La Dolce Vita
In Venice, history is everywhere. After arriving at Marco Polo International Airport, walk through the door marked with the fluorescent green uscita sign and you will be faced with history in the making: the world’s first water limousines.
Accept the weathered hand of the stocky little Venetian with the deep, dark tan and hop from the mainland on to the luxury Viva-styled boat. Clamber down its pine steps into the airy cabin below where you can slump into its blue leather pews, relax and allow your senses to be attacked like a 5th Century Lombard bombardment.
Smells, sights, sounds. Saltwater, ships, seagulls.
Perhaps, as you are gazing out watching little green islands pass you by, somebody will inform you that Venice is made up of 117 separate islets. Perhaps, while enjoying the cool Adriatic Sea breeze blow against your face, you are asked if you know that La Serinissima Repubblica [Most Serene Republic] was built both, on stilts and in stages, dating back some 1,500 years. Perhaps, sitting there, eyes closed, breathing in the salty air, somebody whispers to ask you where you are staying.
Giudecca is a group of gondola-shaped islands; an archipelago of architectural delights. Its most prominent feature is Venice’s newest hotel, the Molino Stucky Hilton, and, like most of Venezia, the islet is not only soaked in history, but also only accessible by boat. Giudecca, for this reason, is the ideal base for a short trip to the so-called “City of Water”.
While the busier parts of Venice such as San Marco and Santa Croce are thronged with tourists, Giudecca is a haven of peace. And as long as you save its serene sanctuary to rest your head at night, spending a day getting lost walking Venice’s ancient labyrinthine pathways with a host of holidaymakers is all part of the adventure.
Weave in and out of loud and proud Americans as you cross the Ponte di Rialto [Rialto Bridge], leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the 1,000-year-old marketplace where modern day merchants of Venice try to sell you tiny glass gondolas and carnival masks. On the other side of the bridge, you will find classy canal-side coffee shops that have likely been extorting tourists’ money for just as many years.
Jostle with the camera-juggling Japanese for the best view of the Ponte dei Sospri (Bridge of Sighs) and discover that the 16th Century crossing got its name because its windows afforded prisoners their last glimpses of freedom as they walked, condemned, from the governmental courtroom to the adjacent jail.
Or simply sit among the pigeons and the sunburnt British backpackers in Piazza San Marco [St Mark’s Square]. Live musicians will entertain your ears with Vivaldi while you can relax and ‘peoplewatch’. (You will soon realise that, despite all my tourist stereotypes – and I witnessed each of these walking clichés with my own eyes – the predominant holidaymaker is actually the Italian day-tripper.)
On the Eastern façade of the Piazza lies the Porta della Carta [Paper Door], a gaudy, late-Gothic gate once allowing entrance to the Palazzo Ducale [Doge’s Palace]. The Doge [pronounced “Doh-jay” – or Duke if you’re speaking English] was, for around 1,000 years, Venice’s chief magistrate and all governmental decisions were made inside this monumental masterpiece.
First established in the 9th Century, the Doge’s Palace is a colossal wonder that encompasses both Renaissance and Byzantine style art, but mostly exudes a historical narrative. Walk up the 21 steps of the Scala dei Giganti [Giant’s Staircase] taking a right turn at the towering statues of Mars and Neptune. Now follow the stone pathway until you come to the Scala d’Oro [Golden Staircase] and, looking closely, at the foot of the steps, scribbled hastily into the white Istrian stone balustrade, you will find “Panutte Emilio 1880”. For, you see, in Venice, even the graffiti is centuries-old.
Arguably the Palace’s most spectacular sight, however, is the Sala del Maggior Consiglio [Grand Council Hall] where almost every inch of wall and ceiling is covered with paintings, including Tintoretto’s 16th Century Paradiso, which is believed to be, measuring in at 22mx7m, the world’s largest oil painting on canvas.
Running around the perimeter of the Grand Hall are portraits of the first 76 Doges (well, portraits of the first 75 Doges and a black space to mark that of Marin Falier, “the Dodgy Doge” – my term! – who was beheaded in 1355 for treason).
And while the Venetians might pride themselves on the age of their relics they ensure that their food is as fresh as the lilacs hanging outside the windows of their terracotta trattorias.
Seafood is the dominant delicacy on most menus and you can’t go far wrong sampling some of the local fish such as branzino, sea bass or folpeti – thankfully none of which is caught in the murky green waters of the Canale Grande.
Be warned however, Venice is allegedly the most expensive city in Italy when it comes to eating out so you may want to embrace ‘la dolce vita’ elsewhere. Either that or settle for a quick panini and some traditional Venetian cicheti; a selection of bite-sized snacks including fried calamari and rice-stuffed tomatoes.
Now, having filled your bags with sophisticated souvenirs, filled your cameras with splendid sights and filled your stomachs with sumptuous seafood, it’s time to head back to Giudecca, your serene sanctuary. Squeeze yourself on to one of the ever-busy but ever-reliable vaporetti [water buses] and say “caio” to Venice and its unique history – much of which is older than the word itself.
