A remèr (

Venetian dialect Venetian, also known as wider Venetian or Venetan ( or ), is a Romance language spoken natively in the northeast of Italy,Ethnologue mostly in Veneto, where most of the five million inhabitants can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and o ...

, plural ''remèri'') is a

craftsman Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative *Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take o ...

specialised in the making of traditional rowlocks – called

fórcola Fórcola (Venetian dialect, plural ''Fórcole'') is the typical Venice, Venetian rowlock providing a variety of fulcrum positions, each having its own effect on the rower's oar. Overview The fórcola is quite a complicated object which develop ...

s – and oars for Venetian boats.

History

In September 1307, the Venetian government recognised the first ''Mariégola dei Remèri'', or

corporation A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...

s of specialised craftmen. Remèri were included among the "Arts" corporations, each of which had a school and a governing statute, and together formed the core of Venetian productive power. They were divided between those working for the navy inside the Arsenale and those with independent workshops, crafting oars and rowlocks for smaller ships. Traces of these workshops can still be found today in the street names such as "del Remèr" (Remer's street). Remeri began their trade as a ''servente'' (apprentice, or, more literally, "servant"). Only after many years could they become a ''maestro'', or "master". The long lasting domination of Venice on the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

mostly depended on the ability of its craftsmen and on the technical innovations they achieved. Even if the main medium of propulsion for a boat was still the sail, the oars and their supports were decisive for manoeuvring during dead calm weather, or along the islands.

The last remèri

The Arte dei Remèri, as a legal corporation, ceased to exist in 1807, when

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

abolished all Venetian corporations, along with monasteries, convents, and fraternal orders, and confiscated their property. Only three master remeri remain today; Paolo Brandolisio and Saverio Pastor (who were apprenticed to Giuseppe Carli), and Franco Furlanetto (a former apprentice of Pastor's). The modern El Felze association is dedicated to preserving the crafting traditions of

gondola The gondola (, ; , ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, in a scul ...

s developed over the centuries.

Oars

The present ''remo'' is a very refined version of the old oars used on gondolas and other boats. Initially, it was heavier and made out of a single piece of wood, wide enough to contain the blade, the shape of which is taken from a template. Both the blade and the handle used to be bigger than they are today. The width of modern blades is approximately , while the size of the handle differs from rower to rower - the average is around . The underside of an oar is curved in cross-section whereas the top side has an asymmetric edge called the ''spigolo''. This part is called the ''entràr'' because it literally “enters” the water. When the oar is rotated through a certain angle, the edge creates friction, and influences the behaviour of the boat. Today, there are many different techniques for crafting oars. Ramìn is the most commonly used type of wood, because of its low weight and rigidity. A lower weight means less fatigue, and greater rigidity transforms even small movements into propulsive force. It is usually possible to craft a pair of oars from a single piece of wood approximately thick and wide. Another technique uses different kinds of wood for each part of the oar, producing a ''remo lamellare'' (layered oar). Tough

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

wood is used for the two external parts of the blade, while the part between the ''entràr'' and the handle is made of

fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

wood. Once crafted, the oar is levelled with a hand plane, and finished, firstly with two coats of oil and treated petroleum, and finally with three coats of special sea-waterproof paint.

References

Bibliography

* Caniato, G. (2007). ''L'Arte Dei Remèri''. Verona: Cierre Edizioni. The most recent book on the subject. Text in Italian only. * Penzo, G. (1997). ''Fórcole, Remi e Voga alla Veneta''. Chioggia: Il Leggio. The most detailed book on the making of rowlocks and oars. Text in Italian and English. * Pastor, S. (1999). ''Fórcole''. Venezia: Mare di Carta, Chioggia: Il Leggio. A very complete and artistic book on forcolas full of beautiful pictures. Text in Italian and English.

External links