Italian Trip Diary -- Day #14 -- Venice

Tuesday, June 26, 2001, Venice:

The following morning we were up early.  Piazza San Marco was already buzzing with tourists when we arrived about 10 a.m. 

Tourists in front of Basilica of San Marco.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

We walked through the square and Piazzetta which leads between the columns of St. Mark and St. Theodore to the Grand Canal with the Doges’ Palace on the east side.

West facade of the Doges Palace facing the Piazzetta.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The distinctively Venetian facades on the Piazzetta and the Grand Canal consist of a long arcade of pointed arches at the ground level surmounted by a loggia with narrower ogive arches with quatrefoil openings between each arch on the first floor.  Above the loggia is a two story block of terra cotta and white bricks in diamond patterns which is pierced by large arched windows alternating with smaller round windows on the higher story. 

Balcony with Winged Lion of Saint Mark on cornice above.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

We decided to tour the Palace, which is built around a central court which uses many of the same architectural elements as the facades.

Facade in the courtyard of the Doges Palace.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

There is a monumental white marble staircase flanked at the top by gigantic statues of Mars and Neptune by Sansovino.

'Giants Staircase' flanked by 'Mars' and 'Neptune' by Sansovino.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

'Mars' by Sansovino from the top of ceremonial courtyard staircase.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The palace contains many huge ornate rooms decorated with works by Tintoretto, Veronese and many others. 

Painted ceiling with elaborate plaster-work surround.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Much of the art depicts and glorifies the exploits of the various doges and the significant events in the history of Venice. 

'Scala d'Oro' (Golden Staircase) in Doges Palace with elaborate plaster ceiling.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Since Venice was a “republic” these rooms were designed for the communal functions of the state – meetings of the Grand Council, the Council of Ten, the Senate, etc.  The tour of the palace leads from the court rooms over the “Bridge of Sighs” to the prisons. 

'Bridge of Sighs' over which prisoners were lead from court to prison.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The bridge is very cramped and many of the cells are incredibly tight – it would not have been a nice place to spend any time.

After the Doges’ Palace, we stopped for lunch in a square behind our hotel – tramazinni and sodas.  In the afternoon, we took the vaparetto from San Zaccaria just past the Doges’ Palace on the Riva degli Schiavonni to San Giorgio Maggiore which is located on its own island just off the tip of the Guidecca.

San Giorgio Maggiore on an island in the lagoon.  The church is by Palladio, but the facade was undergoing restoration when we were there.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

 

Church of Santa Maria della Pieta on Riva degli Schiavonni near the San Zaccario vaparetto stop.
The church was designed by Giorgio Massari and is the church where Vivaldi's was music master.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Carl wasn’t fast enough getting off the vaparetto and ended up going to the next stop on the Guidecca and then taking one in the other direction to get back to San Giorgio.  George and Doug waited along the quay savoring the beautiful views back across the canal to San Marco and Santa Maria della Salute.

Piazzeta flanked by Campanile and Palazzo Ducale viewed from San Giorgio Maggiore.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Santa Maria della Salute and Dogana from San Giorgio Maggiore.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The church of San Giorgio Maggiore was designed by Palladio.  Unfortunately, the façade was covered with a scaffold, the cloisters were closed to the public and the elevator to the top of the campanile was not working.  We toured the interior which contains masterworks by Tintoretto and paintings by many other artists. 

Interior of the church of San Giorgio Maggiore by Palladio.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The island itself is extremely tranquil and makes a wonderful retreat from the tourist hustle and bustle in the center of Venice.  We walked around to the far side of the island, which has a lovely marina and views across to the Lido.

When we got back to San Zaccaria on the vaparetto we decided to brave the crowds and visit the Basilica of San Marco.  

Basilica of San Marco.  The facade dates from the first half of the 13th Century.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

It is a remarkable Byzantine/Gothic building with five major domes rising above a façade of huge round arches on two levels filled with mosaics and surmounted by delicate gothic filigree. 

'Last Judgement' mosaic over main portal of Basilica of San Marco is a 19th century
replacement of an earlier version that cracked.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The interior is breath-taking.  Every surface is covered with golden mosaics in an overwhelming profusion of Byzantine splendor.  In order to get a better vantage point we took the steep stairs to the right of the entrance up to the museum.  There is a balcony overlooking the nave which offers a close up view of the mosaics on the domes and arches away from the mayhem below. 

Nave of Basilica of San Marco looking east from balcony.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

This ceiling mosaic showing Christ flanked by the Virgin and St. John the Baptist caught our eyes because of the 'rainbow' motif.  It is obviously a fairly modern refurbishment of an older mosaic.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Since we arrived in the late afternoon the sun was coming through the western windows and suffusing the entire volume of the basilica in warm, golden light. 

Mosaics on the main dome of Basilica of San Marco.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The museum itself contains the original four horses of bronze that originally stood on the terrace above the main door

Originals of the 'Four Bronze Horses' that were installed over the entrance doors in 1254.
They were seized in 1204 in the sack of Constantinople during the 4th Crusade.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

(there are copies in the original spot) along with several other treasures. 

Replicas of the 'Four Horses' on the balcony overlooking Piazza San Marco.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

There is also a door leading out to the terrace above the entrance doors which offers wonderful views out over the piazza and across the piazzetta to the Grand Canal.  As it was nearly closing time, the terrace was less crowded than usual and became another oasis of calm floating above the crowds in the piazza below.

View of Piazetta with Palazzo Ducale on left, columns with the winged lion of Venice
and San Teodoro and the Dragon.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

We had dinner that evening in a romantic courtyard at Ristorante Antico Pignolo (San Marco, 451, Venezia, 041 5228123).  The food was excellent, but the meal was somewhat marred by a running argument between our captain and the busboy he was trying to train who looked increasingly harried as the evening wore on.  Several houses looked out on the courtyard where people were hanging out laundry or just hanging out.  It was a beautiful evening – warm and clear and a very Venetian one, too.