The City of
water and light … it's
a place like no other. A living fairy tale, it speaks to us from it's Byzantine
& Gothic facades of times past while it holds us in the present. The Grand
Canal curves almost voluptuously around the islands, a timeless floating stage
for innumerable water craft - vaporetti, water taxis, gondolas, motoscaffi,
private power boats, traghette, delivery barges, kayaks - all vying for a clear
run ... And the passengers on these water-born stages are caught in the first
or second act of their life's drama, some shouting and gesticulating; many
sharing a laugh or telling a story, while some others are quietly meditative or
dozing off with the rocking of their boat ...
And …
shopping for individually designed modern jewelry pieces at Papuni Art in
Dorsoduro (more details below).
San Marco
The sestiere of San Marco extends well beyond the Piazza,
taking in the area from the Rialto Bridge, down the canal to San Samuele, then
around to the Doge's Palace. It has most of the high-end hotels and shops, many
of the grand palazzi and famous theatres such as La Fenice (the opera house).
Throughout it's history, this part of Venice has witnessed much if the city's
regal, political, religious and festive ceremonies. It is also home to many
elegant caffés and
restaurants, and of course occupies a substantial portion of the Grand Canal frontage, so it
offers some beautiful vistas of Isola San Giorgio Maggiore, Santa Maria de
Salute, and the Giudecca, to name a few. San Marco includes many interesting
nooks and crannies as well as interesting Campi, such as San Moisé,
and San Fantin, behind La Fenice.
A large proportion of the visitors to Venice head to Piazza
San Marco to marvel at the church, perhaps have a coffee or a wine at Caffés
Florian, Chioggia or Aurora, before going to the Doges Palace. Of course it's
fabulous, unique. Of course you must see it. It is pure tonic for the senses,
despite the efforts of touts selling all manner of useless objects such as
techo coloured squishy blobs that splat onto the ground like fried eggs. To
minimise (but sadly not to avoid totally) such assaults on your senses, go to
Piazza San Marco early in the morning, between 7 & 8 am, or go at night
around 10 pm. If you are visiting at night and are not staying in the San Marco
area, then be sure to check the time of the last vaporetto that will take you
home. These photos will give you a sense of what you might see.
In the morning, Piazza San Marco almost eerily empty of
people save for delivery men pushing carts, retail kiosks setting up for the
day, people going to work and other travellers who want to take in the amazing
space and architecture without having their experience blocked by the hoards.
At night the crowd thins, with some folk perhaps walking through after dinner somewhere, and most people there just simply taking it all in. The last few customers in the caffés sit
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and listen to the last performances of the musicians. The
Basilica, the Palace and the ancient buildings that border the piazza seem to
hover and shimmer, perhaps resting as they wait for yet another dawn to come.
Campo San Marco holds many interesting corners, so during the day go beyond the square into some of the smaller Calle (small streets) and cross the bridges over the smaller canals. The space immediately behind San Marco, to the north, is surrounded by canals (good photography spots) and has some interesting streets and shops - Calle de Cavaletto, Calle de Fabri and Tera de la Colonne.
But of course you can go a bit further afield. San Angelo
is really within Campo San Marco and is a lovely area. It has a large piazza
with several caffés and
interesting shops, including one that makes handcrafted paper goods. Among the
lovely stores is Cristina Linassi's boutique selling hand crafted apparel and
bed and table linens made from natural
fibers like silk, satin, muslin and cotton. Her creations are interesting as
hey are made using ancient Venetian traditions, which is a lovely thing to see
being maintained. Her address is: San
Marco 3537, Campo Sant'Angelo. You
can take the line 1 Vaporetto to Sant'Angelo
Then there are Campi San Stefano and Francesco Morosini,
both worth a wander through. From here you can walk across the Ponte Accademia
to the Galleria.
