The History of the Venetian Gondola: A New Video Lesson for TED-Ed

Venetian gondola, ca. 1689

It’s hard to imagine Venice without the curious, banana-shaped gondolas that glide down the canals. How did these boats come to be the trademark transportation of Venice? In this lesson for TED-Ed, I detail the history of the gondola, explaining why these boats were needed, the painstaking process by which they were made and why they have slowly begun to fade from the once-crowded canals. Have a look:

I welcome your thoughts on this topic!

The original TED-Ed lesson can be found here.