Day 95: Venice

JULY 7 - Into Venice early, in hopes of getting a jump on the crowds. To Piazza San Marco by tram then ferry, and get our place in the long line to enter the Basilica di San Marco. I go off to find the ticket office, to secure a family pass that lets us in various churches and museums for one price. At 8:30 everything is already getting crowded.

A view from the ferry.

The Basilica opens at 9:30 but it takes until about 10:00 to get in. Meanwhile the line behind us has grown, winding its way out of the plaza and to the docks.

The Torre dell’Orologio on the north side of San Marco Plaza, a Renaissance building with an astronomical clock.

Basilica di San Marco was originally built in 829, but reconstructed in its current form in 1071. The style is Byzantine, and the footprint is in the shape of a Greek cross. The name comes from St. Mark of Alexandria, who became the patron saint of Venice after his remains were brought here and housed within the building. The symbol of Venice, that of the winged lion, derive from St. Mark.

A front view of the basilica. Like many monuments we’ve seen in the last three months, it is partially obscured by scaffolding.

Much of the ceiling is covered in gold leaf, giving it an inner glow. Typical of Byzantine artistic style.

Great tile work on the walls and floors. reminiscent of many early Mediterranean cultures.

A lot of thought was given to creating the illusion of movement and three dimensions.

A service was going on at a side chapel.

More ceiling.

More floor!

Back outside in the plaza, we decline to pay extra to go up St. Mark’s Campanile.

This tower is 20th Century, as the old one collapsed in 1902. It is the tallest structure in Venice (98 meters). It originally acted as a lighthouse to guide ships into harbor.

On to Museo Correr, with numerous Venetian art and antiques. The exhibits are all mashed together and include modern art.

The entrance to Museo Correr.

Many statues here, including Roman heads that were placed on later Renaissance busts.

Odette’s pick for best museum exhibit.

There was an entire room dedicated to the gold, silver, and copper coinage of the Venice mint, starting from about 900 AD to the 1800’s.

On to the Doge’s Palace. This immense structure housed the Doge (duke) of Venice for about 1000 years. He was the symbol of the city’s sovereignty. The palace was also home to the Venetian government. If anything in Venice represents the incredible wealth that flowed into this city, it is the palace, its art, and its architecture.

The palace in its current form dates from the 1400’s. A view from the inner courtyard.

A view of the courtyard from one of the upper floors.

An opulent stairwell.

Many of the rooms used for government meetings are lined with paintings by famous artists, commissioned specifically for the place in the room the paintings are placed.

The Great Council Room is an amazing piece of work. It is one of the largest single rooms in Europe. The painting shown at the end of the video covers the entire wall at that end of the room, as is the largest painting every commissioned.

Connecting the Doge’s Palace with another building that served as a prison is the Bridge of Sighs. It was called this because it was the last walk a prisoner took before being placed in a cell.

Catch a ferry from Venice proper out to one of the sand bank islands that separates the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea.

The town we end up in on the island is Lido. Here, vehicle traffic is allowed, and there are many hotels serving the hordes who couldn’t find or afford a room in Venice itself.

The beach at Lido. The water was fairly warm.

Today’s route: From Mestre to Piazza San Marco, and on to Lido and the beach.

Italy