gondola, tapered, 32-foot- (10-metre-) long flat-bottomed boat historically associated with the canals and lagoon of Venice, carrying from two to six passengers. It is propelled from the starboard quarter by a single sweep (oar) manipulated by a gondolier standing on the stern cover, and it has an asymmetrical shape, being 9 inches (23 cm) wider on the port side. A prominent steel beak (ferro) rises from the prow, a lesser one (risso) from the stern. In some gondolas a removable cabin cover (felze) gives passengers shelter and some privacy.
Gondolas are recognizable in paintings by Carpaccio from the late 15th century. The first organized boat racing was done by gondolas in the 16th century; both men and women competed. Once colourful and lavishly decorated, gondolas have been painted black since 1562, when a sumptuary law was passed regulating their appearance. At the time of the edict there were 10,000 in use on the Venetian waters. Today most craft ply for hire, though a few, attended by liveried servants, are still owned privately. The striped or brightly painted mooring posts for gondolas still line many canals. At several locations two-man gondolas called traghetti function as passenger ferries for traversing the Grand Canal.
Gondolas are very costly, and their highly specialized construction is a dying industry. However, their popularity, especially with tourists, remains unabated. A number of river-based cities around the world, and even land-locked hotels such as the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada, have adopted them as tourist attractions.