Will Venice’s Gondolas Soon Become a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The city of Venice in Italy, built entirely on wooden piles on the Adriatic, is surely unique in character anywhere in the world. For many decades, if not centuries, the same was true of the gondolas in Venice, probably the best-known symbol of the lagoon city on the Adriatic. While gondolas in Venice were originally made exclusively from the finest-quality solid wood, in the 21st century tourists are increasingly being ferried through the canals of Venice in plastic versions as well. The highly tradition-conscious guild of gondoliers in Venice is no longer willing to put up with this on the Adriatic and is now seeking to have its handcrafted, wooden products included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Will Venice’s Gondolas Soon Become a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Date: 30/09/2026
Aldo Reato, president of the Gondolier Association in Venice, intends to put forward his proposal at an international congress to be held in Venice next weekend. Reato has the support of Venice City Hall, where the initiative enjoys full backing and officials likewise believe that Italy should nominate the gondolas of Venice for UNESCO World Heritage status at the next opportunity. This status would not only do justice to the gondolas’ historical significance, but would also protect Venice’s landmark from imitations such as the much-derided plastic versions.
City breaks in Venice are especially popular with couples in love, who sometimes combine an Italian holiday of this kind with a romantic wedding in Venice. The president of the Gondolier Association is indifferent to the precise reasons people choose a city break in Venice. Regardless of the decision on UNESCO World Heritage status, Aldo Reato announced plans to establish an association to protect Venice’s gondolas in the near future. The organization will aim to give handcrafted gondolas a quality seal that distinguishes the originals from imitations. As Reato concludes, seven different types of wood are used to build a traditional gondola, bringing the price of each one to 25,000 euros or more.
Kai Rebmann
