Over 140,000 francs annual salary Venice is urgently looking for new gondoliers

Venice is running out of skilled workers for the prestigious profession of gondolieri. The city is now launching an appeal to recruit urgently needed new talent for rowing on the narrow canals.

The gondola guides in their traditional blue and white or red and white striped polo shirts and straw hats are as much a part of Venice's cityscape as the Doge's Palace or St. Mark's Square. The profession has existed for around 900 years. However, the future of gondoliers is no longer so bright. Traditionally, licenses to drive gondolas are passed down from father to son. If there were no male descendants, the license was often passed on to other male family members. But even in Italy, the low birth rate is now having an impact - many licenses cannot be passed on.

The city council of Venice is therefore calling for applications, reports the British "Mirror". "There is a generational change: people are retiring and need to be replaced," says Andrea Balbi, President of the Venice Gondolier Association. Until Tuesday inclusive, people who are confident enough to steer a Venetian gondola can register for the "Art of the Gondolier" (Bando Arte del Gondoliere) course via the lagoon city's official website.

High admission hurdles

Training to become a gondolier has long since ceased to be a male domain. In 2010, the first woman passed the gondolier exam. The current call for applications is therefore aimed at both genders. However, the application criteria are quite demanding. Interested parties must go through a strict selection process. They must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma and have good swimming skills. A good knowledge of Italian is just as much a part of the admission restriction as first aid knowledge. Aspirants must also present a medical certificate stating that they are in a "healthy and robust condition".

If applicants meet these basic requirements, they can undergo a rowing aptitude test. "Being able to move the gondola is the most important thing," says Andrea Balbi. If this is also successful, nothing stands in the way of an apprenticeship. "The pre-selection process helps us to understand this, and then the training begins," says Balbi.

From theory to the canal

Around 1000 euros (around 950 francs) must be paid for the training course on the waterways. The theory course comprises 30 hours. The timetable includes the complex traffic regulations on the canals in the lagoon city, basic language skills in English and French and an in-depth knowledge of the history, art and culture of Venice. After all, tourists love to pepper their gondelier with questions about the city's sights and history. At the end of the training, the candidates must pass a final examination in order to receive their official license as a gondolier.

Golden donkey gondolas

Trained gondola masters can look forward to a handsome salary. Officially, a half-hour gondola ride costs 80 euros (around 76 francs). From 7 p.m., the gondoliers even charge 100 euros (around 95 francs). If tourists also want an extra dose of romance in the form of musical accompaniment or a song, the price rises again. According to the Mirror, business-minded rowers can earn up to 150,000 euros (just under 142,000 francs) a year.