Our entrance into Venice couldn't have been more breathtaking! We were standing on the 14th balcony of our cruise ship gliding slowly on the wide Giudecca Canal past St. Marks Square and the beautiful mansions of Venice (with the sun shining just right) while listening to recordings of Andre Bocelli singing romantic Italian songs over the broadcast system of the ship!!! This was Doug's and my first time (George and Laura's second) seeing Venice, and I will never forget that whole thrilling experience!
-------------------------------
VENICE--
Established more than 1000 years ago by seafarers and Roman refugees, situated in a lagoon on Italy's north-eastern Adriatic Coast, Venice is one of the most beautiful, romantic and best loved cities in the world. This truly unique city, a maze of waterways, walkways, narrow streets and small squares, is built on approximately 117 islets which are separated by 177 canals and spanned by some 400 bridges. The Grand Canal is like main street, cutting through the center of the city. The buildings are supported by literally millions of poles driven into the marshy sediment.
A three-mile bridge reaches across the lagoon connecting Venice to the mainland, while a narrow sandbar, the famous Lido, forms a natural breakwater which protects Venice from the force of the Adriatic Sea. There are, of course, no cars or buses in the main city and transport for visitor or Venetian alike, is either on foot, by Vaporetto (water bus), private launch, water taxi or the traditional, graceful Gondola.
-----------------
Our view from the ship of famous St. Mark's Square, with its Basilica, Doge's Palace, and the tall, square Clock Tower, is known as the world's most beautiful square, which attracts tourists from around the world.
Famous people in history that were born in Venice include the playwright and famous lover Casanova, the explorer Marco Polo and composer Vivaldi.
Laura's and I on our ship's 14th floor deck with the Bell Tower in the background.
View of Venice with its terra-cotta tiled roofs and one of many bridges and canals.
One of many churches
More canals and bridges
Stazione Marina--where the cruise ships dock. At peak tourist season, there are as many as nine ships a day!
Love this picture of George and Laura!
We disembarked and went on our shore excursion to see St. Mark's Square.
The Central Train Station where we caught our vaporreto (water bus)...
...the best and most economical way to travel the canals of Venice.
GRAND CANAL--We cruised on the Grand Canal full of all kinds of boats. The canal is an ancient waterway, lined with grand buildings constructed by wealthy Venetian families - about 170 in all - that were mostly built from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
During the Venetian-gothic style of architecture in the 15th century, facades included plaster in bright colors with pointed arches.
Buildings and homes designed in the Renaissance and Classical styles featured white facades rather than colored ones, and windows were round rather than with pointed arches.
Gondoliers still navigate the canals of Venice as they have for 1,000 years. Two hundred years ago, there were 10,000 gondolas in Venice; today there are only 500 gondolas with 400 licensed gondoliers. When one dies, the license passes to his widow.
GONDOLAS--are long boats (35 feet long and 5 feet wide) made of wood, are flat (no keel or rudder) in order to navigate over the countless shifting sandbars, and the captains stand up to see. The metal "hood ornament" (ferro) has six horizontal lines that represent Venice's six districts, and the curved top represents the Doge's funny cap.
Single oars are used both to propel and to steer the boats, which are built curved a bit on one side so that an oar thrusting from that side sends the gondola in a straight line. The gondola will not flip over like a canoe--it will always right itself due to its asymmetrical design.
------------------
Our first sighting of a blue and white striped shirted gondolier. It's customary for them to wear striped shirts just like sailors.
RIALTO BRIDGE--dating from the late 16th century, is the main bridge crossing Venice's Grand Canal. The bridge is lined with shops and often crowded with tourists since it is one of Venice's top sights.
How else does a man and his dog get around in Venice without a pickup truck?!
San Giorgio Island--Is a picturesque island across the Grand Canal from St. Mark's Square. On the Island is the beautiful 16th century Church of San Giorgio.
SAINT MARK'S SQUARE--
The square is the heart of Venice and the first stop for most first-time visitors to the city of Venice, as it is home to St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Bell Tower. As Napoleon once described the square, it's "the finest drawing room in Europe." And you wish to come back there again and again...
------------------------------
BELL TOWER--St. Mark's Basilica has a separate bell tower that stands 323 feet tall and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Originally built in the 9th century as a look-out tower, the current version was rebuilt in 1912 after the original tower collapsed in 1902.
Besides being filled with people and great architecture, St. Mark's Square is also full of pigeons. They have long been a problem in the square, but we were fortunate to not be bothered that day--maybe because of the time of year. However, George was friendly to the ones that were there!
