"Venice is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges.[2] It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks.[2] The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.
The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusadesand the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain, and spice) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history.[8] It is also known for its several important artistic movements, especially the Renaissance period. Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music, and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi."
The preferred mode of transport in Venice
Morning rush hour.
Lotsa Italians are traveling into Venice for work
(I assume they work in the tourist related service)
Coffee Shop in Venice operated by Chinese - a new phenomenon.
I was quite surprised to see this.
It was 7-8am, and most of the shops in Venice were still closed, except this coffee shop. Most of the patrons were local Italians getting their daily caffeine fix and light breakfast before work. I was curious and had a conversation with the Chinese barista in Mandarin. I assumed that this coffee shop was owned by an Italian who employed Chinese staffs, but I was wrong. Apparently, lotsa Chinese people bought the properties in Venice and operate coffee shop. The barista told me that Chinese are more hardworking (and much cheaper to employ) than the Italians.
I wasn't surprised that the Chinese was hardworking, but I was surprised that the Chinese owner owned the real estate in Venice. The Chinese businessmen are really entrepreneurial. They are survivor. I guess this is a new phenomenon in many countries.
Thankfully, because they were hardworking, I got to enjoy my hot tea in the cold morning in Venice.
City on the water.
The tower is 98.6 metres (323 ft) tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark's Square, near the front of the basilica. It has a simple form, the bulk of which is a fluted
brick square shaft, 12 metres (39 ft) wide on each side and 50 metres (160 ft) tall, above which is a loggia surrounding the
belfry, housing five bells. The belfry is topped by a cube, alternate faces of which show the
Lion of St. Markand the female representation of Venice (
la Giustizia: Justice). The tower is capped by a pyramidal spire, at the top of which sits a golden
weathervane in the form of the archangel
Gabriel. The
campanile reached its present form in 1514. The current tower was reconstructed in its present form in 1912 after the collapse of 1902."
Beautiful Architecture
Elevated Platform in St Mark's Square (for times of flooding)
Reflection
Beautiful Symbol of Venice
Beautiful Symmetry
For its opulent design, gold ground
mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has been known by the nickname
Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold)"
Beautiful Mosaic
Italians are really master of artistry.
Interior of the Basilica
Photography is not allowed, but it is too beautiful not to take a photo. =)
"
The upper levels of the interior are completely covered with bright mosaics covering an area of about 8000 m2. The great majority use the traditional background of gold glass tesserae, creating the shimmering overall effect. Unfortunately, the Doge retained a workshop of mosaicists until the late 18th century, and in the 19th century contracted a mosaic workshop run by the Salviati glassmaking firm, and the majority of the medieval mosaics have been "restored" by removing and resetting, usually with a considerable loss of quality, so that "only about one-third of the mosaic surface can be regarded as original".[20]"
St Marks Square
Christianity is of great importance to the government that there was a picture showing Christ bestowing power to the Venetian leader. It is also politically motivated to influence the masses.
Reflection
Canal of Venice
"
The Grand Canal (Italian: Canal Grande, Venetian: Canałasso) is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses (Italian: vaporetti) and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola.
At one end, the canal leads into the
lagoon near the
Santa Lucia railway station and the other end leads into
Saint Mark Basin; in between, it makes a large reverse-S shape through the central districts (
sestieri) of Venice. It is 3,800 m long, 30–90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters (16.5 ft).
The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with more than 170 buildings, most of which date from the 13th to the 18th century, and demonstrate the welfare and art created by the
Republic of Venice. The noble Venetian families faced huge expenses to show off their richness in suitable
palazzos; this contest reveals the citizens’ pride and the deep bond with the lagoon. Amongst the many are the
Palazzi Barbaro,
Ca' Rezzonico,
Ca' d'Oro,
Palazzo Dario,
Ca' Foscari,
Palazzo Barbarigo and to Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, housing the
Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The churches along the canal include the basilica of
Santa Maria della Salute. Centuries-old traditions, such as the
Historical Regatta, are perpetuated every year along the Canal."
Gondola
Hi Birdie!
Buildings along the Grand Canal
Relaxing on the boat and enjoying the cool breeze and scenery.
It was so good!!!
The first dry crossing of the Grand Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181 by Nicolò Barattieri. It was called the Ponte della Moneta, presumably because of the mint that stood near its eastern entrance.
The present stone bridge, a single span designed by Antonio da Ponte, was finally 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 architect Vincenzo Scamozzi predicted future ruin. The bridge has defied its critics to become one of the architectural icons of Venice."
Beautiful Grand Canal
"
The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over the Grand Canal. They are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held amongst gondoliers. The gondola is propelled like punting, except an oar is used instead of a pole.[1] Their primary role today, however, is to carry tourists on rides at fixed rates."
I decided to explore a small town outside of the tourist crowded Venice. It was such a pleasant experience. It was a quiet town with not much people on the street. I kinda like the slow pace in the town, which is such a contrast from Singapore (small, crowded, noisy).
Evening in Venice
Such a peaceful night
Outside Doge's Palace
St Mark's Square in the evening
Canal in the evening.
Street of Venice at night when most of the tourists left.
Grand Canal at night
The night in Venice exposed another side of Venice - a ghost town.
It seems that not many people stay in Venice anymore, and its existence is mainly supported by tourist money. There are parts of Venice which were in dilapidated conditions. At night, Venice is just a soul-less empty shell with beautiful facade, like many ancient monuments I have visited.
I tried to imagine the heydays of Venice. It should be a wonderful place to live in - so many creative artists exchanging interesting ideas. =)
Overall, it is still a very beautiful city.
