ON THE VENETIAN BOATS – The Gondola

The Gondola

The Venetian boat par excellence, whose origin remains a mystery in spite of extensive research into the subject.

Once, gondolas were extravagantly decorated by their wealthy and titled owners, whose fondness for ostentation was curbed by a sumptuary edict dictating that henceforth they should all be painted black.

The rules for construction are extremely strict: the right side must be 24 millimetres narrower than the left (this assymetry is know as lai); the boat must measure 10.75 metres in length and have an internal breadth of 1.38 metres. The gondola is used exclusively for ferrying persons and for boat races. Eight different types of wood are used in its construction and it is made up of over 280 different parts. The only parts in metal are the characteristic "ferro" of the prow and the "risso" of the stern.

The "ferro" characterises the gondola's prow and guarantees the boat's longitudinal stability, acting as a counterbalance to the gondolier's weight.

Popular tradition has it that the anterior "pettini" represent the six neighbourhoods of the city and the posterior one represents the island of Giudecca; the double "S" curve is the Grand Canal and the lunette, positioned under a stylised doge's cap, is Rialto Bridge.





Enrico (info@casadelmiele.com) - Casa del Miele - Bed and Breakfast Venezia Venice Venedig Venise Venecia (agriturismo, albergo, hotel, affittacamere, camere, alloggio, soggiorno, guesthouse, hostel, rooms)

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ON THE VENETIAN BOATS – The Gondola

The Gondola The Venetian boat par excellence, whose origin remains a mystery in spite of extensive research into the subject. Once, gondolas were extravagantly decorated by their wealthy and titled owners, whose fondness for ostentation was curbed by a sumptuary edict dictating that henceforth they should all be painted black. The rules for construction are extremely strict: the right side must be 24 millimetres narrower than the left (this assymetry is know as lai); the boat must measure 10.75 metres in length and have an internal breadth of 1.38 metres. The gondola is used exclusively for ferrying persons and for boat races. Eight different types of wood are used in its construction and it is made up of over 280 different parts. The only parts in metal are the characteristic "ferro" of the prow and the "risso" of the stern. The "ferro" characterises the gondola's prow and guarantees the boat's longitudinal stability, acting as a counterbalance to the gondolier's weight. Popular tradition has it that the anterior "pettini" represent the six neighbourhoods of the city and the posterior one represents the island of Giudecca; the double "S" curve is the Grand Canal and the lunette, positioned under a stylised doge's cap, is Rialto Bridge.

Enrico (info@casadelmiele.com) - Casa del Miele - Bed and Breakfast Venezia Venice Venedig Venise Venecia (agriturismo, albergo, hotel, affittacamere, camere, alloggio, soggiorno, guesthouse, hostel, rooms)www.casadelmiele.com

VENICE CARNIVAL 2012 (till 21 February)

The CarnivalRe-launched two decades ago, the Carnival was immediately regarded both in Italy and abroad as an event not to be missed.
Venice Carnival is steeped in history, charm and tradition: its inhabitants and tourists alike have taken a keen interest in it, thanks to its mix of transgression, art, history and culture in one of the most unique cities in the world.
During the ten days of Carnival leading up to Mardi Gras, Venice is a hive of activity and entertainment, from improvised street entertainment to performances put on by the organisers.
A central idea is chosen each year that is taken from various cultural or show-biz themes.
Saint Mark's Square remains the heart of Carnival, with its huge stage, although other events take place throughout the city, helping to avoid an excessive build-up of people in pedestrianised Venice.
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HistoryThe Carnival has its roots in many traditions, from the Latin feast of Saturnalia to the Greek feast of Dionysian cults. The Venice Carnival lasted for a few months, with public festivities, private parties, fireworks, street entertainers, and this certainly helped to create the image of Venice as a city dedicated to pleasure.
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Carnival in the 18th centuryDuring its final century of power appears concentrated on life's more exterior and frivolous pleasures. During this period Carnival, with its parties, entertainments, masks, theatres and public gaming house, became a tourist attraction for the whole of Europe.

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The theatresVenice's theatre season was the richest in Europe thanks to the many theatres in the city: Sixteen theatres were active in the 17th century.The Goldoni Theatre and the historic Malibran Theatre take centre stage during the mixed bag of events. The Fenice reopened in 2003 offering first-class performances after the completion of lengthy and complex restoration.

