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| Gondola Forcola, or Oar Lock |
The workshop of master wood carver Saverio Pastor is located in the Dorsoduro district of Venice near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The shop is filled with rough slabs of wood awaiting their transformation into sleek oars and forcole.
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| Forcola Outside Saverio Pastor's Workshop |
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| Workshop of Saverio Pastor |
Elsewhere in Dorsoduro is another workshop, the Squero di San Trovaso, where the city’s fleet of gondolas are built and repaired. The building resembles an alpine chalet as these craftsmen traditionally hail from Italy’s mountainous Dolomite region.
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| Squero di San Trovaso, Gondola Workshop |
I thought about buying a forcola as a
souvenir of my visit to Venice (they’re available for purchase in the shop or
on the Saverio Pastor website) but reconsidered when faced with the challenge of fitting it in my
luggage. Instead I brought home some smaller, lighter souvenirs. And now I’m second-guessing
my decision; a forcola would’ve been a unique piece of sculpture for my home.
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| The Forcola, a Venetian Work of Art |
Next: "G" is for Gelato
I love this obscure random word. I have been on a Gondola, It was one of those things we just had to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree - you can't go to Venice and not ride a gondola!
DeleteInteresting! We were in Venice a couple of years ago. We didn't ride the gondolas (no real desire to) but we thought they were lovely. Happy A-Zing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteWhen I went to Venice in 1969, I couldn't afford to take a gondola ride. Kinda wish we had splurged.
ReplyDeleteYes, gondola rides can be expensive. Fortunately both times I was in Venice it was with a tour group and the gondola was included.
DeleteThis is so interesting! We took a gondola ride when we were in Venice last week, but I didn't know they were hand-carved right there in Venice. I'd love to see them making the actual boats as well.
ReplyDeleteI found you through the A-Z challenge, and I must say, having just returned from Italy, I'm loving these posts!
www.kaitlinthrogmorton.com
I'm glad you found me. I'll be talking about Italy for months!
DeleteHmm. Now I'm wondering where you might put a forcola in your home! Perhaps use it as a coat rack?
ReplyDeleteI think they come on a stand, like a table top sculpture.
DeleteWell folks if you can find a used forcola you are one in a million because I happened to be in the right place I walked by an artisan shop every morning I watched him every morning for 10 min I brought him a coffee one morning and he asked me to stay it is meticulous work for the next 10 days went to his shop for about 30 min each day.....with a morning coffee of course. When it was time to leave Back home to Canada he handed me a signed used forcola as a gift & souvenir low and behold I put it up in my workshop and found out it was made from a famous artisan it was worth $25,000......who knew.......
ReplyDelete