ITALY – VENICE

January 4 – 8, 2023

The bus ride to Venice was uneventful. Except for the guy whose shaving cream emptied itself in his backpack. What a mess! We passed through many many vineyards, with the Dolomite mountains looming in the background.

I was not staying in actual Venice, but in Mestre, a suburb of Venice, on the mainland – and much cheaper and less crowded. It was only a short walk to the bus and train station that took me across the water to Venice.

The manager was not there to meet me. He had to take his car to the shop and was it OK to wait for a while. I found a great little kebab shop around the corner and sat there. I ended up eating there a few times during my stay. 2 hours later, he called for me to meet him. I was not a happy camper, but at least I had my room.

Venice is a city built on 118 small islands, in a shallow lagoon, that are linked by over 400 bridges crossing 177 canals. The buildings were built using long oak or larch piles, about 60 feet long. They were driven into the water, going past the weak silt and into the hard clay. Normally wood would rot, but the lack of air and oxygen as well as the wood absorbing the surrounding sediment quickly petrified the wood.

It is Europe’s largest urban car-free area. Amazingly, 51,000 people live there. It grew in importance and size between the 800s and 1700s. It was an important centre of commerce for silk, grain, spice and art. It also was the first real international finance centre and the staging area for the crusades. (The Knights Templar started the first financial services company. Coincidence? I think not.) Things changed during the Renaissance when Portugal became the primary trade centre. That move struck Venice right in the pocketbook. However, they maintained their export of agricultural products. The opening of the Suez Canal pretty much struck the final nail in the commercial coffin.

The trade coffin may have been nailed shut but the tourism trade was taking off! The rich and famous have flocked here since the 18th century. The city hosts up to 60,000 tourists per day. It is estimated that cruise ship passengers alone spend more than 150 million euros annually, and all within a few hours visit.

22 – 30 million visitors per year create overcrowding and environmental problems. The city has limited the number and size of cruise ships, with limited success. Now it has banned the creation of any additional hotels. There are currently 24,000 rooms. The ban has not affected AirBnB’s, which has caused the cost of living to rise for the local residents. The struggle continues between the economy and the health of the city.

The sea level has been rising more rapidly in Venice than in other parts of the world. At the same time, the city is sinking as a result of tectonic plates shifting below. Studies indicate that the city sinks 1-2 mm per year. It has dropped six feet since the founding of the city, sixteen hundred years ago. Fresh water being a major commodity, deep artisan wells were drilled deep underground for potable water. With the water beneath the clay base being sucked out, the clay that the piles were sitting on began to sink along with the building it was supporting. Drilling stopped but the damage was done.

All this information is really interesting because shortly after I was there, Venice was suffering from a drought. The canals were drying up and the 400 licensed gondolas were effectively out of work. I had considered taking a gondola ride in one of the lush velvet seated boats, it looked so romantic; but at $90 US, the bored looks of the gondolier and the murky water, I decided I could live without it. There were lots of motorized taxi boats zipping along the canals, which also weakened the ambiance of the experience. 

My first impression of Venice was how crowded it was. The second impression was the narrow passageways that snaked between the buildings. Some passageways were so narrow that my shoulders were almost touching the buildings on either side. Even the wider lanes seemed narrow due to the number of people. That said, it would have been a great place to play hide and seek or tag as a kid. All of the buildings were elegant and spoke of an affluent past. It was like walking along a huge spider’s web.

The third thing was the number of churches. There are 139 churches, 96% of which are Catholic. 88 of those still hold mass at least once a week, the rest have been converted into museums, schools, shops or storage. It seems I could not walk far without seeing a church. Some of which were crammed together in one tiny area. The oldest is the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, but no one really knows when it was built. Some believe it was in 421. (I was going to add AD to the year but I guess a Catholic church could not have been built in BC. Duh!)

I decided to stop for a coffee and a pastry in one of the cafes near a church. The bill came to $15!! I was shocked. I never even thought to ask the price before ordering. When I got back to my guesthouse that night I noticed a shop across the street with a thermos in the window. I went in to inquire. The thermos was $15. Sold! When I told the shop owner why I was buying it, his reply was “Ah, but there is only one Venice.” Going forward I bought instant coffee, made a sandwich and carried it with me.

All of the churches have their own beauty and uniqueness. Some have massive 3D works of art,

and some have crypts mounted to the wall like a sconce wall light.

Some sculptures are rather creepy skeletons.

Most are so packed with imagery it is hard to focus on any one part in particular. 

The most beautiful and famous is St. Mark’s Basilica, located at the east end of Saint Mark’s Square. It is said to house the remains of the patron Saint himself. It was built in 829-836 and then rebuilt, the third and final time, in 1063-1096.  To convey the republic’s wealth and power in the 13th century, the original brick facades and interior walls were embellished with precious stones and rare marbles.  The interior is awash with gold-ground mosaics depicting biblical scenes. Decorative work continued until the 19th century. 

