The Floating City, Venice, Italy
Venice was built on 118 small islands that are connected by more than 400 bridges. It is known for its picturesque canals dotted with gondolas, endless alleys, and the ornate St. Mark’s Basilica. But it is so much more than that! This magical city brims with dramatic art, marvelous architecture and it is a testimony to an incredibly vibrant and intriguing history.
Sciopero Nazionale!
Great! Public transportation decided to go on a Sciopero Nazionale (national strike) today and that meant we had to walk to our accommodations. This required hauling our bags over some of the city’s many arched bridges, up and down stone stairs, and down the cobbled stoned alleys. It felt like navigating an obstacle course! Traveling light never felt so great!
After dropping off the bags, we headed for the iconic St.Mark’s Square because we had booked a guided tour of St.Mark’s Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale. We aren’t per se big fans of guided tours but having skip-the-line-tickets that came with the tour was so worth it!
The famous St.Mark’s Basilica was built in the 9th century to hold very important stolen relics from Alexandria. Yes, you read that correctly! The relics were stolen! Merchants from Venice stole St.Mark the Evangelist’s body and allegedly hid it in a barrel under layers of pickled pork. Knowing the Muslim’s disdain for this meat, they were easily able to smuggle the mortal remains past the guards and load them onto their ship. From then on St.Mark was adopted as the patron saint of the city and his mummified remains were laid to rest at the Basilica. The entire story is depicted in a detailed and gorgeous mosaic above the left door of the church.
Because St.Mark’s representation is a winged lion, we saw this creature all over Venice.
St.Mark’s Basilica is one of the most ornate churches I have ever seen. Its opulent design, golden mosaics, 5 domes, winged lion, angels, and horses make for a majestic and striking architectural feat. It is simply astonishing!
Once inside, it was impossible not to look up and be in awe of the dazzling gilded mosaics covering the domed ceilings. I read that they cover no less than 85,000 square feet (8000 square meters). That’s the equivalent of 1.5 American football fields! Most date from the 12th century and depict the message of salvation through stories of the New Testament. It was magnificent and I didn’t know where to look first!
If you have seen the movie Inferno, you know that 4 copper and bronze horses, dating from classical antiquity, stand outside on the balcony above the Basilica’s portal. You will then also know that they originally stood at the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Like so many other artifacts, these life-size and beautiful sculptures were looted from Constantinople during the 4th Crusade.
The horses on the facade are replicas though and the originals are housed inside the museum. And they looked extraordinary! The powerful expression and illusion of motion gave so much life and power to the animals. What an astounding piece of art!
Do you see the scratches on the horses? That’s not damage but a deliberate addition. Apparently, the sculpture was too shiny to look at so the artist scraped the copper to diminish sunlight reflection. I found that to be pretty cool.
From here, we made our way to the Palazzo Ducale. Considering that the first Basilica used to be the duke’s private chapel and was connected to the palace, we did not have to trek very far.
Palazzo Ducale was the official residence of the doge or duke, who was the elected leader of the Venetian Republic. Overlooking the lagoon, this gorgeous gothic-style building with its open arcades and pink and white diamond-patterned facade, simply radiated beauty, wealth, and power. Imagine being a 14th century merchant or visitor arriving in Venice and seeing this grand palace reflected against the blue waters of the laguna. What an imposing first impression that must have been!
The offices of the government were also housed inside the Palazzo Ducale. They were grand with their richly decorated ceilings and ornamentally carved doors.
Before we, and thus also any foreign ambassador and delegate back then, reached the Sala del Senato, we had to pass through 2 antechambers, which were lavishly decorated with paintings by Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto.
Not only were these paintings gigantic, their colors were exceptionally vibrant. We soon learned that these portraits were not frescoes but actual oil paintings. That meant that the artists were able to paint these massive works in the comfort of their own studios and apply them to walls and ceilings afterwards. How ingenious!
By the way, the senate was responsible for overseeing political and financial offices and they were also in charge of electing the doge.
Next, we ventured into the Sala del Maggior Consiglio or the Hall of the Great Council, an unelected voting body of all male members of patrician Venetian families, age 25 and up, irrespective of their status, merits or wealth. With its 174 feet (53m) long and 82 feet (25m) wide, this was one of the largest rooms in Renaissance Europe! It was dramatic, stunning, and formidable at the same time!
When I thought about this political system with its elections and one man having one vote system, I couldn’t but deduce that the Venetian Republic was one of the first democracies in the world!
Throughout the building, I noticed mailbox looking slots in the hallways. Here and there it was adorned with a lion’s head, the symbol of Venice. The guide told me it was called a Bocca di Leone and was indeed a mailbox in which citizens of the republic could drop written notes with their grievances. The fact that this system existed made me conclude that the people of Renaissance Venice could read and write and were highly educated. How unusual, fascinating, and intriguing!
Lastly, we crossed the Bridge of Sighs. This ancient and famous bridge connects the Doge’s Palace with the prison across the canal. Tried prisoners were shuttled from the palace directly into their cells via this frequently photographed bridge. It was here, through the tiny windows, they caught their last glimpse of their beloved city and sighed, giving the bridge its name. Or so the legend goes.
Of course the day wouldn't be complete without a traditional gelato and an exquisite Italian meal.
Art, Vaporettos, and Gondolas
After enjoying a brioche and a coffee, which is understood to be an espresso in Italy, we walked to the Gallerie dell’ Accademia, an old church turned museum that houses a rich collection of pre-19th century Venetian paintings. With more than 800 works from artists such as Bellini, Veronese, Tintoretto, Titian, and Longhi, it has one of the most comprehensive collections in Venice.
