The mafioso of Venezia?

 
Mafioso of Venezia?

If there is one thing you can be sure of on the winding streets of Venice, it is the presence of the gondolieri, lounging on bridges and trying to persuade people to take an 80 euro gondola ride. Whilst the tourists are often swayed by their cocky charm, most Venetians have less time and patience for the gondolieri. Why would this be? I decided to conduct some undercover research during my time in Venezia.

 

Suspicious activities...

So, it turns out there are all sorts of archaic rules and regulations surrounding the trade of the gondolieri. The whole business is very insulated and secretive, as you can only become a gondolier if your father was a gondolier, or your grandfather. Some Venetians refer to the gondolieri as 'the mafioso of Venice'! Justifiably so, it seems, as they don't have to pay the same tax rate as other Venetians, leaving the gondolieri laughing all the way to the bank and spending their euros on drawers full of stripey t-shirts and funny hats. 

 
 
Gondolieri 
 

Hmmmmm, so all this points to a very tightly controlled, closely knit fraternity who are not pestered by the Commune di Venezia. A couple of years ago a Venetian woman Giorgia Boscolo caused a great uproar when she expressed her desire to become a gondolier. Legitimately so, as her father (who is called Dante!) had been in the business. She finally proved to this masculine establishment, after many hours of training and testing, that she could row boats with the best of them.

Thanks to Ann Shelton for snapping this photo of Giorgia in action whilst she was in Venice:

Giorgia Boscolo, the first female gondolier of Venezia.