Many of the columns, reliefs and sculptures are spoils stripped from the churches and palaces of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey – ironically the cradle of the orthodox Christian civilization) as a result of the Venetian participation in the Fourth Crusade. 

Notably, the Horses of Saint Mark were taken. Dating back to the 2nd or 3rd century, they are probably the “four gilt horses that stand above the Hippodrome” that is mentioned in the 8th-century commentary that speaks of the topography of Constantinople. The heads were chopped off in order to transport them back to Venice. Collars were added to hide the scar after reattaching the heads. They were installed on the terrace of St. Mark’s in 1254.  In 1797, Napoleon forcibly removed them and had them carted off to Paris, where they were used in the design of the Arc de Triomphe.  In 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon, the horses were returned, not to Istanbul, but to Venice.  Possession being 90% of the law, repatriation of stolen art was not an issue. The original horses remained over St. Mark’s until air pollution began taking its toll. Exact duplicates now sit above the entrance to the Basilica, with the originals displayed safely inside. 

I had my lunch on the roof, just around the corner from the horses, on the Doge’s Palace side, facing the lagoon. Not a bad spot, if I must say.

St. Mark’s Basilica dominates the east side of St. Mark’s Square, which is the city’s main public square and the heart of Venice. The three other sides have arcades of buildings that used to be the homes and offices of the high officers of state in Venice’s glory days.  They now house upscale restaurants and shops. 

The square is not far above sea level.  The storm drains empty into the canal, which causes the canal level to rise, which causes flooding onto the square. A vicious circle. There were platforms piled up all over the square to create walkways above the water. That didn’t work so well in 1966 when the canal rose 1.9 metres (6 ft 4 inches) due to the perfect combination of high tides, rain-swollen rivers and severe hurricane-force winds. 

Near the Basilica, on the north side is St. Mark’s Clock Tower (Torre dell’Orologio). 

It was built in the last part of the 15th century.  It was placed so it was visible from the water, announcing, not only the time but the wealth of the city. The top terrace has two bronze figures that strike the time on the huge bronze bell.  One figure is old and the other is young, to show the passage of time. Both are hinged at the waist.  Below that is the Lion of St. Mark in front of a blue background with gold stars. Below that is a balcony with a statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. On either side of the statue are two large panels that show the current time. The left panel is in Roman numerals, and the right panel is in Arabic numerals. Twice a year (Epiphany and Ascension) the three magi, led by an angel with a trumpet emerge from the doorway and bow to the Virgin before disappearing through the other door. Below that is the great clock face in blue enamel and gold with the 24 hours in Roman numerals engraved into the marble encircling it.  The gold pointer, with the sun image, moves slowly around this circle to show the hour of the day. Within the circle and behind the sun pointer, are the signs of the zodiac, also in gold. It moves even more slowly to show the position of the sun in the zodiac. The middle of the clock face is the earth (we are the centre of the universe, don’t you know…) and the moon, which revolves to show its phases, surrounded by more stars. Did I mention that Venice liked to boast about its wealth? 

The lower part of the tower forms an archway that connects the religious centre of Venice to the financial center via the main street of the city, the Merceria. There is a simpler clock on the street-facing side. 

Across the square from the Clock Tower, is another tower – St. Mark’s Campanile.

I have lots of history on this simple tower. It has been the model for many towers around the world, from the USA to the UK, to Russia, to Australia and across Europe.  It has a personal attachment to me, as well. Years ago my son went to Venice and bought me a picture of the tower, as seen between buildings from a canal viewpoint. I had it hung on my wall for years. I took the same picture of the tower with my cell phone. Don’t tell me that visual affirmations don’t work!! 

This version was built in 1912, after the 1902 collapse of the previous tower. It is the tallest structure in Venice, standing at 98.6 metres (323 ft).  The original tower was built in the 9th or 10th century as a watchtower to protect the city from approaching pirates and other raiding ships. (A harbour chain was also installed across the Grand Canal, that could be pulled taut to block access to the city centre.) The tower was slowly raised in height and prestige with the addition of a gold spire that was visible to distant ships. In 1514 the belfry and spire were rebuilt and bells were added. The bells marked events such as the beginning and end of the work day, assemblies and public executions. (family time at its finest) 

A lightning strike caused a destroying fire in 1388. It burned down again in 1403 after an illuminating fire in the belfry enveloped the wooden structure. A lightning strike in 1489 set the spire ablaze, again. When the bells came crashing down, the government finally decided to build the entire thing in masonry. Brilliant! However, the Italian Wars were expensive, so the belfry was patched with a temporary clay-tile roof and the old bells rehung. Back to the business of war. 

The run of bad luck continued.  In 1511 an earthquake rattled the bones of the old structure once again.  Lightening continued to wreak havoc over the years. Finally, in 1776 a physicist installed a lightning rod, the first in Venice. Brilliant! 