DOGE'S PALACE--
The palace was built as the Doge's residence, the seat of government and as the palace of justice of the Venetian Republic in the 8th century. It was renovated into the present form in the 15th century due to fire. Its successive Gothic arches with delicate decoration have also the influence of Islamic architecture.
The office of the Doge of Venice was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. He was elected for life. He ruled in great splendor and laws were passed in his name, but his power was severely limited by the Great Council and mostly by the Council of Ten (a secretive group which held the utmost power in the administration of the city). The hat was part of the official wardrobe.
Despite its considerable size, the multi-colored facade decorations and perforation of the Gothic loggias (open balconies), like stone lace, don't appear heavy looking.
The loggias are built below the solid walls above, which gives the feeling of lightness.
Ornate pink street lamps with pigeons on the square
GREAT COURTYARD--Internal courtyard of the palace
Upper balcony of courtyard
The Great Courtyard where St. Mark's Basilica is connected to the Doge's Palace
The palace's fresh water cistern in the courtyard is itself a piece of artwork.
GIANT'S STAIRWAY--These stairs led to the Doge's private quarters and are flanked by huge statues of Mars and Neptune. The winged lion over the entry is St. Mark's symbol.
The Doges were crowned here. Climbing to the top of the grand stairway, he was pronounced the Doge while he promised to defend and respect the constitution forever.
We couldn't take pictures inside the rooms, however this is a picture I took off the internet showing the Higher Council Hall on the second floor at the end of the room. The impressive hall is literally covered in amazing paintings and decorations. One of the most important painting is by Tintoretto, a major Venetian painter of the Renaissance, Paradise. This work is considered the world's largest oil painting covering an entire wall--25 ft by 81 ft.
Close-up of Tintoretto's Paradise
The "Mouth for secret accusations"--Venice had several of these letterboxes that were used to report crimes anonymously. This one was used to denounce tax evaders. At times, a single anonymous accusation was enough to be arrested.
THE GOLDEN STAIRCASE--The state apartments were the Doge's private apartments on the second floor of the palace, which were built between 1538 and 1559. They have lavishly decorated ceilings with paintings and gilded ornate carvings.
At the approach of the Golden Staircase are two statues of Hercules and Atlas.
The ceiling was built to provide a grand entrance for dignitaries visiting the staterooms on the upper floors of the Doge's Palace.
The ornately decorated staircase expresses the great wealth that the Venetians once possessed.
Impressive today, but imagine the effect on visitors 700 years ago. The Doge of Venice was one of the most powerful men in the world.
Beautiful carved door in the palace leading to the staterooms
Bridge of Sighs--The palace was connected to its new prison by this famous arched bridge suspended over the water. Legend says that from this bridge one could hear the sighs of the condemned as they were being led to prison.
Walking over the Bridge of Sighs
The living conditions in the prisons were terrible. Also, they were either ice-cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer.
The most famous guest was Casanova who ended up in prison after a long series of crimes. He also made an amazing escape from the "difficult to escape prison" that made him famous. He wrote a book about his escape that was printed in 1788, which soon became the equivalent of a modern best-seller.
-------------------------------------
Going out of the inner courtyard of the palace to St. Mark's Square.
Porta Della Carta--The main entrance to the palace. The gate leads directly to the Doge's Palace courtyard.
VENICE CLOCK TOWER (Torre dell-Orologio)--was originally built in 1499 and is a mechanical and architectural masterpiece. The bell is struck on the hour by two bronze bell ringers. The astronomical clock shows not only the actual time but also the date and an appropriate zodiac sign.
Tetrarchs--The four Egyptian prophyry sculptures, dating from the 4th century, are embracing royal figures.
ST. MARK'S BASILIC--
The centerpiece of the plaza is the magnificent basilica. The original church was situated inside the complex of the Doge's Palace and was constructed in 828. It was built to house St. Mark the Evangelist's body, which was supposedly stolen by Venetian merchants from Alexandria, Egypt several years earlier.
In the Middle Ages, owning a saint's remains meant increased trade and cultural exchange.
The basilica we see today was the Doge's private chapel until 1807 when it became the city's cathedral. Nicknamed the "Church of Gold" because of its opulence, it has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, since 1807.
Commissioned in 1071, this amazing church was built in Venetian-Byzantine style, a mixture of western and eastern styles.
Two free-standing columns finely carved probably from the 5th- or 6th-century Syria.
The church facade is an enormous gothic masterpiece. Five great arches support five gigantic domes.
