Gondola build

There's a repair and construction yard at the Squero di San Trovaso near the Accademia Bridge where you can peek in on the work, but it's not open to the public.

Copied from Weird Venice: In 1996, Thom Price, an American who grew up in the North Carolina mountains, was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to go to Venice to learn about the "dying art" of gondola building. He's been there ever since. Posted by Hello He opened Squero Canaletto . In 1724, Canaletto painted a picture which depicted gondolas being built in the space now occupied by Price's squerohence, name. In Squero Canaletto, Price builds gondolas and other boats and holds workshops to teach others this "dying" art. To learn more, and to watch a gondola webcam, go to www.squero.com. You can also order your own gondola via the website! Check him out, it can't hurt.

Pat,
Thanks for the info. It seems that his website is for sale. There are a few snippets about him online. On further research, he has sold his shop and moved back to the States. 8-)

I remember reading about Thom Price some time ago - it's a pity he's sold his boatyard and moved back, just shows how tough it is to maintain this traditional business. Apart from the San Trovaso gondola yard, there's also the Tramontin family's squero in Dorsoduro, they even have a website: http://www.tramontingondole.it/ing-gondola.htm. Not sure if they welcome visitors. Perhaps there are special interest tours that include a visit to one of these boatyards?

When we were in Venice this summer, we got lost in Dorsoduro and stumbled upon the squero from across a small canal. A young man was working on a gondola in the blazing sun. As we watched, we saw several visitors come by. They looked very interested in the gondolas in the squero. They didn't seem like casual tourists. We were in the shade and lingered, taking a few photos and enjoying the timeless scene and the beauty of the gondolas. It is one of my favorite memories of our trip to Italy. Thank you Audrey for the website as I didn't know the name of the family who owns the squero.

We had a tour of Tramontin and met Roberto the owner in October this year - very interesting to hear about the history and techniques. It was arranged by our guide, so I don't know much it cost or how it was coordinated, but I know it is possible. Roberto does not speak English, so our guide translated for the 45 minutes we were there.