Campo San Moisè is another delight within San Marco. You exit Piazza San
Marco at the Correr Museum end, cross Ascensione and turn slightly left to
enter Salizzada San Moisè. You
will enter a small piazza with the church of San Moisè to your left; it is worth going inside - tranquil and light
filled. Keep going and you enter a wider pedestrian space, Larga 22 Marzo,
which contains some interesting neighbourhood bars, designer shops such as
Gucci, Venetia Studium at San Marco 2403, Calle Larga XXII Marzo Telephone 041
522 9281 and other one off shops,
including interior design places.
This in turn leads to Calle de Stregehe,
where you will find Venetia Studium and a hand made paper and glass shop. This becomes Campo Maria Zobenigo, home
to the church of Santa Maria del Giglio and a short stroll to the famous, and
often rebuilt, Venetian opera house La Fenice. You can get to this area on the
Vaporetto to Santa Maria del Giglio.
Dorsoduro
It's name means hard spine or back bone. It signifies more
solid ground in hubris part of Venice and offers the chance not to be flooded
when the "aqua alta" comes as a result of high tides and sea levels.
But Dorsoduro is more than a safe haven from rising water.
It is home to many of the city's vast art collection. The Galleria
dell'Accademia, founded in 1750, is the biggest collection of Venetian art
found anywhere with fine works by the likes of Veneziano,Tiepolo, Tinteretto,
Veronese, Bellini. Broadly the sculptures and paintings date from the 15th to
the 18th centuries.
By complete contrast is the modern 20th century collection at the Peggy Guggenheim.
Originally her home in Venice, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni has been a gallery for many years and you can see fine examples of the works of Picasso, Ernst, Pollock, Miró and Kandinski. The Palazzo is surrounded by a beautiful garden, with tranquil meditation spaces, and looks out over the Grand Canal.
By complete contrast is the modern 20th century collection at the Peggy Guggenheim.
Originally her home in Venice, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni has been a gallery for many years and you can see fine examples of the works of Picasso, Ernst, Pollock, Miró and Kandinski. The Palazzo is surrounded by a beautiful garden, with tranquil meditation spaces, and looks out over the Grand Canal.
It's most dominant church, to the eye at least, is Santa Maria della Salute which commands a forceful position on the Grand Canal. It is beautiful inside and out and is just made for photographing day or night.
Dorsoduro contains lively neighbourhood spaces such as
Piazza Margherita, a large piazza with many bars/caffès
and osterie. The piazza is literally the living room of its local residents and
after school kids play soccer there. There is also a fresh food market, selling
fruit, vegetables and fish on certain days do the week.
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| Bar/osteria Ai Pugni on Canal San Barnaba, taken from Ponte di Pugni |
Another lovely area is the Zattere, a wide Fondamente facing Canale della Giudecca and Giudecca Island, which boasts the Bauer Palladio Hotel and the Cipriani at it's eastern tip. Giudecca's church, chiesa de Redentore, is a wonderful landmark that can be seen easily from San Marco.
Sources:
Ninfa's tiny shop is located on Fondamenta Gherardini at 2834/A. The nearest vaporetto stop is Ca' Rezzonico and you walk diagonally across Piazza San Barnaba to Fondamenta Gherardiniand her shop is on the left two doors after Bar Ai Pugni.
She combines interesting traditional materials, such as silver and pearls, with modern materials such as resin, stainless steel and natural products like bovine horn. The result is imaginative and stylish. She also makes stunning and colourful glass bead necklaces. So, if you are in Venice before Chrstmas, and need to find that perfect gift – or any time really – check out Ninfa's beautiful jewelry. Here are some examples:
San Polo
San
Polo faces the head of the Grand Canal at
the Ferrovia Santa Lucia, and sweeps down to the Fondamenta di Rio Novo with
Palazzo Balbi marking its boundary on the Grand Canal. The enormous church San
Simeon, with its copper dome now beautifully aged by verdigris to green, stands
at the Ferrovia end along with the bridge, Ponte Scalzi.