At the top of the front entrance there are four bronze horse statues (Quadriga) made around 400 B.C. The Venetian Crusaders brought back these statues from Constantinople in the 13th century. The original horses are displayed inside the church.
Above the four horses are statues of St. Mark and the angels
Our guide pointing out the gilded mosaic in the central portal known as "The Last Judgment."
Close-up of "The Last Judgment"--All of the tiny squares of the mosaics lean in different directions in order to better catch and reflect the light from no matter which angle.
The mosaic below illustrates the moment of stealing Saint Mark's body from Alexandria. Men, wearing turbans, are bending over the basket containing the relics. They are plugging their noses because of the smell of the pork placed on top of the Saint's body concealing it.
BASILICA'S INTERIOR--We didn't make it into the interior of the church because our group was one hour late meeting our guide. However, I took this picture off the internet. The vaults and cupolas are covered in gilded mosaics. No wonder they nicknamed the basilica "the Church of Gold."
VENETIAN MASKS--Wearing masks has always been more than just simple fun for the Venetians. Putting on a mask meant taking forbidden liberties and not being seen or caught because you were hiding behind a mask. This was the number one souvenir for tourists to purchase.
Gondola Ride--We were so excited to ride a gondola. Well, we can now say we did, but it wasn't the best experience. Since we were late meeting our guide, we just ran out of time and daylight. The gondoliers actually had to be called back to take us on our ride, and our guy wasn't in the best mood. AND, on top of that, there was only one good seat for a couple to sit on, and Laura and George were just sitting on stools! So, we didn't get anywhere near a good picture of them on the actual ride.
Waiting for our gondola ride
Doug was in a daze when he heard how much the gondola ride cost--hah?!
We finally convinced him that riding in a gondola was supposed to be romantic. See how much influence we have on him!?!
Well, we had a wonderful time our first day in Venice, one that we will never forget. Our ship remained docked there overnight.
----------------------------------------------------------
Tomorrow we will travel with a short boat trip to Murano to a Venetian glass factory!
-------------------------------
VENICE--
Established more than 1000 years ago by seafarers and Roman refugees, situated in a lagoon on Italy's north-eastern Adriatic Coast, Venice is one of the most beautiful, romantic and best loved cities in the world. This truly unique city, a maze of waterways, walkways, narrow streets and small squares, is built on approximately 117 islets which are separated by 177 canals and spanned by some 400 bridges. The Grand Canal is like main street, cutting through the center of the city. The buildings are supported by literally millions of poles driven into the marshy sediment.
A three-mile bridge reaches across the lagoon connecting Venice to the mainland, while a narrow sandbar, the famous Lido, forms a natural breakwater which protects Venice from the force of the Adriatic Sea. There are, of course, no cars or buses in the main city and transport for visitor or Venetian alike, is either on foot, by Vaporetto (water bus), private launch, water taxi or the traditional, graceful Gondola.
-----------------
Our view from the ship of famous St. Mark's Square, with its Basilica, Doge's Palace, and the tall, square Clock Tower, is known as the world's most beautiful square, which attracts tourists from around the world.
Famous people in history that were born in Venice include the playwright and famous lover Casanova, the explorer Marco Polo and composer Vivaldi.
Laura's and I on our ship's 14th floor deck with the Bell Tower in the background.
View of Venice with its terra-cotta tiled roofs and one of many bridges and canals.
One of many churches
More canals and bridges
Stazione Marina--where the cruise ships dock. At peak tourist season, there are as many as nine ships a day!
Love this picture of George and Laura!
We disembarked and went on our shore excursion to see St. Mark's Square.
The Central Train Station where we caught our vaporreto (water bus)...
...the best and most economical way to travel the canals of Venice.
GRAND CANAL--We cruised on the Grand Canal full of all kinds of boats. The canal is an ancient waterway, lined with grand buildings constructed by wealthy Venetian families - about 170 in all - that were mostly built from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
During the Venetian-gothic style of architecture in the 15th century, facades included plaster in bright colors with pointed arches.
Buildings and homes designed in the Renaissance and Classical styles featured white facades rather than colored ones, and windows were round rather than with pointed arches.
Gondoliers still navigate the canals of Venice as they have for 1,000 years. Two hundred years ago, there were 10,000 gondolas in Venice; today there are only 500 gondolas with 400 licensed gondoliers. When one dies, the license passes to his widow.
GONDOLAS--are long boats (35 feet long and 5 feet wide) made of wood, are flat (no keel or rudder) in order to navigate over the countless shifting sandbars, and the captains stand up to see. The metal "hood ornament" (ferro) has six horizontal lines that represent Venice's six districts, and the curved top represents the Doge's funny cap.
