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| My first view of the city |
My first crossing over the bridge from the bus stop into
Venezia I was immediately seduced by the surroundings that looked they could
have almost been taken from a fairy tale.
The crystal blue waters meandered up and around old apartment and hotel
buildings, accentuating their already bold and coral tones. Boats were cruising up and down the
water, and little ports were scattered everywhere, perfectly snugged up against
the cobblestone walkways. Seagulls
flew up and about, with the occasional one taking a rest and scanning its
surroundings from the safety of an old wooden post jutting out of the
water. It was a gloomy day by
conventional standards, but it seemed to almost enliven the city ever the
more.
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| View from Piazza San Marco |
I had three days to wonder the lovely city, though most
everybody you talk to will tell you that you can easily see the city in the
comfort of only one day. With the
city being fairly small, the labyrinth of roads certainly becomes easy to
follow when you realize they all lead to either one of the major destinations:
Piazza San Marco, or The Rialto, Venice’s old commercial heart. So definitely, with a small amount of
area to cover, and little to do besides cruising around he town and taking in
all the atmosphere and Venetian city life we could, three days definitely did
us well, and left us plenty of time to wander and relax at the local cafes.
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| One of the dozens of shops displaying hundreds of masks. |
Venice is most stereotypically known for both its masks and
it gondolas, both which very much so earn their place amongst Venice’s best and
set this small Italian city apart from the rest. The masks originally came about to grant its wearers
anonymity when they ventured the city to eat drink and be merry. They then became popular in 16th
century theater, especially in the Venetian’ version of improve theater,
“comedy of humors.” Today, Venice
remains famous for their masks as they reemerged in the celebration of The
Venice Carnival, which is a celebration that lasts two weeks before Shrove
Tuesday, or what American’s know better as “Fat Tuesday”. Shrove Tuesday is a holiday within the
Catholic Church when people are granted time to take advantage of a little
excess before the coming of Lent.
This one last opportunity of over-indulgence before the 40-day period before
Easter when Catholics are encouraged to fast and give up a few things that they
love is extended into two weeks in Venetian time, when you can see people
dressed up in elegant attire, wearing every kind of mask that you could
possibly imagine.
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| A Gondolier rows through the quiet alleyway |
Gondolas so too earn their name in Venice, as obviously this
is their place of fruition, and thus, has very much become the icon of the city
itself. You can quickly learn why
though, as just a five-minute stroll around the city, you can catch the sight
of several gondoliers, gently rowing up and along the small canals, as the
passengers eagerly take photos of their picturesque surroundings. In the 16th and 17th
centuries, gondolas were actually a main means of transportation, and it was
estimated that around eight to ten thousand gondolas wandered the waterways of
Venice. Today there are only about
400 in use, mostly all dedicated to the transportation of tourists around the
city. Though I didn’t have the
opportunity to ride one, as the fixed rates were far more than I can afford, I
definitely took enjoyment in watching them wander the city waterways. It was almost like I was peering in on
a painting, watching the gondoliers with their small straw hats with a ribbon
dangling delicately from the side, guiding their boat along with their muscular
outstretched arms. For several
moments I had almost felt transported into the dusk of the past, when this was
what defined this island city, quiet evening gondolas rides and sparkling city
waters; it seemed almost all too good to be true.
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| A store window in Venice displaying glass from Murano |
Outside of the wooden gondolas wandering up and down the
Grand Canal and small alleyways and the mysterious masks that dazzle themselves
from almost every one of 450 souvenir shops, Venice still remains spectacularly
close with it’s history as the first city to begin glass-making. The craft dates back all the way to
Roman times, and just walking around Venice, the fact becomes clear when you
notice the intricate and amazing glass sculptures lining the shop windows, in
every color of the rainbow. From shades of midnight blue to bright and cheery
pinks, you can find everything from a small pair of earrings to a chandelier
the size of a small Christmas tree.
You couldn’t help but to be entaken by the craft itself, and become mesmerized in the talent it took to create each and one of the unique pieces of
art.
Though Venice still remains strictly rooted in it’s glass
making heritage, in the 13th century, when the craft took off, its
foundries were moved to the island just off of Venice, to the island of Murano,
in order to lessen the risk of fire.
With three days on my watch, I decided to venture off to this island
city via water taxi and see what the glass making is all about.
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| View from the waterbus |
I decided to take the water bus first through the Grand
Canal, in order to get some great views and even more amazing photographs. Though it was nothing less than frigid
outside, I withstood it as I was so caught up in the beautiful surroundings. It was only 12 Euro for an all day pass
to ride the water bus, and it was an experience in itself. The people watching itself made it all
the more worth it, from the older man coddling his little Schnauzer keeping him
the best he could from the cold, to the father and son playing their own little
version of red-hands, I not only had the boat ride, but some interesting and
pleasant folks to share it with.