To be honest, we were not all that familiar with the Venetian Renaissance masters so we decided to stick to the famous ones and learn about them.
I was hoping to see Da Vinci’s Vetruvian Man, but unfortunately it wasn’t on display. Apparently the drawing is extremely fragile and sensitive to light so it’s only shown occasionally. How disappointing!
As was customary during that time period, most paintings were religious in nature. Here and there we encountered a really bizarre painting such as Carpaccio’s gruesome Crucifixion and Glorification of the Ten Thousand Martyrs of Mount Ararat. It was just short of an imminent UFO arrival!
Then there were also the unconventional Tintoretto’s with their strikingly, deep perspective background and contrasting colors.
But by far, the most impressive painting was Bellini’s Procession in St.Mark’s Square, which depicts an accurate representation of St.Mark’s Square and St.Mark’s Basilica. On the right you can even see part of the Palazzo Ducale. The amount of detail in this work was phenomenal!
From here we walked to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, the famous cathedral that has been guarding the entrance to the Grand Canal since the 17th century. Even though the exterior is quite stunning, the interior is very soberly decorated. In the sacristy, several Tintoretto’s graced the walls.
We didn’t feel like walking all the way back to St.Mark’s and decided to cross the Grand Canal like the locals by means of Traghetto, a ferry gondola.
It was quite an adventure and it definitely beat the Disneyland-ride-resembling, 80 euros, bumper to bumper, so-called romantic and popular gondola rides!
I do have to admit though that gondolas make for great pictures.
With the vaporetto or Venetian ferry, we made the crossing to St. George Island Maggiore. Because the island is frontally situated relative to the city, it made for a perfect spot to take pics of Palazzo Ducale, the Campanile, and the library. I couldn't imagine this view being spoiled by cruise ships anchored in the lagoon as is customary when there’s no pandemic! I’m happy I didn’t have to experience that!
From here it was back to the crazy busy St.Mark’s Square where it was time for cocktail hour. One cannot visit Venice and not savor a traditional Aperol Spritz. I am very fond of this rather bitter drink consisting of Aperol, Prosecco, sparkling water, and ice. It is very refreshing and the perfect drink for people who cannot handle alcohol that well. Yes, me!
I learned that the Spritz was invented in the Veneto region in the early 1900’s. No wonder it was so popular here!
And of course, the afternoon needed to end with, you guessed it, another gelato.
The Oldest Ghetto in Europe
Today, we visited the Ghetto of Venice. Created by decree in 1516, Jewish artisans and lenders, who tended to Venice’s businesses by day, were restricted to the ghetto at night. In fact, gates were locked at night and since the ghetto area was walled, it created some sort of prison for the Jewish community.
Sadly, this ghetto was one of the first places where people were forcibly segregated because of their religion.
It wasn’t until Napoleon seized the city in 1797 that the gates were torn down and the separation ended.
I learned that the English word “ghetto” derives from the Italian dialect “geto”, which means foundry. And sure enough, the ghetto area used to house a large foundry that made cannons.
We wandered around the maze of alleys and courtyards and soaked up the history and culture of this quarter. It was really hard to understand how 5000 people used to be crammed together in such a small area! No wonder some buildings were 6 stories high, a rarity in Venice!
We ended our walk at the Square Campo del Ghetto Nuova. It was the perfect place to sip an espresso and ponder the morality of religious and racial intolerances in the world.
Cooler than Cool and Some Art Too
We took a water taxi through the Grand Canal, Venice’s grandest and busiest waterway, to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Speeding through the water in a traditional, wooden speedboat, I felt very sophisticated and cool like James Bond. Who says we don t have swagger!
We sailed past resplendent houses, whose facades seemed to disappear into the water, barges carrying groceries, and the famous Rialto Bridge.
Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge in Venice and it crosses the narrowest part of the Grand Canal. It consists of 2 ramps with a middle portico with shops on either side. Shops equals tons of tourists and it was rather uncomfortable being on that bridge. After all, covid was still very real. People didn’t seem to mind though but we did! Up, picture, and over it was for us!
Across the bridge lies the Rialto Market where produce merchants sell their seasonal fruits and vegetables and fishmongers hawk their fresh seafood catches. Being from Europe, a market like this wasn’t that unusual for us. So we simply strolled past it.
Peggy Guggenheim Museum is a modern art museum housed in an 18th century palace, which was the home of the American heiress for almost 30 years. Initially, she seasonally displayed her impressive private collection but after her death in 1979, the works went permanently on display.
“My motto was “Buy a picture a day,” and I lived up to it.”
Besides works by Kandinsky, Picasso, Calder, and Mondrian, she owned paintings by Pollock. And I love Pollocks! I cannot help but always marvel at the texture and the freedom of lines in his drip paintings. And his works are so dynamic too. I just love it!
Up the Campanile
At the end of the afternoon, when the line was significantly shorter, Bert went up the Campanile, bell tower that graces the beautiful and iconic view of Venice. I have to admit that the bird’s eye view of the city and the Basilica were pretty cool.
While Bert braved the many stairs (or so I thought) I savored yet another gelato and did some souvenir shopping.
Once back, Bert informed me the climb up to the top was by elevator. And here I was thinking that my husband fearlessly tackled 323 stairs!
Speaking of elevators…The elevator in the building where our Airbnb was located, was a the puniest thing I have ever seen! The two of us barely fir and then only when standing sideways, stuck together. The thing probably gets promoted as a “romantic” elevator. Hahaha.
Naturally, we ended out last day with cocktails on St.Mark’s and an extensive and delicious Italian dinner. What a prefect ending to a fun few days.