Single oars are used both to propel and to steer the boats, which are built curved a bit on one side so that an oar thrusting from that side sends the gondola in a straight line. The gondola will not flip over like a canoe--it will always right itself due to its asymmetrical design.
------------------
Our first sighting of a blue and white striped shirted gondolier. It's customary for them to wear striped shirts just like sailors.
RIALTO BRIDGE--dating from the late 16th century, is the main bridge crossing Venice's Grand Canal. The bridge is lined with shops and often crowded with tourists since it is one of Venice's top sights.
How else does a man and his dog get around in Venice without a pickup truck?!
San Giorgio Island--Is a picturesque island across the Grand Canal from St. Mark's Square. On the Island is the beautiful 16th century Church of San Giorgio.
SAINT MARK'S SQUARE--
The square is the heart of Venice and the first stop for most first-time visitors to the city of Venice, as it is home to St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Bell Tower. As Napoleon once described the square, it's "the finest drawing room in Europe." And you wish to come back there again and again...
------------------------------
BELL TOWER--St. Mark's Basilica has a separate bell tower that stands 323 feet tall and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Originally built in the 9th century as a look-out tower, the current version was rebuilt in 1912 after the original tower collapsed in 1902.
Besides being filled with people and great architecture, St. Mark's Square is also full of pigeons. They have long been a problem in the square, but we were fortunate to not be bothered that day--maybe because of the time of year. However, George was friendly to the ones that were there!
DOGE'S PALACE--
The palace was built as the Doge's residence, the seat of government and as the palace of justice of the Venetian Republic in the 8th century. It was renovated into the present form in the 15th century due to fire. Its successive Gothic arches with delicate decoration have also the influence of Islamic architecture.
The office of the Doge of Venice was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. He was elected for life. He ruled in great splendor and laws were passed in his name, but his power was severely limited by the Great Council and mostly by the Council of Ten (a secretive group which held the utmost power in the administration of the city). The hat was part of the official wardrobe.
Despite its considerable size, the multi-colored facade decorations and perforation of the Gothic loggias (open balconies), like stone lace, don't appear heavy looking.
The loggias are built below the solid walls above, which gives the feeling of lightness.
Ornate pink street lamps with pigeons on the square
GREAT COURTYARD--Internal courtyard of the palace
Upper balcony of courtyard
The Great Courtyard where St. Mark's Basilica is connected to the Doge's Palace
The palace's fresh water cistern in the courtyard is itself a piece of artwork.
GIANT'S STAIRWAY--These stairs led to the Doge's private quarters and are flanked by huge statues of Mars and Neptune. The winged lion over the entry is St. Mark's symbol.
The Doges were crowned here. Climbing to the top of the grand stairway, he was pronounced the Doge while he promised to defend and respect the constitution forever.
We couldn't take pictures inside the rooms, however this is a picture I took off the internet showing the Higher Council Hall on the second floor at the end of the room. The impressive hall is literally covered in amazing paintings and decorations. One of the most important painting is by Tintoretto, a major Venetian painter of the Renaissance, Paradise. This work is considered the world's largest oil painting covering an entire wall--25 ft by 81 ft.
Close-up of Tintoretto's Paradise
The "Mouth for secret accusations"--Venice had several of these letterboxes that were used to report crimes anonymously. This one was used to denounce tax evaders. At times, a single anonymous accusation was enough to be arrested.
THE GOLDEN STAIRCASE--The state apartments were the Doge's private apartments on the second floor of the palace, which were built between 1538 and 1559. They have lavishly decorated ceilings with paintings and gilded ornate carvings.
At the approach of the Golden Staircase are two statues of Hercules and Atlas.
The ceiling was built to provide a grand entrance for dignitaries visiting the staterooms on the upper floors of the Doge's Palace.
The ornately decorated staircase expresses the great wealth that the Venetians once possessed.
Impressive today, but imagine the effect on visitors 700 years ago. The Doge of Venice was one of the most powerful men in the world.
Beautiful carved door in the palace leading to the staterooms
Bridge of Sighs--The palace was connected to its new prison by this famous arched bridge suspended over the water. Legend says that from this bridge one could hear the sighs of the condemned as they were being led to prison.
Walking over the Bridge of Sighs
The living conditions in the prisons were terrible. Also, they were either ice-cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer.
