Venice, The City of Gondolas
Venice is the most popular tourist destination of Italy, located in the northern part of the country. Among several names the city is known for, the “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges” and “City of Canals” can be mentioned. The city has been referred to as “the most beautiful city built by man” and “the most romantic city in Europe” by many people.
Venice is located on 117 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers.
Venice is known for its musical history and Antonio Vivaldi is the most famous artist ever introduced by the city .
Tourism has been a major sector of Venetian industry since the 18th century, when it was a major centre for the grand tour, due to its beautiful cityscape, uniqueness and rich musical and artistic cultural heritage. Today there are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St Mark’s Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco, to name a few. The Lido di Venezia is also a popular international luxury destination, attracting thousands of actors, critics, celebrities and mainly people in the cinematic industry.
PIAZZA
There is only one Piazza in Venice, San Marco. Any other open square in this city is not allowed this title, and is simply called a Campo. Piazza San Marco is perhaps the most dramatic and famous Piazza in the world. It has always been the focal gathering place for all Venetians, rich and poor alike. Now, thousands of tourists fill that role every day.
Easily a day could be spent in the Piazza and it’s immediate surroundings, which include:
- Venice’s Basilica San Marco, with rich and lavish art inside and out
- The world class Museo Correr
- Campanile Which towers over the square
- The beautiful and mechanically genius Torre del’Orologio (Clock Tower)
- The Doges Palace, a museum in itself
- The Bridge of Sighs
- The famous Café Florian
Any time of year, there will be follow tourists flooding in the piazza to see these sites. If you can visit early in the morning, you may have the Piazza to yourself (and a few pigeons), magic.
WATERWAYS: A gondola and a gondolier
The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Many gondolas are lushly appointed with crushed velvet seats and Persian rugs. Gondoliers typically charge between 80 and 100 euros for a 35 minute “giro” or excursion around some canals. The Gondoliers, by law, must be of Venetian birth. Most Venetians now travel by motorised waterbuses (vaporetti) which ply regular routes along the major canals and between the city’s islands.
CANAL GRANDE: This is the most beautiful street that one can find in the whole world; it is surrounded by the most beautiful houses, and goes through the whole city. It is the main street of Venice, with a length of 3800 m, and a wideness of 30 m to 70 m. The trip with the vaporetto on the Canal Grande belongs to every Venice tour. This way everyone can learn to know the city, from its best sides. Magnificent palazzi line the shore of Venice’s famous water way, and the numerous stops offer the chance, to view in silence, the buildings, from the boat.
During the years, famous noble families ordered the construction of numerous palaces, which are, at the present, the pride of Venice.
BRIDGES
The Ponte del Sospiri or Bridge of Sighs is one of those attractions in Venice that visitors flock to see. The bridge was originally used by prisoners, to cross over high above the canal into the dungeons. It is said that their sighs could be heard as they crossed, hence the name of the bridge.
Music is everywhere in Venice, from the singing gondoliers to random shows on side-streets. In the summer months you’ll find musicians playing in little outside alcoves all along the piazza. Don’t sit down at the outdoor cafes unless you want to spend a lot of money on drinks, but stand nearby or sit on the side of the fountains and just relax. Day or night, these guys play continuously and beautifully.
MUSEUMS
Among the numberless masterpieces, you should not miss the Legend of St.Ursula, by Vittore Carpaccio, a cycle of eight magnificent paintings dating from the late 16th century, the Coronation of the Virgin, a bright polyptych painted in 1325 by Paolo Veneziano, considered the very founder of the Venetian school.
In addition to priceless works of art by the three Bellinis (Jacopo, Gentile and Giovanni), Mantegna, Lorenzo Lotto, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Veronese and Titian, there are paintings of 15th- and 16th century Venice, that show amazingly, how little the city had changed since then. The artworks are mostly arranged in chronological order and in each room there are information sheets in English.
One of the greatest treasures of the Accademia is the enigmatic Tempest by Giorgione, a painting in which the innovative use of the landscape influenced all the art of the following centuries. It has been called the first landscape in the history of European painting.
Because of fire regulations, entry is limited to a small number of people at a time; usually requires standing in line to enter. At the entrance are lockers where you can leave your bags, as they are not allowed.
You can find also a souvenir shop selling the usual things like books (60 to100$!!), postcards, etc. The prices may be expensive, but this is normal for a gallery shop.
MARKETS
SAN POLO and SANTA CROCE
Venetians all gravitate to the markets of the Rialto, for their daily shopping and socialising. As more local shops close in favour of souvenir shops to appease the hoards of tourists, these markets remain the stronghold for the tradition of Venetian trading.
The Fish Market (Pescaria) was built in 1907, and sells fresh fish and shellfish to the local restaurants and shoppers.
The Butchers street (Calle dei Beccarie) heads into Campo Beccarie, from which a maze of tiny alleyways lead.
This is the area where valuable commodities such as sugar, pepper and spices were sold, (Sugar was once equal to gold weight for weight!!)
The Fruit and Vegetable Market – The Erberia is probably the largest area of the market, stretching nearly from the corner of the Rialto Bridge, at the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, to the Campo San Giacomo.
The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice, Italy, as well as being one of the oldest. This congregation of masked people, called Venice Carnival, began in the 15th century, but the tradition can be traced back to the beginning of the 14th Century.
Carnival, or Carnevale, is Venice’s answer to Mardi Gras. Every Winter for eight days leading up to Lent tourists such as I flock to the City for pageants, commedia dell’arte, concerts, face painting, displaying your costume and masked balls up until Shrove Tuesday which marks the end of the festival.
In it’s glory days of the 1700s the Carnevale di Venezia began on 26th December, people would wear masks and party and gamble. right until Ash Wednesday. The Venetian Republic was beginning to lose trade by this time which meant a loss of wealth and power. Carnival ceased along with the Republic when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice in 1797.
In 1979 a group of non-Venetians attempted to revive Carnival a bit like other historical societies hold re-enactments and costume events. The event took off and hence the Carnival in it’s present from was born, perking up a traditionally quiet time visitor-wise and creating a new tourist season.
AIRPORTS
Venice is served by the newly rebuilt Marco Polo International Airport, or Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo, named in honor of its famous citizen. The airport is on the mainland and was rebuilt away from the coast; however, the water taxis or Alilaguna waterbuses to Venice are only a seven-minute walk from the terminals.
Some airlines market Treviso Airport in Treviso, 30 km from Venice, as a Venice gateway. Some simply advertise flights to “Venice” without naming the actual airport except in the small print.
Tourism has been a major sector of Venetian industry since the 18th century, when it was a major centre for the grand tour, due to its beautiful cityscape, uniqueness and rich musical and artistic cultural heritage. Today there are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St Mark’s Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco, to name a few. The Lido di Venezia is also a popular international luxury destination, attracting thousands of actors, critics, celebrities and mainly people in the cinematic industry.
Source: Wiki
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