View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/corruption-wealth-and-beauty-the-history-of-the-venetian-gondola-laura-morelli

It’s hard to imagine Venice without the curious, banana-shaped gondolas that glide down the canals. How did these boats come to be the trademark transportation of Venice? Laura Morelli details the history of the gondola, explaining why these boats were needed, the painstaking process by which they were made and why they have slowly begun to fade from the once-crowded canals.

Lesson by Laura Morelli, animation by Andrew Foerster.