Venice Part Deux

      Built in 1614 to link the Doge’s Palace to the New Prisons is the Bridge of Sighs.  Enclosed and covered on all sides, the bridge contains two separate corridors that run next to each other.

The Bridge of Sighs.

The view of San Giorgio from the bridge.

The view on the Bridge of Sighs toward the city.

The famous name of the bridge dates from the Romantic period, and was supposed to refer to the sighs of prisoners who, passing from the courtroom to the cell in which they would serve their sentence, took a last look at freedom as they glimpsed the lagoon and San Giorgio (an island church) through the small windows.  We 'sighed' at the beauty of this sight.

San Giorgio and its nod to modern art.

Ellie:        "Unlike a certain older brother of mine, I thought Venice had it’s own kind of beauty. The noise of cars was absent, and the bustling sounds of people and salesmen filled the air instead. It was a nice break.  Canals are everywhere, winding through the alleyways and cobblestone streets of the city. There are 420 bridges in Venice, spanning stores and houses. One of the most fun things to do as you are walking is just to observe all the fun things the stores and shops are selling. The carnival masks were so elaborate and beautiful, with rich histories of the city’s celebrations. Some of the masks were the Casanova, Columbina, and Jester.  Although Italy is known for its “flat” pizza, we only got thin-crusted pizza once. We did, however, get gelato everyday at a gelato place recommended by Rick Steves. He lived up to his reputation, and it was delicious!

       The San Marco Basilica was so gorgeous, especially when the light hit the walls just right. The gold sparkled and shone with brilliance we have never seen in any other castle or church. At nighttime, we visited St. Marks’ square to watch it flood. It was brilliant! We had a full moon that night, and the water reflected the hanging moon. People wandered around filling up the square with a soft hum of noise. Dueling musicians at various cafes performed classical music.  Salespeople light up the sky with lights disguised as toys. The square was certainly a sight to see."

     San Marco Basilica (St. Mark's) was built in the late 11th century, modeled after a church in Constantinople 500 years older. By stealing the bones of St. Mark (from Alexandria) and housing them in this ancient-looking church, Venice made itself seem very legitimate and powerful as it became a “must see” on the lucrative pilgrimage route.

San Marco Basilica

Considered one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world, the is known for its opulent design and gilded interior mosaics, and nicknamed Chiesa d'Oro, "Church of Gold.” Its design is a mixture of eastern and western architecture styles resulting in a unique architecture typical for Venice.

The magnificent marble floors ("inherited" from Constantinople) are arranged in a geometric pattern with interspersed animal designs. About 8,000 m² of gilded mosaics cover the walls and ceilings, creating a breathtaking and unique shimmering effect.  Those completed in the 12th century depict the New Testament while those painted in the following century concentrate on the stories of the Old Testament. Also adorning the walls are the stories of the Virgin Mary, St. Peter, St. Clement, St. John the Evangelist, and of course - St. Mark.

       St. Mark's Basilica is two feet above sea level — the lowest part of town and the first to flood. There are approximately a hundred floods per year.

William playing in the flood.

William:    "I was looking forward to Venice this whole trip.  It was very beautiful.  We had gelato every day; it was delicious.  I even was able to order it in Italian thanks to our class lesson last year.

       The Doge’s palace was awesome.  There were many huge rooms with plenty of paintings with many colors.  The prison cells were very interesting, but we got lost in them.  We also rode in a gondola.  They were beautiful and even had comfortable couches to sit on.

       At 9:00 pm St. Mark’s Square would flood due to the rising tides.  I ran through the puddles and even chased a fish.  Venice was as great as I thought it would be."

Two hundred years ago, there were 10,000 Gondolas in Venice, today there are only 500 gondolas, used only by tourists.  Although the aristocracy preferred horses to boats, beginning in the 14th century, when horses were outlawed from the streets of Venice, the noble class embraced gondolas as a respectable form of transportation. 

The Chugg's enjoying their gondola ride.

These sleek yet ornate boats typically are about 35 feet long and five feet wide, and weigh about 1,100 pounds. They travel about three miles an hour (same as walking) and take the same energy to row as it would to walk. They're always painted black (six coats) — the result of a 17th-century law a Doge enacted to eliminate competition between nobles for the fanciest rig. But each has unique upholstery, trim, and detailing. There are about 400 licensed gondoliers. When one dies, the license passes to his widow.

The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.  It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.  The present stone bridge, a single span designed by Antonio da Ponte, was completed in 1591. It is similar to the wooden bridge it succeeded. Two inclined ramps lead up to a central portico.  On either side of the portico, the covered ramps carry rows of shops. The engineering of the bridge was considered so audacious that some architects predicted future ruin. The bridge has defied its critics to become one of the architectural icons of Venice.

Leah:        "I loved Venice and the San Marco Basilica (Saint Mark’s).  It had mosaics all over the ceilings, floors, and walls, and gold in the mosaics! There was also Venetian marble on the exterior walls.  Wow!

Our favorite gelato spot, worthy of a daily visit.

     The Doge’s palace was cool. We ate gelato in a really amazing gelateria every single day since it was hot. I really enjoyed our gondola ride too.  The shopping was fun, especially finding the perfect mask.  There were so many things to look at and buy."

    The Venetian waters are a beautiful blue green.  Surrounding and ever present, you see them every which way you glance.  You can't help but wander out and touch them with your fingers, your toes, just like Ellie in this pic. 

     While we were a tiny part of the 12 million visitors Venice sees each year, our visit was personal.  We had no trouble finding places to rest and regroup after searching to no avail for the "Indiana Jones Church." We successfully explored, visited, discovered, and photographed everything we intended.  Crowds of people from all over the world were certainly there, but Venice was all ours, at least for 3 days.

Goodbye Venice, thanks for the perfect departing gift.