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16
Aug
the iron of the gondola - ristorante falciani venice

The iron of the gondola

The Venice gondola is famous throughout the world, but not everyone knows the symbolic value of its iron, positioned at the front of the boat.

The iron of the gondola, also called “comb”, is located exactly in the bow and is rich in decorations and meanings. It has a “S” shape that recalls the progress of the Grand Canal and consists of six teeth (prongs), attributable to the 6 paths of Venice. They are the districts of the city: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce. The tip at the top indicates the Doge’s hat and the bow immediately below is the Rialto bridge; following the order, we find San Marco, San Polo, Santa Croce, the Castle, Dorsoduro and Cannaregio. In the newly built gondolas, three finishes, called leaves, have been inserted between one tooth and another, representing the three most important islands of the Venetian lagoon, Murano, Burano and Torcello.

Years ago, the gondolas were enriched with luxurious gold decorations, which the noble owners loved to show off to show off their riches. Today they are almost all black, both because, following a decree by the magistrate, it was decided to reduce and reduce the exuberance of such pomp, and because pitch is used to make the material impermeable. In addition to being rich in history, the iron of the gondolas is very useful because it allows to cushion any collisions, protecting the boat and maintaining its balance.

Today they are used to celebrate weddings, sporting events and for tourist purposes: if you have never done a gondola ride, it is an experience that is worth trying at least once in your life!

 

To book a table, call the number: +39 041 5224872
We’re open from Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

 

Photo by Unsplash

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