The model of the Gondola in Venice
Our new model of the Gondola in Venice. A puzzle of 16 pieces to be built, in natural wood or painted with non-toxic colors in black/blue or black/red.
The structure of the gondola
The gondola is a typical boat of the Venice lagoon. It consists of 280 different pieces, manufactured with 8 timber essences. The oak is used in the construction of the sides for its hardness, while the fir, lighter, for the bottom. The so-called trasto, which joins the two bands in the bow, from where you climb by boat, is made of cherry wood. The “succhetto”, where the gondolier is at the stern, is built in lime wood. The walnut is exploited for its flexibility in the construction of the frames and the elm for the ribs of the structure. Finally, larch is used for its resistance to water and mahogany to give homogeneity to the structure.
The construction of the gondola usually takes more than a year. It was once built and placed in storage in small construction sites called squèri, such as the san Trovaso squero.
The origin of its black color
The traditional black color of the gondola is originally due to the use of pitchas a hull waterproofing. Later it was extended to the entire boat by decree of the Venetian Senate and the Provisions at the Pumps, in order to limit the excessive glitz in the decoration of the boats, formerly covered with gilded and precious fabrics.
The characteristic bow iron
The typical comb or bow iron is said in Venetian “fero da prova” or dolfin. This iron is an embellishment that defends the bow from possible collisions, but above all it is essential for the stability of the boat.
Its form has traditionally meant to represent
the Doge‘s hat, the six sestieriof Venice (the six teeth facing forward) and the Giudecca(the tooth facing backwards).
In the iron of some newly built gondolas there are also three finishes among the six front bars, representing the three most important islands of the Venetian lagoon, namely Murano, Buranoand Torcello.
The bow above the upper tooth of the comb represents the Rialto Bridge, while the ‘S’ that starts from the highest point to reach the lowest point of the iron represents the Grand Canal.
The Venetian rowing
The gondola is approximately 11 meters long and has a characteristic asymmetrical shape, with the left side wider than the right. The gondolier maneuvers the boat standing facing the bow using a single oar that rests on the special barefoot called forcola. This type of conduction is called Venetian rowing.
The model of the Gondola in Venice
Our model of the Gondola is part of the WoodArt category, where you can also choose other masterpieces of Venice: the Basilica of San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, joined below to form the monumental complex of Piazza San Marco.
In our shopyou will find our models of the Venice wooden Gondolas to be built, in the three variations of natural wood, black/red, black/blue. The model of our Venice Gondola is a small puzzle in 16 pieces to be built interlocking. The poplar wood pieces are cut and laser-epped. The two color variants, black/red and black/blue, are hand-colored with totally non-toxic acrylic colors.
Look for all the 3D Postcards dedicated to Venice with the models of St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and the Ghetto Nuovo.
