Home Page What is a Gondola? How are Gondolas Made? History of the Gondola How I Became a Gondola Builder Lo Squero - International Center for Traditional Boatbuilding Contact Me

Lo Squero - International Center of Traditional Boatbuilding Lo Squero is a dream that is on its way to becoming reality. The idea is to have a place where people can come from all over the world and learn about the traditional boatbuilding of Venice and beyond. The basis of the program are the demonstrational courses in which students come to Venice on holiday and learn about building a particular boat, in a period of one to three weeks--spending time in the squero (Venetian for boatyard) when the most interesting phases of construction are happening, and enjoying the splendor of the city the rest of the time. These courses take place in the warmer months of the year. In the cooler months, there are longer term tutorials for one to three students who are in the squero most of the time doing all of the work with the instructors. Further there are two positions for interns who gain valuable work experience in exchange for room and board. The courses are taught by myself and other master boatbuilders from Venice and around the globe. Some of the boats which we build are: the gondola, the dory of New England, and a Norwegian pram. Other boats will be added as we discover other traditional boatbuilders to come to Venice and share the passion for building their craft with others. The location for the courses is the squero of Maestro Bonaldo, where I learned to build gondolas during my first year in Venice. As he eases into retirement, the courses will take the place of the commercial boatbuilding, and he will be the Master Boatbuilder for the gondola courses, sharing his vast wealth of information with the students, and continuing with the arduous task of preparing me to carry on the tradition for when he will no longer practice it. The courses vary in length, according to the level of difficulty for the boat being taught. The demonstrational course for the gondola lasts three weeks; the dory course lasts two weeks; and the pram course lasts one week. The longer term tutorials are double the time for the demonstrational courses. Perspective students will be provided with a list of accommodations and restaurants in the area which vary in price and level of comfort. Room and board are not included in the cost of the program, but we will do our best to help put people together who are interested in sharing an apartment to cut costs. The cost of the demonstrational courses is $490 per person/ per week, and for the tutorials the price depends on the number of students, but for three students, the price would be $790 per person/ per week. The course size for the demonstrational courses is 8-15 students, and for the tutorials 1-3 students. The internship program is offered on a 4 month to 1 year basis to students interested in gaining a lot of practical experience without having to spend a lot of money. The positions are available to those 18 years or older who already have some experience in working with wood. It is focused toward students in a trade school who need practical experience, but open to all with a genuine interest. There may be two interns at a time. They will receive housing and a food allowance in exchange for full-time work. Language study may also be arranged at a nominal cost. Their responsibilities include assistance with: preparing for courses (planing wood to thickness, cutting out pieces in the rough, whatever can be done beforehand), maintenance and care of tools, keeping the shop orderly, helping with the sanding and painting of the boats, handling small repairs and maintenance of boats as needed, acting as "tour guide" to students in the demonstrational courses when needed, etc. Though none of this is yet in practice, we are working toward doing a gondola building demonstrational course in the Spring of 2000. If that gets off to a good start, the rest should fall into place in the years to follow. If you are interested in any aspect of Lo Squero, please drop me a line, and I will keep you up to date on the developments.