About Venice and gondola has been written a lots.

*Floating coffin* recently perhaps drew attention only of tourists.

The Chinese and Japanese, due to massive visits to Venice, rent a gondola in large groups and do not fell so much discomfort in large payment. Rarely, you can see a couple, seated in a romantic gondola. And the people around did not strongly promote their privacy –  from each bridge they will be filmed by cameras.

And yet, gondola – this is amazing! You are sitting on an incredibly comfortable chair stridently red or black mourning-upholstered tassels. Your stool may have a heart-shaped, and perhaps in the form of the sofa. You look ahead and behind you in the unthinkable dance swinging gondolier. He shout loudly before the turn, deftly wielded oar, sometimes repelled by foot from the wall or the side of another boat and keep himself wonderful!

Gondolier – a hereditary profession. Well, it is impossible to learn to drive a gondola, if all of your family did not do this all their lifes! And if you have not lived all the time in Venice. I think that just to stand on a gondola with a five-meter paddle, you need to get ready to fall in fetid water for at least three hundred times!

Gondola – is the very expensive boat. Today its price is close to the value of a good car – about 50 thousand euros.

Such a pleasure is not for everyone can!

And the price is made up of very many elements.

To begin with that production of gondola  possible only by hands.  And each gondola is unique. Such a Rolls-Royce manually made. The gondola has not less than 280 parts. For Its construction used at least 8 different types of wood.

Form of gondola is slightly asymmetrical. This imbalance stems from the fact that the gondolier never stands in the center of the gondola, but always slightly shifted to the edge. And that is why the height of the gondola sides is different. In the old days gondoliers not only richly adorned their miracle – the boats, but also land in the center  something like a cubicle. And in a cubicle with curtains  loving young people, dealers and criminals  feel themselves comfortable and protected from curious glances.

But luxury and gentility in a moment came to an end – the Doge decreed in the 16th century to remove all decorations from the gondola!

Now gondolas are always  black. There are only 2 figures on the sides in the center, and small figurine on the prow of the boat and crutch. Figures are quite varied but not really art masterpieces.

Today, all of these items are the subject of collecting.