The most famous guest was Casanova who ended up in prison after a long series of crimes. He also made an amazing escape from the "difficult to escape prison" that made him famous. He wrote a book about his escape that was printed in 1788, which soon became the equivalent of a modern best-seller.
-------------------------------------
Going out of the inner courtyard of the palace to St. Mark's Square.
Porta Della Carta--The main entrance to the palace. The gate leads directly to the Doge's Palace courtyard.
VENICE CLOCK TOWER (Torre dell-Orologio)--was originally built in 1499 and is a mechanical and architectural masterpiece. The bell is struck on the hour by two bronze bell ringers. The astronomical clock shows not only the actual time but also the date and an appropriate zodiac sign.
Tetrarchs--The four Egyptian prophyry sculptures, dating from the 4th century, are embracing royal figures.
ST. MARK'S BASILIC--
The centerpiece of the plaza is the magnificent basilica. The original church was situated inside the complex of the Doge's Palace and was constructed in 828. It was built to house St. Mark the Evangelist's body, which was supposedly stolen by Venetian merchants from Alexandria, Egypt several years earlier.
In the Middle Ages, owning a saint's remains meant increased trade and cultural exchange.
The basilica we see today was the Doge's private chapel until 1807 when it became the city's cathedral. Nicknamed the "Church of Gold" because of its opulence, it has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, since 1807.
Commissioned in 1071, this amazing church was built in Venetian-Byzantine style, a mixture of western and eastern styles.
Two free-standing columns finely carved probably from the 5th- or 6th-century Syria.
The church facade is an enormous gothic masterpiece. Five great arches support five gigantic domes.
At the top of the front entrance there are four bronze horse statues (Quadriga) made around 400 B.C. The Venetian Crusaders brought back these statues from Constantinople in the 13th century. The original horses are displayed inside the church.
Above the four horses are statues of St. Mark and the angels
Our guide pointing out the gilded mosaic in the central portal known as "The Last Judgment."
Close-up of "The Last Judgment"--All of the tiny squares of the mosaics lean in different directions in order to better catch and reflect the light from no matter which angle.
The mosaic below illustrates the moment of stealing Saint Mark's body from Alexandria. Men, wearing turbans, are bending over the basket containing the relics. They are plugging their noses because of the smell of the pork placed on top of the Saint's body concealing it.
BASILICA'S INTERIOR--We didn't make it into the interior of the church because our group was one hour late meeting our guide. However, I took this picture off the internet. The vaults and cupolas are covered in gilded mosaics. No wonder they nicknamed the basilica "the Church of Gold."
VENETIAN MASKS--Wearing masks has always been more than just simple fun for the Venetians. Putting on a mask meant taking forbidden liberties and not being seen or caught because you were hiding behind a mask. This was the number one souvenir for tourists to purchase.
Gondola Ride--We were so excited to ride a gondola. Well, we can now say we did, but it wasn't the best experience. Since we were late meeting our guide, we just ran out of time and daylight. The gondoliers actually had to be called back to take us on our ride, and our guy wasn't in the best mood. AND, on top of that, there was only one good seat for a couple to sit on, and Laura and George were just sitting on stools! So, we didn't get anywhere near a good picture of them on the actual ride.
Waiting for our gondola ride
Doug was in a daze when he heard how much the gondola ride cost--hah?!
We finally convinced him that riding in a gondola was supposed to be romantic. See how much influence we have on him!?!
Well, we had a wonderful time our first day in Venice, one that we will never forget. Our ship remained docked there overnight.
----------------------------------------------------------
Tomorrow we will travel with a short boat trip to Murano to a Venetian glass factory!
4 comments:
WOW-I really don't think there is a more beautiful city than Venice. The architecture is just amazing and its so cool how all of that beauty is completely surrounded by water. Thanks for another awesome history lesson!
Wow! I don't even know what to add about this day--you covered it all, and did it so beautifully! It really was a day none of us will ever forget, right? From sunrise to sunset, it was so special! Seriously, I don't know how you have found so much information and matched it to all the pictures we took. It is just amazing! I always knew you were so smart, but now I think you are a genius!
This was such a great description of an amazing city. To me, Venice holds a great deal of intrigue. Aside from the fact that it is a city built on water, how in the world have the buildings lasted since the 15th and 16th centuries?? I'm sure you will always remember being in Venice with fond memories from the beautiful photos on your blog.
I just still can't believe you've been to all these amazing places! LOVED the great courtyard, bridge of sighs and the church facade...it just blows my mind to think about the countless hours and detail that went into all of that beautiful construction and to think that they didn't have nearly the tools that we have now days.
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