There were also some moments on the bus I found myself peeking over at
the local newspaper an older gentleman was reading, and it was exciting for me
to see how much Italian I could understand and recognize.
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| Molding a glass horse |
From the end of the Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, we caught
a water bus over to the Island of Murano, which only took about 20 minutes. The small island city was a great feat,
and obviously, completely surrounded by water, it had its own feel to it that
set it apart from the larger island of Venice. From the bus I went directly to a glass blowing
demonstration, where I got to watch a pair of older men mold, blow, and form
some glass that came right out of their 1,500°C
oven. It was truly spectacular to see how easily he could create
such intricate objects, from horse complete with a main and flowing tail, to a
simple vase with a perfectly curved handle. He made it look so easy, and it undermined the nearly 20
year apprenticeship they go through in order to earn their place on the step
stool, creating some of the most beautiful and unique glass masterpieces in
Venice, and perhaps even the world.
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| Piazza San Marco with the Basilica and Clock Tower |
On the last day of my time in Venice, I decided to wander
around Piazza San Marco, actually the only named Piazza in Venice. The rest of the squares in Venice only
earn the name campi, meaning field,
because of their smaller size.
Piazza San Marco is the famous Piazza in Venice, and the book I had been
reading about the city said to do everything to avoid seeing this on your first
day because of the crowds. Well,
luckily, a cloudy and rainy November day didn’t attract too many people, so
though there were tourists, there surely wasn’t as many as there would be on a
nice summer’s day. This Piazza is
home to the beautiful Basilica di San Marco and the Torre
dell'Orologio (clock tower), which both boast their presence through their
immediate size. I enjoyed just
meandering around the square, and watching the tourists meander about excitedly
taking pictures, feeding clusters of eager pigeons, and chatting with close
friends.
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| The Doge's Palace |
My wanderings eventually led me to the Doge’s Palace, which
once hosted the Doge of Venice, the once supreme authority and chief magistrate
of the city. The Doge ruled over
Venice for over a thousand years, from the seventh until the eighteenth
century. The palace had a simple
elegance to it, and its beautiful white façade set it apart from the
surrounding buildings on the square.
Upon entrance you are led straight into the courtyard, where inside sits
a large staircase, named the Giant’s Staircase. On either side stand two colossal statues of Mars and
Neptune, representing Venice’s power by land and sea. It was here that members of the Senate would gather
before meetings inside the palace.
Upon entrance I was led directly inside where I was able to
tour the Doge’s apartments and the Institutional chambers. Both were simply decorated, as
most of the furniture was gone, but the beautiful paintings and wallpapers that
remained was simply gorgeous and a feat in and of itself. My visit finished with the Armoury and
Prisons, which were definitely my absolute favorite part. I never had seen such old weapons
before, and each piece, from 16th and 17th century
firearms, to swords, crossbows, quivers, and arrows were magnificently designed
and so different than the weapons used today. Each only looked familiar from old photographs, and they
looked entirely like the ones you see in movies dating back to older
times. The ancient armor
especially stood out, from metal helmets to metal covers for the horse’s heads,
complete with chains and small designs etched into the metal.
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| Inside the prison cell, notice the carvings from the prisoners? |
Though I was happy with my Palace tour, it wasn’t until I
visited the Prisons underground that I got really excited about my visit. There was literally nobody else there,
and I was all alone, wandering around ancient prisons that literally looked
like they came out of a movie. As
I meandered, I imagined old prison guards walking around, with gigantic keys
clanking against their thighs, and starving prisoners hanging their arms
outside of the thick rod iron bars, begging for small scraps of food. I imagined the sickening stench of
urine and dirt, and wondered how in the world people could live in those small
concrete cells… consisting of nothing else but, well… concrete. I could almost hear the moaning of the
prisoners echoing off the walls, as I felt the contours of the old rusted over
iron latches that gated off sections of the prison. For a moment I almost thought I could hear a guard come from
around the corner, when I quickly snapped back into reality as a camera
flashed, and I could hear small chuckles of some fellow tourists. Though I was happy I wasn’t met with a
gigantic prison guard dripping with metal armor and an unhappy grin, I wasn’t
exactly thrilled with the idea of returning back to the limitations of my 21st
century reality.
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| Enjoying one of the most beautiful cities :-) |
But with no choice in the matter, I simply continued on my
tour, which promptly ended after a small souvenir shop. After exiting the Palace, I spent my
last afternoon in Venice simply walking around the town, window shopping and
taking in the magnificent views of the water, gondolas, and one of a kind
atmosphere of the island city. I
truly hadn’t expected to fall in love with Venice the way I did, but then
again, I don’t think it would be possible to ever not to. Definitely on the top of my list, if
you’d ever ask, I’d definitely recommend Venezia, Veneto, the “floating city”
well deserving its name by the New York Times as “one of the most beautiful cities built by man.”
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