As in other Italian cities, Venetian apprenticeship was primarily ruled by private contract between the master and his pupil and their guardians. A new data set of almost 6,000 contracts from the late sixteenth to the mid-seventeenth century for the first time allows a representative view of the profile of Venetian apprentices and apprenticeships. In terms of age (teens) and gender (overwhelmingly male), Venetian apprentices looked like their peers in other European regions. More than half originated outside the city and more than a third had lost their father. When it comes to the conditions of apprenticeship, two models existed side by side. The majority of contracts did foresee payment to the apprentice in return for his labour. In these cases the contract exceeded the term required by guild regulations. In a minority of contracts, no payments were made, but the apprentices could expect to finish their training early.