Visiting Venice? Brush Up on Your Gondola Knowledge Travel Articles | May 16 Cheap Air Max Deluxe , 2018
If gentle river cruises are one of your dream ways to discover the essence of a country, Italy has a treat in store for you: exploring the city of Venice by gondola.
For anyone who loves river cruises, Italy provides the perfect backdrop for discovering this beautiful country by waterway. And nowhere is this more true than in the watery city of Venice.
The sleek black gondolas are as iconic a sight in Venice as St Mark’s Basilica or the Doge’s Palace. While today they are used, almost exclusively Cheap Air Max Axis , by tourists and visitors, their history is entwined with the city, as they were once one of the main forms of transport around its labyrinth of canals and waterways.
The History of the Venetian Boat
We know that as early as the eleventh century gondolas were used here as a mode of transport because they are mentioned in official correspondence in 1094, although it is not clear how long they had already been in use at this time. Some scholars date them to the 600s Cheap Air Max 98 , just 200 years after the city’s foundation.
By the thirteenth century the vessels were considerably bigger than today. Propelled by up to 12 oars they were used by the wealthy elite as transport or for river cruises. Italy was booming in the fifteenth and sixteenth century, and in 1500 a map of its most vibrant mercantile city depicted the numerous gondolas on the canals.
At this time these boats became such an important sight along the city’s waterways that their wealthy private owners began to have them ornately decorated as a sign of their affluence. However, by 1562 this trend had got so out of hand with lavish adornments which threatened the safety of the boats, that officials banned such practises. Since this time the boats have been uniformly painted black with the only decoration being the curved tail Cheap Air Max 97 , metal seahorses and a six-pronged prow (said to relate to the six districts of Venice).
It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that it became the single piloted craft of today, although at this time it also included a small covering or ‘cabin’ to provide privacy to its occupants as they enjoyed their river cruises. Italy’s gonola heritage stopped evolving, however, in the twentieth century when Venetian officials forbade any further modifications to the design.
Made to Measure
Today the boats are made to an exact specification which allows them to be termed as ‘gondolas’ and to be driven by one of a limited number of licenced gondoliers.
Each vessel is uniformly made from 280 handcrafted wooden elements – the woods used include mahogany Cheap Air Max 96 , oak, walnut, larch, fir Cheap Air Max 95 , lime, cherry and elm. The distinctive long oar is made from beech and the rowlock is carved from walnut. Each one weighs 700kg and is exactly 10.87m in length, 1.42m in width.
An interesting and distinctive feature of the Venetian craft is that one side is longer than the other, this is to balance the weight of the gondolier and gives it the distinctive tilt that is emblematic of the river cruises. Italy’s history is poignantly experienced with a gondola ride Cheap Air Max 93 , allowing you the time and tranquillity to drink in the sights of this Venice, and the wonderful architecture of its famous canals, buildings and bridges. With so much to offer, it’s well worth taking the time to absorb it all at a leisurely pace wending along the country’s beautiful waterways.
Article Tags: River Cruises
Home Based Business On The Increase Family Articles | June 16 Cheap Air Max 90 , 2008 Combining parenting with a home based business has many advantages so if you are wanting to go down this track you need to carefully consider how to go about it.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kaye Dennan
Home based businesses are on the rise and it is no surprise because it allows mums to earn an income and attend to the child rearing. When small children are involved, it is fantastic to be able to work from home and be a hands-on mom as well.
Having a home based income allows you to be a hands-on parent and contribute to the family income at the same time. It is an ideal time to be working from home and to build up a business that can eventually become as large as you like.
With cities extending further and further out from the main hub, people are taking longer and longer to commute to work, and it is quite harrowing for a women to spend extra hours commuting when she feels she should be home with the children.
With the age of the internet women can work out of the office Cheap Air Max 720 , or they can set up a business for themselves on the internet, develop a hobby into a business or even start something new which may require some study.
When turning a hobby into a business you are working with something that you already enjoy and if you are enjoying your work you will find it easier to push through the difficult times.
Combining work and parenting. It is not unrealistic for a women to turn a hobby or a special interest into a home based business. By doing this she is working with something that she already knows and likes. A woman will be able to allocate her work hours around her family involvement and still be able to run a very successful business from home.
Suggestions for homebased work. Many hobbies are expanded into income producing businesses, and this is often a very successful way to make a living. There are hobbies like sewing, candle making Cheap Air Max 360 , soap making, hairdressing and cooking to name a few that can bring in a good income.