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What exactly is a gondola?
1 : a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice. 2a : an elongated car attached to the underside of an airship. b : an often spherical airtight enclosure suspended from a balloon for carrying passengers or instruments.
What is a gondola in Italy?
The gondola originated in Venice, Italy, that magical city situated on a series of six islands at the edge of the Adriatic Sea. Of all the differing watercrafts in Venice, the gondola is the most well-known. It is an ancient row boat, evolving over the last 1,000 years to become the sleek, graceful shape you see today.
What do gondoliers do?
Gondola drivers — called gondoliers — power the boats by hand. They row the boats along the canals using long oars. Gondolas were once the main mode of transportation in Venice. Today, they are mainly used by tourists.
What does a gondola look like?
A gondola is a flat-bottomed, wooden boat. It’s 11 meters long, weighs 600 kg and is hand built in special workshops called squeri of which there are still a few today. Gondoliers own and maintain their own boats, and the crafts and careers are often passed down from father to son for generations.
Why do gondoliers wear striped shirts?
Stripes had become a typical shirt worn by men on ships and boats. This was because the French Navy had designated that as a safety precaution so if a man fell overboard he could be spotted easier in the waves of the Sea.
What is the front of a gondola called?
bow iron
The front part of the gondola is called the “bow iron”, it is not just ornamental as each element of its design has a hidden meaning! The rear-facing tooth shape symbolizes the Giudecca island area. All the iron has the form of inverted “S”, a reference to the Grand Canal and the well known Rialto bridge.
Is a gondola a boat?
gondola, tapered, 32-foot- (10-metre-) long flat-bottomed boat historically associated with the canals and lagoon of Venice, carrying from two to six passengers. Once colourful and lavishly decorated, gondolas have been painted black since 1562, when a sumptuary law was passed regulating their appearance. …
Why are gondolas so expensive?
Why are gondola rides in Venice so expensive? It’s true, gondola rides in Venice are not cheap. The reason why gondola rides cost 80 euros for a private tour of 25-30 minutes is probably a simple matter of demand and offer.
Whats the difference between a punt and a gondola?
Gondolas are powered by a single oar, fixed to a bracket on the side of the boat. Punts are propelled by a quant which the driver pushes off the river bed.
Is a gondola a cable car?
A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. Because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alps, the Italian: Cabinovia and French: Télécabine are also used in English-language texts. The systems may also be referred to as cable cars.
What is a gondola in retail merchandising?
A gondola (usually pronounced /ɡɒnˈdoʊlə/ in this context) is a freestanding fixture used by retailers to display merchandise. Gondolas typically consist of a flat base and a vertical component featuring notches, pegboards, or slatwalls. The vertical piece can be fitted with shelves, hooks, or other displays.
What is a gondola on a hot air balloon?
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane .
What does gondolas mean?
Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Gondola. The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon .
What is the plural of gondola?
gondola (plural gondolas or gondole) A small long, narrow boat with a high prow and stern, propelled with a single oar, especially in Venice . A hanging platform or car for transporting people or cargo.