“It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the feeling of a city like Venice, where everything is just beautiful color and gorgeous buildings that are so peaceful. You can roam around and get lost in the labyrinth.” Nanette Lepore, American fashion designer
This morning those magical Venetian labyrinths were flooded ankle deep in a Noah’s Ark style flood; what’s known locally as tidal floods. Night and early morning rains caused substantial rivers of water everywhere we turned. Our shoes and socks quickly became thoroughly soaked as we valiantly struggled on. All the “Singing, Laughter and Walking in the Rain” songs came to mind as we Splish Splashed our way through the Islands in the Stream. We wondered whether we could weather it much further. Alas, it was impossible to continue.
Fortunately, we began to see these strange “boots” appearing on pedestrians and watched for an open shop to buy ourselves a pair. Soon enough a hardware store was selling knee high bright blue plastic galoshes selling for 9€ ($10). They worked fairly well sloshing through the bloated canal passageways … joining the hordes of people displaying this latest in shoe fashions in a variety of colors: blue, orange, lime green, and a very desirable chic black … some tourist ingeniously tied trash bags around their shoes.
A 25 minute jaunt across the island became an hour’s journey, arriving barely in time for our timed entrance tickets for the “Itinerari Segreti,” a tour of the Doge’s Palace’s secret rooms and chambers. The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) was built in the Venetian Gothic style in 1340 as the official residence of the “Duke.” It also included the city’s prison. The palace was extended and modified over the centuries, finally becoming a museum in 1923.
Our tour guide offered interesting insights into the civil and political history of the Venice Republic, its public organizations and colorful characters … i.e. the notorious lover and bon vivant, Casanova, famous son of Venice. Fascinating stories were related of his conniving infamy, intrigue and somewhat shortened imprisonment (he escaped on his second try). He’d write of his escapades in espionage and adventures in his autobiography, “Story of My Life.”
Secret stairways led us from ground floor prison cells and all the way up to the top floor. Each descending floor revealed more secrets in its stairways, byways, hallways, doorways and trap doors. Tiny prison cells, small unadorned work and administrative offices gave way to lavish Grand Salas (salons). They richly showcased the immense wealth of Venice.
Walking through the labyrinth of rooms one could imagine the hubbub of 500 years ago when the Doge ruled over the Republic. All along we marveled at amazing art and decoration by the foremost artists of the Renaissance including Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto. The many salas became more and more grand as we roamed back down … all the major Italian Masters vied for commissions in this massive building on the Grand Canal.
The Sala dei Pregadi, in works produced for this room by Tintoretto, Christ is clearly the predominant figure. The elaborate room also contains four grand paintings by Jacopo Palma il Giovane, which are linked with specific events of Venetian history.
The Chamber of the Council of Ten has ceiling decoration by Gian Battista Ponchino, with the assistance of a young Veronese and Gian Battista Zelotti. Carved and gilded, the ceiling is divided into 25 compartments decorated with images of divinities and allegories; all intended to illustrate the power of the Council of Ten that was responsible for punishing the guilty and freeing the innocent.
The Compass Room was dedicated to the administration of justice; its name comes from the large wooden compass surmounted by a statue of Justice. The ceiling paintings are by Veronese and the large fireplace was designed by Sansovino.
There were so many Tintorettos dripping from the walls of the Palazzo Ducale that suddenly they all melted in my mind into one gigantic, colorful Mexican Lotería card.
After the Doge, we stopped next door to the Cathedral and Basilica di San Marco. It’s the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture. The building’s structure dates back to the latter part of the 11th century. Much work has gone toward embellishing this and the famous main façade has an ornamented roofline that is mostly Gothic. The gold ground mosaics that now cover almost all the upper areas of the interior took centuries to complete.
For 3€ we visited the treasury containing a unique collection of Byzantine portable objects in metalwork, enamel and hardstone carving, most looted from Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade. St. Mark’s arm bones were featured relics; overall, a small collection, but it packs a big punch.
We aimlessly wandered and worked our way back to our Airbnb, but not before stumbling onto a large slice of Quattro Formaggi pizza to fortify ourselves for our next stop – The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, or as called by the Venetians, The Frari. One of the most prominent churches in the city, it has the status of a minor basilica. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Its riches would take our breaths away.
The imposing edifice is still mostly retaining its Venetian Gothic appearance. The interior is notable for a large number of very grand wall monuments to distinguished Venetians buried in the church, including a number of Doges and the painter Titian. Many of these are important works in the history of Venetian sculpture, and the many paintings include two large and important altarpieces by Titian: the Assumption of the Virgin on the high altar and the Pesaro Madonna. It also includes many other works of arts by renowned Venetians artists including Bellini and Donatello’s first documented work in Venice.
On the Menu … Chocolate Caldo, thick Italian dark, rich hot chocolate; cold seafood misto platter; sour sardines (a Venetian specialty); two versions of gnocchi: ragú a tuna and veal; and Pasta alle Vongole (clams) with the tiniest of clams that were pure soft sweetness and the sauce had the right amount of lemon and garlic that was quickly soaked up with crusty Italian bread …
… needless to say all our plates went back to the kitchen sparkling clean … we managed to wash it all down with a bottle of local Cabernet Franc, but to end the evening in true Italian style, we ventured two doors down and queued up for the most sublime gelato.
Have fun!! Love you both… Happy Early Anniversary!!
One of our favorite cities
Stay dry
How interesting! Glad you could slog through the streets and see such amazing art. The food sounds fabulous!
simply – wow– ive been there twice and not seen all that you saw- i was too young to enjoy properly and NOW i MUST RETURN!! with all your tips at hand-
so happy for you two-
Erin
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