Why corruption, wealth and beauty: the history of Venice gondolas?

If I say, Venice? Do you imagine yourself winding down the Grand Canal in a small boat and listening to the boatman serenade? The boat gondola is undoubtedly a symbol of Venice, but how did this strange black banana boat come into being?

The origin history of Venice gondolas has not been confirmed, but in the 6th century, about 10000 gondolas shuttled through the canals of the city to pick up and drop off VIPs or transport goods.

In fact, Venice has a large number of handmade boats, from practical rafts to luxury boats owned by the governor. Just like the modern taxi system, gondola rents it to boatmen who travel between ferry stations in the city. Passengers pay to go from one side of the Grand Canal to the other, and also to other parts of the city.

But the boatmen soon got a bad reputation. Historical documents record a large number of illegal cases involving boatmen, including swearing, gambling, extortion of passengers, and even occasional violent incidents. In order to minimize the unpredictable dangers in the canal navigation, Venetians who have the financial ability bought gondolas themselves, just like celebrities buy private cars and use private drivers today.

These wealthy Venetians hired two private boatmen so that they could travel all over the city and let the boatmen maintain their boats. Gondola soon became a status symbol, just like a luxury car, with customized accessories, gold-plated carvings and seasonal fabrics such as silk and velvet.

But now most of gondola looks black. Because in 1562, the local authorities in Venice issued a decree stipulating that all gondola except the celebration boats should be painted black to avoid immoral extravagance and waste. However, there are still some wealthy Venetians who choose to pay a fine to keep their splendid gondola, which is just a facade.

Gondola's unique appearance has evolved for centuries. Gondola made by various docks is called (Squero). Children and grandchildren learn from their ancestors how to choose and air-dry beech, cherry, elm, fir, larch, lime, mahogany, oak and walnut.