Interesting Facts

? Venice is also called the Queen of the Adriatic and the city of canals and palaces.

? Some famous natives of Venice are Antonio Vivaldi, Giacamo Casanova, and Italo Calvino.

? St. Mark the Evangelist is the city's patron saint.

? According to some estimates, there are more pigeons in Venice than people as is evident from the view at St. Mark's Square.

? The amount of effort the gondolier uses to row the gondola with passengers is just as much as it takes while walking at the same speed.

? Gondolas are painted black in Venice, as there had previously been a law, stating them to be specifically painted in that color.

? Venice is famous the world over for its carnivals.

? UNESCO has listed Venice and its lagoon as world heritage sites.

II. Destinations And Sightseeing

A. Piazza San Marco

The Piazza San Marco, known as St Mark's Square in English is an important square in Venice and draws in a large number of tourists every year. The square is commonly termed as ‘the drawing room of Europe,' a remark that has very often been attributed to Napoleon. It is considered to be the only urban square in all of Europe where the sounds of human voices overcome the sounds of motorized traffic. It is the only urban space called a piazza in Venice and the others, irrespective of size, are called ‘Campi'. Being a central landmark and a gathering place for Venice, the area is extremely popular with tourists, photographers and scores of pigeons that flock the square.

The Piazza was constructed in the 9th century as a small garden situated in front of the original St Mark's Basilica. It has been the center of attraction and hosts all the important offices of the Venetian state. It is also been the official seat of the archbishop since the 19th century. It has also been the main center of attraction for many Venice's festivals. The Basilica on one side and the Doge's Palace and Basilica's campanile on the other surround the Piazza.

B. Campo San Polo

Following the San Marco, the ‘Campo di San Polo' is the largest campo in the city of Venice. The campo has borne witness to many bullfights, mass sermons and masked balls.

Till today it is one of the most popular venues for hosting carnivals, open air concerts and screening of movies during the film festival. The campo also possesses one of the few fountains to be found in the city of Venice.

The Church of San Polo was established in the 9th century and had to undergo major renovations in 1804. The renovations proved to be so costly that the church was forced to sell off some of its finest treasures to finance it. Two magnificent lions are carved at the base of the bell tower. One lion clutches a serpent in its paw while the other clasps the head of Doge Marino Faliero, who was punished for treason.

C. Doge's Palace

The Doge's Palace (Italian Palazzo Ducale) is an ancient gothic palace situated in Venice. The palace was built from 1309 to 1424 on foundations laid in the 9th century, and Filippo Calendario is believed to have designed it. Giovanni and Bartolomeo Buon constructed the Porta della Carta, an enormous gate based on late-gothic design on the Piazzetta side of the palace. The palace was the official residence of the Doge and included the offices of numerous political institutions.

Attorney offices, the Chancellery, the Censors and numerous Naval offices were located on the first floor. On the second floor was the Grand Council chamber, the Ballot chamber and the Doge's residential quarters. The Sala del Collegio, located on the third floor was the place where foreign ambassadors were received. It was adorned with paintings of several Doges, and Paolo Veronese's Lepanto. Numerous government bodies such as the Council of Ten also use rooms in the palace. The Bussola chamber, where citizens could submit written complaints, the Sala dei Tre Capi and the State Inquisitor Room are also located in the palace. The Bridge of Sighs, which connects the palace to the prison, is located behind the building.

D. Palazzo Grassi

The Palazzo Grassi is a huge marble mansion that once belonged to the reputed Grassi family in Venice, Italy. After the Grassi family sold it in 1840, it has fallen under the ownership of various individuals. The FIAT group purchased the mansion in1983 and transformed the building into an exhibition space for arts. Situated on the banks of the Grand Canal of Venice, it is now a world-renowned art and history museum, equipped with a 600 seat outdoor theatre.

E. St Mark's Basilica

St Mark's Basilica known as Basilica di San Marco in Italian is one of the most famous churches in the city of Venice. The building is one of the best-known examples of the ancient Byzantine architecture. It is situated on St Mark's Square and is adjacent to the Doge's Palace.

The original St. Mark's was a temporarily located in the Doge's Palace. It was built in 828, when Venetian merchants obtained the supposed relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria. This temporary building was replaced by a new church, which was built on its present site in 832. However, the new church was burned in a rebellion in 976, and was again rebuilt in 978 to form the basis of the present basilica in 1063. While the basic structure of the building has remained the same, it has been redecorated on several occasions.

The inside walls are covered with mosaics, and reflects a mixture of Byzantine and Gothic styles. The flooring comprises of a twelfth century mixture of mosaic and marble designed in geometric patterns and animal designs. It is infused with gold, bronze, and a great variety of precious stones. The mosaics of the narthex depict narratives of the Old Testament and include a fine series that show the creation as specified in the book of Genesis. Inside the basilica, New Testament themes are depicted, and are prominently marked with Byzantine influence. The main domes show pictorial depicts of events such as Pentecost, the Ascension, and the Pantocrator.

F. Accademia

The Accademia di Belle Arti, commonly known as the Accademia, is Venice's official school of art. It is located on the south bank of the Grand Canal, and lends its name to one of the three bridges across the canal, the Ponte dell'Accademia. It houses one of the world's greatest specialized art collections and is amongst the major tourist attractions in Venice.

The Accademia contains masterpieces of Venetian painting dating back to the 18th century, and is generally arranged chronologically though some places do exhibit evidences of thematic displays.

Art work put up for display in the museum include famous artists like:

? Gentile Bellini

? Giovanni Bellini

? Canaletto (Antonio Canal)

? Vittore Carpaccio

? Rosalba Carriera

? Francesco Guardi

? Giorgione (da Castelfranco)

? Pietro Longhi, Lorenzo Lotto

? Andrea Mantegna

? Giambattista Piazzetta

? Giambattista Tiepolo

? Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti)

? Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)

? Paolo Veronese (Paolo Caliari)

G. Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge, known as Ponte di Rialto in Italian, extends over the Grand Canal in Venice. It is the oldest bridge in Venice and is notably the most famous and frequently visited bridge in the city.

The original bridge was a wooden one that was partly burnt in the revolt led by Bajamonte Tiepolo in 1310. It collapsed twice, first in 1444 and then again in 1524. The proposal of rebuilding the bridge with stone was first drafted in 1503. Many projects regarding the same were put forward in the later years.

The stone bridge present today is a single span designed by the renowned architect Antonio da Ponte and its construction was finally completed in 1591. It bears a strong resemblance to the wooden bridge that preceded it. The engineering of the bridge was considered so impudent that architect Vincenzo Scamozzi predicted a certain future ruin to it. Over the years the Rialto Bridge has defied its critics to become one of the most visited architectural icons of Venice.