Squero de San Trovaso, Venice

Squero de San Trovaso is a working Venetian boatyard, housed in an unusual building shaped like a mountain home. That form reflects the woodworking traditions of its craftsmen, many of whom came from Cadore. The yard dates from the seventeenth century and remains among the very few Venetian squeri still operating.

Its work is now devoted to making and repairing gondolas, although the earlier yard handled a broader range of small local boats, including pupparini, sandoli, and s’ciopóni. Look at the sloping roof and sturdy timber structure: they give this waterfront workshop a character unlike the usual Venetian building. The word squero refers to a boat-building and repair yard, and this place preserves that craft in active form. It is an especially vivid stop because the building itself carries the memory of the mountain-born masters who shaped its working tradition.