Fórcola
Encyclopedia
Fórcola is the typical Venetian
rowlock
onto which the rower, through the oar, applies his force.
The modern stern fórcola of a gondola
has eight different points of control to change the speed and the direction of the boat. Every single oxbow and elbow are studied to allow the movements of the oar in the water, which move and govern the boat. There are many possible movements of the oar but the main two are prèmer and stalìr.
Each fórcola is a unique piece since it is specifically designed for its personal gondolier (rower of gondolas), according to his height and rowing needs: a rule specifies that the external gondolier's arm must not go over the chin. Voga alla Veneta (Venetian rowing) — the most common, but not the only, type of rowing in Venice main islands — had its relevance in influencing the final shape of the stern fórcola for gondolas.
tree, but also cherry
, pear
, apple
, or maple
tree — 2 or 2.5 meters tall and 60 centimeters wide.
The choice
The first step is the choice of the piece when still soft and young before the cut into quarters. Usually the centre of the trunk is cut down because of the lymphatic canal, easy to crack, and the external part, next to the bark, gets discarded for its darker colour. The mòrso gets carved from the most internal part of the trunk, while the comio from the most external one.
The seasoning
The wooden piece is seasoned for a couple of years. Then starts a stage of raw carving — some remèri still use the typical axe of carpenters — after which the piece is left for a year more to season. Without this long seasoning the wood would not acquire those essential qualities to make it endure over the oar friction and atmospheric agents.
The carving
The piece can then pass through a very meticulous stage of carving, which is still mainly made by hand. By starting from some basic templates, the remèr gives shape to the piece using some traditional tools.
- the fero a do maneghi — a two-handled blade — which can have different sizes: the shorter the more appropriate to carve very narrow curves and viceversa.
- the raschietto is used to refine the surface before the finishing: it comes in different sizes just like the fero.
The finishing
The surfaces of the piece are finally refined with sandpaper. The last step is giving two or three coats of a liquid mix composed by oil — olio paglierino — and a type of petrol. The finishing is together with the seasoning the stage that confers the appropriate physical characteristics to the fórcola.
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
rowlock
Rowlock
A rowlock or oarlock is a brace that attaches an oar to a boat. When a boat is rowed, the rowlock acts as a fulcrum, and, in doing so, the propulsive force that the rower exerts on the water with the oar is transferred to the boat by the thrust force exerted on the rowlock.On ordinary rowing...
onto which the rower, through the oar, applies his force.
Overview
The fórcola is quite a complicated object which developed throughout the centuries in reason of pure functionality. Nowadays only 10 out of 50 traditional Venetian boats are still in use, yet there are about 40 different types of forcolas. Each differs from the others according to both the ship typology and the position of rowing on it.The modern stern fórcola of a gondola
Gondola
The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...
has eight different points of control to change the speed and the direction of the boat. Every single oxbow and elbow are studied to allow the movements of the oar in the water, which move and govern the boat. There are many possible movements of the oar but the main two are prèmer and stalìr.
Each fórcola is a unique piece since it is specifically designed for its personal gondolier (rower of gondolas), according to his height and rowing needs: a rule specifies that the external gondolier's arm must not go over the chin. Voga alla Veneta (Venetian rowing) — the most common, but not the only, type of rowing in Venice main islands — had its relevance in influencing the final shape of the stern fórcola for gondolas.
Crafting a Fórcola
The fórcola is obtained from a quarter of trunk, usually of a walnutWalnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
tree, but also cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
, apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, or maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
tree — 2 or 2.5 meters tall and 60 centimeters wide.
The choice
The first step is the choice of the piece when still soft and young before the cut into quarters. Usually the centre of the trunk is cut down because of the lymphatic canal, easy to crack, and the external part, next to the bark, gets discarded for its darker colour. The mòrso gets carved from the most internal part of the trunk, while the comio from the most external one.
The seasoning
The wooden piece is seasoned for a couple of years. Then starts a stage of raw carving — some remèri still use the typical axe of carpenters — after which the piece is left for a year more to season. Without this long seasoning the wood would not acquire those essential qualities to make it endure over the oar friction and atmospheric agents.
The carving
The piece can then pass through a very meticulous stage of carving, which is still mainly made by hand. By starting from some basic templates, the remèr gives shape to the piece using some traditional tools.
- the fero a do maneghi — a two-handled blade — which can have different sizes: the shorter the more appropriate to carve very narrow curves and viceversa.
- the raschietto is used to refine the surface before the finishing: it comes in different sizes just like the fero.
The finishing
The surfaces of the piece are finally refined with sandpaper. The last step is giving two or three coats of a liquid mix composed by oil — olio paglierino — and a type of petrol. The finishing is together with the seasoning the stage that confers the appropriate physical characteristics to the fórcola.