has a thousand stories.

There are places in the world of travel that everyone should see at least once in a lifetime. Venice is one of those places.

For a long time now, Venice has been a victim of overtourism and climate change. Rising sea levels and more frequent acqua alta events threaten to redraw the edges of the lagoon itself.

Venice is a collection of 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea, connected by over 400 footbridges and 170 canals. There are about 125 fragile piazzas. Be willing to get lost because you will. If asking for directions, just focus on the first direction, arrive at the first piazza and repeat your question. It’s the only way.

I love arriving in Venice! Santa Lucia has to be the best train station in the world to exit. Laid out before your eyes is a vibrant water highway filled with colour and busyness as the vaporetti, barges and gondolas transport people and freight along the four kilometres of the Grand Canal.

How was Venice built?

Venice was founded in the 5th century AD, when the inland population was seeking shelter from the barbarian invasions. The Venetians moved towards the lagoon that was composed of many islands. In order to build their city, they used millions of oak poles. They planted the poles in the ground until they reached the solid land under the mud layer. The space between the poles was filled with shards, stones and other waste materials. Over the layer of poles they put wooden boards that formed the base. Over these boards Venetians built their homes.

Since there were no forests nearby, they gathered the wood in Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro and transported it by water. The poles remained intact because there is no oxygen in the deep layers beneath the mud, therefore avoiding the rotting process.

Venice is gradually subsiding, sinking by roughly 1-2 millimetres per year. The city relies on the MOSE barrier system (floating floodgates) to alleviate flooding caused by seasonal high tides, driven by wind, lunar cycles and rising sea levels. Water regularly spills into Venice’s streets, transforming piazzas into their own little lagoons. During acqua alta, raised walkways crisscross the city and Venetians slip into rubber boots.

It’s not a permanent fix though. On low-lying islands, even minor surges can disrupt transport, ruin gardens, or seep into workshops.

The fascinating story of the gondola

The gondola has been a means of transport in Venice since the 11th century. At one time thousands of them crowded the Venetian canals. The boat makers had to follow strict regulations including ensuring that sons followed in their fathers’ footsteps.

At that time, the flat bottomed boat had two rowers and came in a variety of colours. Rich families competed with each other to see who had the fanciest, brightest or most gold on their gondola (a bit like who could build the tallest tower in places like San Gimignano, Lucca and Bologna), so a Venetian Doge ordered all gondolas to be painted black. Passed in the 17th century, the law has remained for almost 500 years.

Gondolas are not mass produced. Handmade with 280 pieces of eight kinds of wood, the gondola takes a minimum of two months to build. Each one is 35 feet long and weighs more than 500 kilos. A standard new model can range from 38,000-50,000 euro whilst a luxury model can range from 60,000-100,000 euro.

One cannot just decide to become a gondolier

Gondolieri go through rigorous training. They must begin by passing rowing and swimming tests. If they pass, they spend two years at gondolier school. However, only 25 out of 250 actually get in and the cost is around 2,000 euro. They take courses in a foreign language, Venetian history and culture, geography and rowing. Prospective gondolieri then have 500 hours of training before they take the exams. Retirement age is 70 years.

There are currently 433 licensed gondoliers operating in Venice. Each license is linked to a particular gondola station, so gondolieri always work in the same location. They must wear dark blue or black trousers and a striped shirt. Straw hats with ribbons are optional!

For nearly 1,000 years, the profession was exclusively male, with coveted licenses traditionally passed down from father to son. In 2010, 24 year old Giorgia Boscolo made Venetian history by passing the rigorous practical and theoretical exams to become Venice’s first officially licensed female gondolier (gondoliera). There are now 14 female gondoliers operating in Venice.

Visiting Venice without a gondola ride is like visiting Rome without a tour of the Colosseum. The cost is per boat, not person, with a capacity of five passengers. A day-time thirty minute ride is around 90 euro, so 18 euro/pp based on five people.

How long in Venice?

Like most places in Italy, my recommendation is at least three nights. A day of slow walking is needed to lose yourself in the quieter streets and neighbourhoods to find the magic moments. A day to visit the island of Murano that glows with glass blowing furnaces and Burano, a kaleidoscope of colour on water, famous for lace-making, is definitely worthwhile. See my newsletter - Burano and Murano: Keepers of timeless craftmanship.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb