Gondolas and gondoliers had to move both in Italy and abroad. The first gondolas abroad were the ones Charles II of England was presented with, as Francesco Giavarrina, ambassador of the Republic
In 1673 another Venetian man, Francesco Michiel, ambassador in France, had two gondolas reach Versailles castle at Louis XIV's court together with four gondoliers dressed up in brocade embroidered in gold and silver. The show was such a success that the monarch ordered more gondolas to be built together with some miniature galleys and frigates. As a consequence, the number of gondoliers increased to the extent that they founded a guilt called "Petite Venise" which lasted for over a century.
In 1756, two gondolas were sent by doge Francesco Loredan Köln electorate. Since then Venetian gondolas and gondoliers have been sent all over the world to represent Venice.
Count Nigra, representative in the Kingdom of Italy at Napoleon III's court and friend to empress Eugenia, recurred to the gondola to plead for Venice liberation, which had been waited since 1859. The gondola arrived at Fontainebleu castle on 26th june 1863 for a party. Nigra took the opportunity to recite an ode which became famous in history to the empress while she was rocking in the gondola:
... tell him that by the shore of the Adriatic sea
poor, unknown, waning
Venice is suffering and pining,
but she is alive and still waiting.
The countries and towns which have had a chance to get a Venetian gondola are numberless: in fact, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Buenos Aires and many others could see a gondola with her gondolier on their rivers or lakes.
Even today a lot of gondolas and gondolier delegations go abroad spreading the purest Venetian character everywhere.