The sestiere of Santa
Croce nestles to on the western side of San Polo between Ponte de
Constituzione and the Banchina de Porto Commerciale. Santa Croce has modern
apartments and commercial buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. It also
contains the large car park at Piazzale Roma, where you will also find a major
hub for vaporetto lines1, 2, 3, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 4.1, 4.2 & the N.
Arguably the Rialto Bridge and Markets are probably the
best known places in San Polo. They are indeed worthy of attention. The bridge
dates back to the late 1500s. The Mercati, open since the 11th century, are a
treat for the senses - sight, smell, sound and taste. A visit is definitely
recommended, before 10/11 am as many stalls are packed up by midday. The Riva
del Vin, which borders the Grand Canal, is very busy but affords great views in
either direction down the canal.
The Rialto area was the first part of Venice to be developed, and it soon became a centre for commerce. The town's principal market was transferred here at the end of the eleventh century. Trading of all kinds took place, and this would be where Venetians and merchants
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could buy and sell exotic imported goods just unloaded from
ships. In the sixteenth century, after a destructive fire, a complex of squares
and porticoes was constructed to the west of the Rialto Bridge, with areas
dedicated to different products.
These are still recorded in the names of the
local lanes and squares: Erberia (fruit and vegetable market), Naranzeria
(oranges), Speziali (spices) and Pescaria (fish). Fish, fruit and vegetables
are still sold here, from a colourful array of stalls where you can buy
provisions or just admire the spectacle.
The fish market is housed in a covered
hall, the Pescheria, with fishy decorative features.
Since the year 1097, Venetians have depended on the Rialto
markets for their daily supplies of fish, vegetables, fruit, and other
foodstuffs. The
markets are open to the public, and there's no better show in town. Stevedores
unload crates of produce from barges; vendors hawk their wares; restaurant
chefs examine the daily supply of fish, crustaceans, and bivalves; delivery men
push handcarts laden with fruit and vegetables. (Source: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/rialto_food_markets.htm)
The Rialto Bridge history
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.[2]
The development and importance of the Rialto market on the
eastern bank increased traffic on the floating bridge, so it was replaced in
1255 by a wooden bridge.[2] This structure had two inclined ramps meeting at a
movable central section, that could be raised to allow the passage of tall
ships. The connection with the market eventually led to a change of name for
the bridge. During the first half of the 15th century, two rows of shops were
built along the sides of the bridge. The rents brought an income to the State
Treasury, which helped maintain the bridge.
Maintenance was vital for the timber bridge. It was partly
burnt in the revolt led by Bajamonte Tiepolo in 1310. In 1444, it collapsed
under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade and it collapsed again in
1524.
The idea of rebuilding the bridge in stone was first
proposed in 1503. Several projects were considered over the following decades.
In 1551, the authorities requested proposals for the renewal of the Rialto
Bridge, among other things. Plans were offered by famous architects, such as
Jacopo Sansovino, Palladio and Vignola, but all involved a Classical approach
with several arches, which was judged inappropriate to the situation. Michelangelo
also was considered as designer of the bridge.
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.
The area also holds many works by the great painters Titian
and Tintoretto. Titian painted The Assumption of the Virgin, behind the altar
at The Frari (Campo di Frari) in 1518; there are works by Bellini and Donatello
there also. His Annunciation is in the Upper Hall of the Scuola Grande di San
Rocco. Tintoretto's Crucifiction is also there in the Sala Dell'Albergo
and he carved the altar at San Cassiano. The Frari also
holds the incredible monument to Titian, built by Luigi and Pietro
Zandomeneghi, the
grandfather and father of Federico Zandomeneghi, the Italian Impressionist painter – the Maacchiaioli.
Isola de San Giorgio Maggiore
The Palazzo Cini is beside San Giorgio Maggiore in San Vio.
The Cini Foundation, established in the
fifties by Count Vittorio Cini, during the restoration of San Giorgio Maggiore,
which he funded. It is worth checking
out if the Cini collection is open when you visit, as it is often closed. It
has a fabulous collection of Tuscan Renaissance art by people such as
Botticelli, Filippo Lippi,and Piero della Francesca.
