The gondola is the most typical of Venetian boats. Dark in color and with a long slender shape. It has a flat bottom to allow navigation even in very shallow waters, such as those of the lagoon.

One of its unusual features is that its bottom is asymmetric in order to balance the weight of the gondolier on the opposite side! Eight different types of wood are ued in its construction: oak, larch, fir, linden, elm, walnut, mahogany, and some cherrywood.

Nowadays, the gondola is still produced in Venice, in the "squero" or craftsman's workshop which always opens towards the canals of Venice. The most famous one is the squero of San Trovaso.

Building a gondola involves at least 12 months of work by different artisans: the "squeraiol", the famous master carpenters in Venetian language, the "battiloro", the goldsmith who is responsible for the gold decorations and the blacksmith who make the gondola iron prow-head by hand.

The front part of the gondola is called the "bow iron" and it has a hidden meaning. The six metal lines correspond to the 6 Sestieri of Venice, on the other side there is another line which represents the Giudecca island.

All the iron has the form of inverted "S", a reference to the Grand Canal and the well known Rialto bridge. The upper part of the iron has the shape of the Doge's hat.
The most imaginative designs add three leaves: Murano, Burano and Torcello, the most famous islands of the lagoon.