Gondola

Venice · boats · Italian history

One oar, one rower. A gondolier (the person rowing) uses just one oar to push the gondola forward, and that same oar also steers the boat like a rudder. This takes a lot of skill to master.

Lopsided by design. Unlike most boats that are the same on both sides, a gondola is asymmetrical, meaning it's shaped differently on the left and right. This weird design actually makes it way easier to move through the water with a single oar.

Made for shallow water. Gondolas have flat bottoms and are perfect for the Venetian lagoon around Venice, Italy, where the water is shallow and narrow. They slip through tight spaces and muddy areas better than regular boats could.

Centuries of tradition. Gondolas have been used in Venice for hundreds of years to carry people and goods through the canals, making them one of the most iconic boats in the world.