In the 15th century, a covered gallery was attached to the bell tower. It was a lean-to wooden structure that served as a gathering place for nobles on government business and for sentries. It was also damaged every time the tower got hit by lightning or earthquakes. It was always repaired with the tower and even expanded to make retail space to generate finances for future repairs. 

Galileo demonstrated his telescope from the belfry in 1609.

Alas, the loggetta (lean-to) proved to be the literal downfall of the tower. In 1902 the removal of a roof girder caused a large crack at the base of the tower. On July 7 people noticed the tower trembling as the workmen hammered a new girder into place. On July 12, despite a huge rack running the entire height, a technical commission determined there was no threat to the tower. On July 14, at 9:47am the tower began to shed stones. By 9:53, all that remained was a pile of rubble. As the interior ramps collapsed, they fell one atop another, causing the tower to fall vertically. (That must be how the Twin Towers fell, too….) In this case, the only collateral damage was a cat. 

Money poured in from all over the world to rebuild it. 3076 larch piles were driven down 3.8 metres (12 ft). Eight layers of Istrian stone (dense impenetrable limestone) were placed on top to create a foundation that was extended 3.8 metres (9.8 ft) more than the original on all sides. Structural changes were made to decrease the overall weight and to have the outer shell of 1.2 million bricks bear the weight. The new Campanile was inaugurated on 25 April 1912 – St. Mark’s Day – exactly 1000 years after the original foundation was laid. 

To the south of the Basilica is the Piazzetta. It is not part of the main square, but adjoins it; connecting the main square to the lagoon, and the start of the Grand Canal. It sits between Doge’s Palace and the Marciana Library.  Near the water’s edge are two columns. One has a statue of St. Theodore, who was the city’s patron saint before St. Mark. The other column has a winged lion – the symbol of St. Mark.  They framed the entrance to the city from the sea. Public executions used to take place between the statues.

Doge’s Palace and the Library are amazing works of architecture.  Seemingly endless arches cover the front of these buildings. I was getting templed out, and sadly, did not explore either of these buildings. Another building I wish I had explored was the church of San Barnaba, where the Indiana Jones library scene was filmed. Next time do your research, Irene!

The Grand Canal is one of the major water-traffic corridors of Venice.  It looks like a backward S from the air. It is 3.8 km (2.4 miles) long and 30-90 metres (98-295 ft) wide, with an average depth of 5 metres (16 feet). It is lined with over 170 buildings that date back to the glory days of the 13th-18th centuries. Even back then there was a “keep up with the Jones” attitude.  It may be a sense of urban pride or simply just ego, but Nobles spared no expense to ‘one up’ the neighbour. 

Most traffic goes along the canal, rather than across it. There was only one bridge, the Rialto Bridge, that crossed the canal until the 19th century. Currently, there are 3 more bridges that cross the Grand Canal. 

The first Rialto Bridge was a pontoon bridge built in 1173. As traffic increased, it was replaced by a wooden bridge in 1255. It was rebuilt several times since then. Once, because it collapsed from the weight of a crowd hoping to see the marriage of the Marquis of Ferrara. The version we see today is a spectacular stone arch bridge, 31.8 metres (104.3 ft) long, and 22.9 metres (75 ft) wide. The arch is 7.3 metres (24 ft) high. Two ramps lead up to a central portico. On either side of the portico, the covered ramps house a row of shops.  The rents on these shops bring an income to the city, which helps maintain the bridge.  It is one of the top tourist attractions in Venice.

Another popular sight is the Bridge of Sighs. Built in 1600, it connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in Doge’s Palace. It got its name because the prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice before being taken to their cells.

One day I took a ferry along the canals. It was an interesting way to see different parts of the city and from a different viewpoint. One thing I found interesting was the boat ambulance that docked along a pier in front of the hospital. I thought the ferry would just go in a circle, like a city bus, and stop at the same stop. Wrong. I ended up going to a whole different island and having to pay for a new ferry ticket back.

There were lots of high-class shops that sold designer clothing and artwork. There were many shops selling elaborate masks. The mask tradition goes back hundreds of years. Aristocrats wore masks nearly half the year, so no one would recognize them when they walked down the street, drank in bars, gambled or visited houses of ill repute. Anonymity! Today, the masks are only worn at carnival times. They are VERY elaborate.

Many shops had the famous Murano glass. It is made on the island of Murano. I didn’t go there. The glass is considered the finest in the world. The designs are very elaborate and expensive. I bought a small pill container with a glass top.

My time in Venice had come to an end. The weather had not been brilliant the entire time I was there. The day I left it was pouring rain. A good time to leave.

Ah, but the adventure did not end. I went to the train station the day before my flight to purchase a ticket to the airport in the next town. I had trouble working the automated ticket machine so an attendant helped me. On the ride the next day, the conductor asked for my ticket. He said it was not valid, as it was purchased for the day before. I had to buy a completely new ticket, at a higher price, because I was already on the train. It really was a good time to leave. And I was stuffed up, probably from the dog that was also in the guest house.

Malta, here I come.