Early in the history of Venice there is no hint at the gondolier. When the gondola had not yet undergone changes that made her actually different from other types of boats, the drivers of any boats were simply called boatmen, both for rowing boat and 'scaula', a general name applied to a flat-bottom boat used to carry things or people, moved by oars or sails. Later on, when the gondola was perfected, her driver got a different name, gondolier, because he was considered as a specialized driver to the extent that such a term was and still is synonym for a rowing master: "He is the artist, the water has no secret for him, he knows it infinitely better than the earth". It was at that time that the gondola became so popular that she was the commonest means of transport to be used in town, and a favourite with the rich and noble Venetians who had a 'gondolier de casada', that is a personal gondolier serving exclusively their own family.
Marin Sanudo, in his "Little chronicle" written between the XV and XVI centuries, narrates that, a once, the first gondoliers were primitive "neri Saraceni od altri famegi", that is nearly slaves, in fact, primeval gondolas are said to have been pushed by moors. Some old paintings confirm such statement: it is certain, however, that black Slaves were everywhere in great number. As the gondola grew popular, gondoliers became an integral part of the social complex, enjoying caste privileges since they were something more than simple workers, on the contrary, thanks to their daily contacts with the nobles they became, little by little, a sort of link between the powerful and the people.