The Nineteenth century, first part: great structural changes
The nineteenth-century-gondola can be considered as a transition between the eighteenth-century-one and the today's one, which is " asymmetric". During the nineteenth century they are made by "squeraroli" all a series of changes , perhaps little huge but, in some cases, of great importance. They were made to adapt the boat to the practical needs.First of all the stern part undergoes a progressive raising from the water, for a greater controllability, as the length of the gondola reaches 11 metres; increasing the stern height , the gondolier enjoys a better visibility. In the same time it diminishes the part immersed in the water: the "forcola", that is the centre of resistance of a second kind lever (represented by an oar, while water is the fulcrum) can be moved to the extremity of the immersed part. The raising of the stern part reaches, in the nineteenth century, optimal values, that are only little increased nowadays, according to the needs of the gondolier.
Moreover, the inclination to right is useful to counterbalance the weight of the gondolier, that can move more to the left edge, distancing from the forcola and using, therefore, a greater "lever arm".
Even the bow-part begins to raise from water, even if a raising really notable, such as to give the boat the crescent moon form , will appear only in the twentieth century. The reasons that brought to raise the bow are linked to the needs of manoeuvrability: less is the part immersed in water, more is the easiness by which one can make the boat turn round itself, this is a driving so much important as frequent in the narrow canals of the city.
The Nineteenth century, second part: the asymmetry
Even if it is not very evident, another great change appears in the nineteenth century: the plan of the gondola begins to become asymmetric. Why?The reason is to be looked for still once in the needs of manoeuvrability: the asymmetry moves the centre of gravity of the boat to the right side, so that, floating, the gondola keeps an attitude inclined towards starboard, with a greater immersion of its right side, as we can well see in the picture here beneath:Now, since the boat is inclined to turn round to left under the push of the oar (we always speak of only a rower), the inclination to right is in contrast with this trend! If a symmetric boat needs a strong "angle of drift" to be able to go on straight line, to the gondola are enough only 5 degrees of drift!
Moreover, the inclination to right is useful to counterbalance the weight of the gondolier, that can move more to the left edge, distancing from the forcola and using, therefore, a greater "lever arm".
The Twentieth century: the result of secular adaptations
In the twentieth century the structural changes begun in the former century take a more definite character. The raising of the bow area is more and more marked and it implies a further diminution of the part that is always immersed in the water. This involves a greater manoeuvrability and gives a slender aspect to the bow. Moreover , a bow very set down on the water, as happened in the former centuries, should slip too easily and deeply into the waves broken up of our basins:the water current traffic is not even comparable to that of the past, without talking about the motorized one and the problem of wave motion.
Even asymmetry takes a great impulse in our century. If the nineteenth - century boat presented a still modest asymmetry (only 3 cm of greater width of the left side as to the median line) now we see a gauge by 8 times superior (as much as 24 cm!), with the advantages quoted in the 6 chapter about the manoeuvrability.
Moreover, the inclination to right is useful to counterbalance the weight of the gondolier, that can move more to the left edge, distancing from the forcola and using, therefore, a greater "lever arm".
We have to note that the felze is disappeared in this century. In short we can say that the gondola was born and changes for practical needs, in addition to aesthetic ones, even if what mostly strikes is the absolute technical clearness of the result, that seems to spring from a complex project of great advance-guard to which, on the other hand, it goes a very great "poem" in harmonizing lines and forms.
The End of the Fifteenth Century and the Sixteenth Century
The first information we have about the appearance of gondola are due to the work of artists as Gentile Bellini , Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Mansueti.In the reconstruction here aside we can see well represented the main characteristics of the boat of this period.The preparation for passengers looks very "spartan": two simple transverse benches, without any fixed stuffing, one of which utilizes as back the "trasto " of the stern; the space for the sailor looks very narrow and obliges him to rather unstable positions.
At the end of the fifteenth century and at the beginning of the sixteenth century there are not great differences between the boats driven by "row in the Venetian style", so it is right in the sixteenth century that gondola begins to take on some characteristics that distinguish it as a means destined mainly to private transport of persons of a certain rank. The preparation for passengers looks very "spartan": two simple transverse benches, without any fixed stuffing, one of which utilizes as back the "trasto " of the stern; the space for the sailor looks very narrow and obliges him to rather unstable positions. The "irons" are reduced to two subtle metal blades. It is interesting the fact that some gondole already present the "felze", the covering of the gondola, such as to give it the appearance and the function of a carriage, offering shelter to bad weather and to tactless looks.
As we can see, at last, the gondole already look of black colour (on the hull). It is a characteristic of all the Venetian boats, and it is due to the use of pitch as something waterproof. Legends that attribute to it the use to the commemoration of mournful plagues are to be considered groundless.
If earlier the gondola is not yet well distinguished from the other boats, in the second half of the sixteenth century we witness a significant change: beyond appearing a little longer and slimmer, its irons of the stern and the bowtake on a particular aspec t and confer a new line to the profile of the boat. The nails that fixed them to the hull become laminas, with a clear aesthetic purpose.
The Seventeenth century: the gondola stresses its characteristics
The hull gets still longer, raising a little the stern, but they are always the irons to be uncontested protagonists of the boat.On the iron of the bow, it becomes more evident and marked the upper blade, while the "broche" (lamina) take on a more rounded form and they increase in dimensions.
During this century the back iron gradually loses importance until it changes in a sort of decorative appendix, a" ricciolo" more or less elaborate. In this period the cover of the bow changes in two slopes angled between them, called "fiuboni". This angulation is also extended to the front "trasto", the" bow trasto".(To know more about these parts of the gondola see " The construction phases- 3: The cover and the trasti" in the section "The gondola and its history")
The Eighteenth century: the gondola that everybody recognize
The hull gets still longer, the stern cover changes (like the proviera one) in two angled slopes ("fiuboni"), the trasti get bigger and we have more driving surface for the gondolier. (To know more about these parts of the gondola see "The Construction Phases 3: The cover and the trasti" in this section)The bow iron, that dominates uncontested over all the boat, begins, from the half of the century, to endure a certain dimensional contraction and to take on its definitive form. On the iron, moreover, appear the decorative nails, of an extended form and pierced, that will be, from now on, characteristic.
The "forcola", towards the end of the century, is inclined to take on the "elbow " form that is its own characteristic and that becomes so useful during the driving and the back rowing.
The felze takes a structural aspect more solid. In the reconstruction here aside we can see well represented the main characteristics of the boat of this period.