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All Italy Venice Squero di San Trovaso

Squero di San Trovaso

Where Venice's gondolas go for a tune-up.

Venice, Italy

Added By
Kavya Ram Mohan
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The Squero di San Trovaso.   aconcagua/CC BY-SA 4.0
A boat builder working on a gondola.   aconcagua/CC BY-SA 4.0
The vessels need constant maintenance.   aconcagua/CC BY-SA 4.0
The squero dates back to the 17th century.   abxbay/Public Domain
  jlord7 / Atlas Obscura User
Photospot across the bridge   Flaneuse / Atlas Obscura User
  Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
  Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
  unitof / Atlas Obscura User
  Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
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Squero di San Trovaso   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
  Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
  tylercole / Atlas Obscura User
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Early morning ,closed but view from across the canal   cguthrie1950 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Venice without its long, sleek, black gondolas is unimaginable, and the artisans at the Squero di San Trovaso are among the people responsible for making sure this doesn’t happen.

The squero, a traditional boatyard, is one of the oldest in the city, and one of three that are still functional today. When it opened in the 17th century, more than 10,000 Venetian vessels were plying on the city’s waters, and were the primary mode of transport. Around 60 boat builders were employed by the squero during this prosperous period. Today, the boats are mostly hired by tourists looking for that perfect romantic ride, and around 350 boats are on hand to create that magic. 

Only about 10 new boats are built every year—simple, flat-bottomed structures, traditionally made from eight kinds of wood: mahogany, cherry, fir, walnut, oak, elm, larch and lime. There’s no modern equipment on board, just the gondolier and his single oar. But there’s plenty to do in the boatyard, as the active gondolas require regular maintenance and repair, as often as once a month because of the constant exposure to water.

Housed in a wooden cabin complex, the squero is not open to the public but it’s possible to sneak a peek from across the street. If you're lucky you can see the boat builders in action, painting on a layer of black varnish or attending to some structural work, and generally making sure the course of the gondolas run smooth. 

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Boats Water Canals
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Added By

Kavya Ram Mohan

Edited By

Jaszmina Szendrey, unitof, tylercole, rbenn250...

  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • unitof
  • tylercole
  • rbenn250
  • Archimedes
  • cguthrie1950
  • Flaneuse
  • jlord7

Published

June 30, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.frommers.com/destinations/venice/attractions/squero-di-san-trovaso
  • http://www.venipedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Squero
  • https://www.britannica.com/technology/gondola-boat
Squero di San Trovaso
Fondamenta Bonlini
Venice
Italy
45.430285, 12.325882
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