Accept the weathered hand of the stocky little Venetian with the deep, dark tan and hop from the mainland on to the luxury Viva-styled boat. Clamber down its pine steps into the airy cabin below where you can slump into its blue leather pews, relax and allow your senses to be attacked like a 5th Century Lombard bombardment.
Smells, sights, sounds. Saltwater, ships, seagulls.
Perhaps, as you are gazing out watching little green islands pass you by, somebody will inform you that Venice is made up of 117 separate islets. Perhaps, while enjoying the cool Adriatic Sea breeze blow against your face, you are asked if you know that La Serinissima Repubblica [Most Serene Republic] was built both, on stilts and in stages, dating back some 1,500 years. Perhaps, sitting there, eyes closed, breathing in the salty air, somebody whispers to ask you where you are staying.
Giudecca is a group of gondola-shaped islands; an archipelago of architectural delights. Its most prominent feature is Venice’s newest hotel, the Molino Stucky Hilton, and, like most of Venezia, the islet is not only soaked in history, but also only accessible by boat. Giudecca, for this reason, is the ideal base for a short trip to the so-called “City of Water”.
While the busier parts of Venice such as San Marco and Santa Croce are thronged with tourists, Giudecca is a haven of peace. And as long as you save its serene sanctuary to rest your head at night, spending a day getting lost walking Venice’s ancient labyrinthine pathways with a host of holidaymakers is all part of the adventure.
Weave in and out of loud and proud Americans as you cross the Ponte di Rialto [Rialto Bridge], leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the 1,000-year-old marketplace where modern day merchants of Venice try to sell you tiny glass gondolas and carnival masks. On the other side of the bridge, you will find classy canal-side coffee shops that have likely been extorting tourists’ money for just as many years.
Jostle with the camera-juggling Japanese for the best view of the Ponte dei Sospri (Bridge of Sighs) and discover that the 16th Century crossing got its name because its windows afforded prisoners their last glimpses of freedom as they walked, condemned, from the governmental courtroom to the adjacent jail.
Or simply sit among the pigeons and the sunburnt British backpackers in Piazza San Marco [St Mark’s Square]. Live musicians will entertain your ears with Vivaldi while you can relax and ‘peoplewatch’. (You will soon realise that, despite all my tourist stereotypes – and I witnessed each of these walking clichés with my own eyes – the predominant holidaymaker is actually the Italian day-tripper.)
On the Eastern façade of the Piazza lies the Porta della Carta [Paper Door], a gaudy, late-Gothic gate once allowing entrance to the Palazzo Ducale [Doge’s Palace]. The Doge [pronounced “Doh-jay” – or Duke if you’re speaking English] was, for around 1,000 years, Venice’s chief magistrate and all governmental decisions were made inside this monumental masterpiece.
First established in the 9th Century, the Doge’s Palace is a colossal wonder that encompasses both Renaissance and Byzantine style art, but mostly exudes a historical narrative. Walk up the 21 steps of the Scala dei Giganti [Giant’s Staircase] taking a right turn at the towering statues of Mars and Neptune. Now follow the stone pathway until you come to the Scala d’Oro [Golden Staircase] and, looking closely, at the foot of the steps, scribbled hastily into the white Istrian stone balustrade, you will find “Panutte Emilio 1880”. For, you see, in Venice, even the graffiti is centuries-old.
Arguably the Palace’s most spectacular sight, however, is the Sala del Maggior Consiglio [Grand Council Hall] where almost every inch of wall and ceiling is covered with paintings, including Tintoretto’s 16th Century Paradiso, which is believed to be, measuring in at 22mx7m, the world’s largest oil painting on canvas.
Running around the perimeter of the Grand Hall are portraits of the first 76 Doges (well, portraits of the first 75 Doges and a black space to mark that of Marin Falier, “the Dodgy Doge” – my term! – who was beheaded in 1355 for treason).
And while the Venetians might pride themselves on the age of their relics they ensure that their food is as fresh as the lilacs hanging outside the windows of their terracotta trattorias.
Seafood is the dominant delicacy on most menus and you can’t go far wrong sampling some of the local fish such as branzino, sea bass or folpeti – thankfully none of which is caught in the murky green waters of the Canale Grande.
Be warned however, Venice is allegedly the most expensive city in Italy when it comes to eating out so you may want to embrace ‘la dolce vita’ elsewhere. Either that or settle for a quick panini and some traditional Venetian cicheti; a selection of bite-sized snacks including fried calamari and rice-stuffed tomatoes.
Now, having filled your bags with sophisticated souvenirs, filled your cameras with splendid sights and filled your stomachs with sumptuous seafood, it’s time to head back to Giudecca, your serene sanctuary. Squeeze yourself on to one of the ever-busy but ever-reliable vaporetti [water buses] and say “caio” to Venice and its unique history – much of which is older than the word itself.
posted by Sheikh Gareemi Nahan at 1:49 PM
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