Venice may be overflowing with visitors, but it’s running short on gondoliers to show those visitors around the canals in their traditional gondolas. Now the city is setting up a training program to increase their ranks.
But there’s a lot more involved than just moving the boat through the city’s many canals. There are required courses in everything from the rules to the city’s history and culture.
And, the kicker that may discourage many applicants, those who are approved by the city to begin the process must pay for the training themselves. That includes a 30-hour practical and theoretical course that costs €400, a 10-hour practical skills course that goes for another €400.
After that, there’s a medical exam and a final exam before licensing. Successful applicants are said to earn up to €150,000 per year, depending on demand. In general, demand stays high, despite prices of €90 per half hour ride before 7 pm and €110 after 7 pm.
There are presently only 433 gondoliers licensed. In past, licenses have been handed down from father to son, but the number has been dropping in recent years, resulting in the recruiting program.
Image: Abxbay/Wikimiedia Commons
