Venice's female boatbuilders and gondoliers navigate tradition and climate change
A photo essay highlights women in Venice who are breaking into traditionally male roles such as gondoliering and boatbuilding. The project also touches on the city's fragility due to rising sea levels and overtourism, as these women adapt and preserve Venetian culture.
The project profiles Marta Canino, who teaches lagoon navigation to women, and Beatrice, a 28-year-old gondolier operating the public traghetto ferry. Additionally, Agnese Tegon is working toward becoming the first female master glassmaker on Murano.
Venice relies on roughly 150 navigable canals as its primary thoroughfares. The Women's Regata delle Caorline, held on 8 March, featured thirteen professional and amateur teams, highlighting a gradual shift in these historically male-dominated aquatic spaces.
This gradual inclusion of women in Venice's water-based trades could diversify the city's economic resilience amid climate pressures. As rising tides and overtourism strain traditional livelihoods, these pioneers may help sustain cultural heritage by adapting skills like boatbuilding and navigation. Their visibility could also challenge gender norms in other heritage cities, potentially encouraging more inclusive workforce participation in environmental adaptation efforts.