When we were there earlier this year
and in 2014 we saw a fabulous exhibition of modern Venetian glass. For information
about events and exhibitions see http://www.cini.it/en/cini-events and
http://www.cini.it/en/foundation for general information.
The view from the campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore is unsurpassed – except
if you are on the top level of a large cruise ship. You have spectacular
panoramas in every direction. The admission cost is modest and the rewards are
high.
Cannareggio
Maybe you are drawn to Cannareggio, which sweeps in an arc
from the Ferrovia (railway station) to Calle della Testa. It has both grand
Canal frontage and the other side of the lagoon, facing out towards the
islands, including Murano and Burano. If you are an Inspetore Brunetti fan,
you'll know that the lovely church of Madonna dei Orto is in this area. It also
has the world's oldest ghetto, established in 1516, around Campo de Mori. Such
a dedicated residential area was not thought at the time to be discriminatory,
but rather a privilege. Jews were a vital part of the Venetian economy, albeit
on Venetian terms; for instance, the Jews paid very high taxes. The authorities
were concerned for their safety, as they were vulnerable to attack in their
location on the island of Spiralunga, renamed Giudecca to reflect their
presence. Hence the move to the ghetto.
As for every neighbourhood, there are interesting little
canals and streets, a good sprinkling of piazzas, small markets selling fish,
fruit and vegetables. It's all quite lovely. There are also many art treasures
to see, including at Ca'd'Oro on the Grand Canal and Palazzo Labia, which has a
wonderful collection by Tiepolo.
Arsenale
When you look at a map of Venice, Arsenale looks quite big.
Actually seeing it - it is huge! And no wonder. Established in the 12 th
century, Arsenale went on to become the biggest and most influential naval
machine in the world between the 14th and 16th centuries. It employed what must
have been seen as an enormous workforce - some 16,000 people - in the 16th
century. If you thought Henry Ford invented the production assembly line -
forget it! The Venetian master ship builders, arsenalotti, developed an
assembly line that at its peak, could produce a fully equipped and functioning
Venetian Galley in one day. As it is
mostly closed to the public but you want to see the Arsenale, check opening
times before visiting. If it's shut, you can sneak a peak, as it were, from the 4.1 or
4.2 vaporetti. Of course you can visit the Museo Storico Navale, to see boats,
objects from Venetian galleys and naval exhibits from World War II. Museo
Storico Navale is at Riva S. Biasio Castello, 2148 - 30122 Venezia, +39 041 244
1399; open Monday - Saturday 8:45 am - 1:30 pm.
An interesting development for the Arsenale is "SECOND CHANCE – From Industrial Use to Creative Impulse. This slogan encapsulates the vision of five European cities to bring new life to former industrial sites and transform them into vital, creative and successful cultural spaces." Venice is on of the five cities.
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1990s, thousands of factories have been shut down and more
than 50 % of the manufacturing jobs in Europe have been lost". Second Chance, through public and private
investment, enables "innovative concepts and strategies to transform
derelict sites into cultural linchpins of their cities, while at the same time
enhancing the attractiveness of the neighbourhoods where the sites are located
and spurring urban regeneration in these areas." See http://www.arsenaledivenezia.it/main/Default.aspx?page=128
for more information or download a pdf about the project at http://www.arsenaledivenezia.it/public/documenti/main/Documenti/Broschur_sc_online.pdf
Castello
Walking further east from Arsenale, you come to Giardini
(where many of the Biennale exhibits and p are located). This is a real
neighbourhood, despite the many tourists visiting the Biennale. It is dotted with lots of interesting small canals and tiny laneways. Viale Garibaldi is a wide
tree-lined street, unusual for Venice, and a legacy of Napoleon's rule in the
early 1800's.
Via Garibaldi runs at right angles to this and leads to the lagoon and a small bridge over a canal, which you can cross and enjoy a walk back in the direction of San Marco. There are wonderful views just along from the Giardini vaporetto stop looking towards San Marco, Dorsoduro and Isola Maggiore.
