Squero di San Trovaso, Venice

The Squero di San Trovaso is one of the oldest and most famous Venetian squero (boatyards), where gondolas are built and repaired. A wonderful place where we can enjoy and imagine the history of building beautiful gondolas. Gondolas delight me and that is why it is a real pleasure to be where they are built. It is located in the sestiere di Dorsoduro, along the Rio di San Trovaso.The Squero di San Trovaso rises along and dates back to the seventeenth century. It is one of the very few squeri still in operation in Venice. The term squero derives from "squadra" (team), in dialect squara, a work tool. Here it is possible to see the distinctive square inclined towards the channel for the access of boats and a wood construction, called "tesa", used to work at the shelter from the rain and as a deposit of tools. The building, like the other squeri, is reminiscent of mountain houses, here lived the master craftsmen from the Cadore areas, from which the timber for the construction of the boats came. Precisely in yards like this one can admire the particularities of the Gondola such as its longitudinal asymmetry that allows a single driver to maneuver it while standing on the transom, "poppa" (hence the Venetian name of the gondoliers called Pope).

Purveyor of the iconic gondolas of Venice, but I guess it's also a full service maintenance shop. Same location for centuries and stays true to its art form.