Paolo Brandolisio bottega, Venice
The forcola, an essential and unique element of a Venetian gondola, holds great significance in Venice. It serves as the oar holder for the gondolier, firmly securing the oar for rowing. Each forcola, along with its corresponding oar, is meticulously crafted and tailored specifically for the gondolier who will use it. Handmade with precision, these forcole are individual works of art, and no two are alike among the approximately 500 gondolas in Venice. The creation process requires detailed knowledge of the gondolier's physical attributes, such as height, weight, and arm length, enabling the manufacturer to craft these specialized components.
Paolo Brandolisio's shop and workshop offer a delightful opportunity to explore the world of forcole. Inside, you can marvel at the craftsmanship of each oar holder, hand-carved from a single block of wood, typically walnut, cherry, or pear. The price for a handmade forcola starts at a minimum of 400 EU, with customization options for wood type and size available at additional cost. Additionally, scaled-down models of forcole, approximately one-third the size of the real ones, can be purchased for around 150 EU, offering a charming memento of this iconic Venetian tradition.
Paolo Brandolisio's shop and workshop offer a delightful opportunity to explore the world of forcole. Inside, you can marvel at the craftsmanship of each oar holder, hand-carved from a single block of wood, typically walnut, cherry, or pear. The price for a handmade forcola starts at a minimum of 400 EU, with customization options for wood type and size available at additional cost. Additionally, scaled-down models of forcole, approximately one-third the size of the real ones, can be purchased for around 150 EU, offering a charming memento of this iconic Venetian tradition.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Venice. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Paolo Brandolisio bottega on Map
Sight Name: Paolo Brandolisio bottega
Sight Location: Venice, Italy (See walking tours in Venice)
Sight Type: Shopping
Sight Location: Venice, Italy (See walking tours in Venice)
Sight Type: Shopping
Walking Tours in Venice, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Venice
Creating your own self-guided walk in Venice is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Piazza San Marco Walking Tour
Piazza San Marco is where Venice has always put on its best face. This is the city’s ceremonial and political core, shaped over centuries as the grand stage of the Venetian Republic. Its story began in the 9th century, when the relics of Saint Mark arrived in the lagoon and instantly raised the evangelist-much as the square built in his name-to the highest rank. From a simple open space, the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Murano Island Walking Tour
Murano Island is known around the world as the “Glass Island,” and it didn’t earn that nickname overnight. This reputation rests on more than seven centuries of uninterrupted glassmaking. Located just north of Venice, separated by a slim ribbon of lagoon water, Murano grew into a place where identity and industry became inseparable. Although inhabited since Roman times, the island truly... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Venice Introduction Walking Tour
Venice is a city that learned early how to live with water-and, ultimately, how to profit from it. Built across hundreds of small islands in a shallow lagoon in the northern Adriatic, it runs without roads, relying solely on canals and bridges. Although the lagoon itself formed thousands of years ago, it was inhabited mainly by fishermen up until the 5th century AD, when waves of barbarian... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Casanova's Venice
Giacomo Casanova is usually introduced as history’s most famous seducer-but that shorthand misses the point. Casanova didn’t simply charm his way through life, but was shaped by a very particular moment in Venetian history. He came of age in the eighteenth century, when the Republic of Venice was living on its reputation. The great maritime empire was fading, its political and commercial power... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
Dorsoduro Walking Tour
One of the six districts of Venice, Dorsoduro’s name translates as “hard bridge” due to the area's relatively high terrain. Home to some of the city’s highest spots, it also comprises some of Venice’s most picturesque canals, historic locations and cultural venues, including the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute; the Gallerie dell’ Academia & the Ca’ Rezzonico – both... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Grand Canal Walking Tour
The main waterway in Venice, Grand Canal snakes in an "S" shape through the center of the city, dividing its main districts. On both sides of this thoroughfare are the most beautiful buildings dating from the 12th to the 18th centuries that tell the story of a thousand years of Venetian splendor. While one can view the architectural parade from water buses, our self-guided walking tour... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
15 Distinctively Italian Things to Buy in Venice
Venice has been a tourist mecca for over a century now, with millions of visitors flocking in every year to see this unique place on the face of the Earth. Many, if not all, of these people seek to obtain something memorable as a token of their stay in this city. By far, not all of them know which...









