Trainee gondoliers wanted: must be in love with Venice and know how to swim

With their straw hats and stripy shirts, Venice's distinguished gondoliers have been deftly rowing passengers through the narrow canals of the lagoon city for centuries.

- Angela Giuffrida

Now they are seeking to add to their number to ensure that the tradition of their ancient profession endures.

Venice's city hall announced this week that it was on the hunt for new gondoliers. The job requirements include being 18 or over, having a high school-level education, knowing how to swim and possessing a medical certificate that proves "a healthy and robust constitution".

But the application process is no breeze. First, budding gondoliers must apply to a training course - Arte del Gondoliere, or Art of the Gondolier. They will only be eligible for that if they prove they can row, or at least show signs of having what it takes to develop the skill.

"Being able to move the gondola around is the most important thing," said Andrea Balbi, the president of Venice's gondoliers' association.