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The MasksDuring the last days of carnival the city teems with people in masks who happily invade streets and squares in search of fun and getting themselves noticed. It's possible to see every kind of costume, from static and icy 18th century noblewomen to the most inventive modern costumes.
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Traditional sweetsThe traditional sweets of the Venice Carnival are Frittelle and Galani, which are symbols of the Carnival itself


Enrico (info@casadelmiele.com) - Casa del Miele - Bed and Breakfast Venezia Venice Venedig Venise Venecia (agriturismo, albergo, hotel, affittacamere, camere, alloggio, soggiorno, guesthouse, hostel, rooms)www.casadelmiele.com

VENICE AND EGYPT (great Exhibition on Doge's Palace)

till 22 Jan 2012

Time: 8.30am - 5.30pm (ticket office 8.30am - 430pm)
Closed December 25th and January 1st

A major exhibitiondocumenting, through a thousand years of history and over three hundred exhibits, the delicate and intense political, cultural and commercial relations between Venice and Egypt. Archaeological finds, objects, coins and works of art ranging from classical to the opening of the Suez Canal (1869). The exhibition presents outstanding pieces such as the Egyptian mummy Nehmeket or small bronze statue of Anubis, the reliquary of St. Mark's from the Vatican Museums.Also on show, paintings by Giorgione, Tiziano, Bonifacio, Veronese, Tintoretto, Paolo Fiammingo, Strozzi, Fontebasso, Pittoni, Amigoni, Piazzetta, Giandomenico Tiepolo, fino alle vedute egizie dipinte nell'Ottocento da Ippolito Caffi.

Enrico (info@casadelmiele.com) - Casa del Miele - Bed and Breakfast Venezia Venice Venedig Venise Venecia (agriturismo, albergo, hotel, affittacamere, camere, alloggio, soggiorno, guesthouse, hostel, rooms)www.casadelmiele.com

Some unusual questions about Venice

Why do people in Venice row boats standing up?
The history of Veneto-style rowing is associated with the specific characteristics of the lagoon and the "use of flat bottomed boats without keel, which are light weight and can be steered by a single oarsman ... Rowing a boat with two crossed oars - called "alla Valesana" - was and still is practiced in the shoals and in the fishing valleys, however, this style of rowing is not possible in the narrow waterways in Venice with the heavy boat traffic. The oarsmen developed a special one-oared rowing technique in order to do away with the rudder, which was aided by their development of asymmetrical boats.A bit of exotica: even abroad many folks have fallen in love with this type of boating and gondolas are used in Holland, Germany, the United States and even China


Does it flood every time it rains in Venice?
Rain and flooding are not strictly related to each other. Acqua alta is nothing but a rather hefty high tide, such as often to flood, in some periods of the year, especially in October, November and December, the lower points of many fondamente (streets bordering canals), calli (streets), and campi (squares). Only very seldom are wide parts of the city flooded. This contrasts with a misunderstanding common among those who do not personally know the matter and are lead to think that acqua alta means water reaching to one's navel. It isn't obviously so: for instance, when "+100 cm acqua alta is mentioned, that meter only represents the increase in comparison with the average sea level (the average sea level conventionally accepted is the 1897 one measured at the Punta della Salute). At this level, only a very small number of city points get flooded.


Enrico (info@casadelmiele.com) - Casa del Miele - Bed and Breakfast Venezia Venice Venedig Venise Venecia (agriturismo, albergo, hotel, affittacamere, camere, alloggio, soggiorno, guesthouse, hostel, rooms)www.casadelmiele.com

The gondola and other Venetian boats - the GONDOLA

The Venetian boat par excellence, whose origin remains a mystery in spite of extensive research into the subject. Once, gondolas were extravagantly decorated by their wealthy and titled owners, whose fondness for ostentation was curbed by a sumptuary edict dictating that henceforth they should all be painted black. The rules for construction are extremely strict: the right side must be 24 millimetres narrower than the left (this assymetry is know as lai); the boat must measure 10.75 metres in length and have an internal breadth of 1.38 metres. The gondola is used exclusively for ferrying persons and for boat races. Eight different types of wood are used in its construction and it is made up of over 280 different parts. The only parts in metal are the characteristic "ferro" of the prow and the "risso" of the stern. The "ferro" characterises the gondola's prow and guarantees the boat's longitudinal stability, acting as a counterbalance to the gondolier's weight. Popular tradition has it that the anterior "pettini" represent the six neighbourhoods of the city and the posterior one represents the island of Giudecca; the double "S" curve is the Grand Canal and the lunette, positioned under a stylised doge's cap, is Rialto Bridge.

Enrico (info@casadelmiele.com) - Casa del Miele - Bed and Breakfast Venezia Venice Venedig Venise Venecia (agriturismo, albergo, hotel, affittacamere, camere, alloggio, soggiorno, guesthouse, hostel, rooms)www.casadelmiele.com