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 on the Grand Canal, Venice. B. Benjamin/ZEFA

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.