Venice to Gondoliers: You're the Problem

A couple days after my post on the Dutch toddler tumbling out of a gondola and nearly drowning in the Canal Grande, the Guardian newspaper wrote a story on the incident. (Good to see it, as they don't do many stories on Venice.)

The article was noteworthy in that it dramatized the antagonism between the City of Venice and the gondoliers, a keg that looked ready to blow. The Guardian did some original reporting on a "float -in" at city hall by gondoliers who were protesting the crowded waterways and pressing its many grievances against the city, which included Venice's failure to rein in the ACTV, the regional transportation authority that runs the vaporettos, sworn enemy of the stripe-shirted set. It was, you’ll recall, an ACTV vaporetto that collided with the gondola that sent that Dutch baby to the hospital.

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, the gondoliers have also complained about the city fire department churning dangerous wakes as they rocket to a theoretical emergency.

After their city hall demonstration, the polemics continued. On the day of the historic regatta, last September 5th, the gondoliers kicked off the festivities with a large protest at Piazza San Marco.

One gets the distinct feeling that gondoliers are feeling put upon. Ignored. The city, through their eyes, can’t control the boat traffic in the Canal Grande. They want respect and calmer waters, the sooner the better.

The city’s response was to bite, not pet. Overcrowded waterways? No problem. First up, clamp down on the gondolas.

The city council has just proposed new rules banning serenading gondola flotillas: five, ten, even twenty gondolas hooked together with multiple singers and instrumentalists. Talk about a navigational hazard. Something tells me this is a modern “tradition”. I suspect only the gondoliers will miss it.

Expect more soon. This is going to escalate, I assure you.

Comments

[RP]

Fascinating. Thank you for the report. You are my favorite source for information about one of my favorite cities!
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Hey thanks!

N.

[Sandy]

Mine too, watching this story with interest. Have booked for the regatta next year already...and I still must write you a story on my Murano meanderings...

[Paul]

Past history of gondoliers if I have my history correct is that they strike at the drop of a hat, so this more in their face reaction, which may have been due to preconditioning by the gondoliers historic over reactions, will lead to further action by the gondoliers. well, we'll see.
Although gondola flotillas in many of the canals could be disruptive, I have fond memories of such floating below our hotel on an otherwise quiet canal. Surreal really, the poor quality of the music only highlights the power of the beauty of the gondola and Venice's nearly hidden canals and their wonderful, sometimes trancendent accoustics. Its wonderful in spite of the tackiness. Paul

[7train]

To this day I develop hives at the sound of 'Santa Lucia'...
I'm surprised you didn't post the news item that appeared a few weeks ago. Apparently gondoliers will have to undergo surprise breathalyzer tests...
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There's a ton of gondolier news ... they just blocked the Canal Grande, for instance ... I saw the breathalizer thing too ... I catch 95% of what trickles into the mainstream media.

What kinda bugs me is that, to the English speaking media, it sometimes seems the gondola IS Venice. They overreport anything to do with it. So it gets outsized importance. If I start posting on every gondola-related story, we'll have to call this thing Gondolablog. I have mixed feelings about about 'em ... I love the tradition/history, and find them beautiful .... I hate the overcommercialization, cliche cartoon nature of them.

Thanks for all your comments lately ... it adds much to the blog.

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