When looking at a gondola, have you ever noticed that sinuous object supporting the gondolier's oar?
Well, neither had I, until I learned about it at the Venetian workshop of Piero Dri, one of only four remaining artisans in the city still making, strictly by hand, the object in question: the forcola (oarlock) - which, I also learned, is actually the most important piece of the gondola because it is what keeps the gondolier balanced.
The forcola is essential for the Venetian style of rowing and is possibly the element that the owner of a boat, in Venice, feels more attached to.
Fonte: L'italo-Americano
