Venice is recruiting new gondoliers for a rigorous training programme

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Venice is calling out for more gondoliers to train up and join the centuries old profession, steering tourists along the city waterways. Those who demonstrate the required level of competence are invited to take a comprehensive theoretical course covering the history, art and culture of Venice and, above all, the complex regulations of the city’s waterways. A mandatory medical exam is also required to ensure that candidates working it Italy’s “floating city” are physically fit to perform this demanding role.