Venetian Adoration

We arrived in Venice to a cold, rainy day. Other tourists passed us wearing giant plastic shoes, and their umbrellas loomed too close to our eyes. We caught the Vaporetto (water bus) to our hotel stop. This was our first hotel of the trip. We got it at 50% off and it looked super fancy and 'baroque'. We assumed the worst. But it was one canal over from St Marks Square. It was a thrill to stay in the heart of Venice, and not have to return, like most, to mainland Italy each evening. And the hotel was better than our expectations.

The Vaporetto gives a fabulous view of Venice from the Grand Canal.

The Rialto Bridge. One of only 4 spanning the Grand Canal.

For lunch, I tried the famous Tagliatelle al nero di seppia or black ink cuttlefish tagliatelle. It was perhaps the best meal I have had yet. I am not sure I can describe it, but it was fab.

 As the sun went down, we wandered the streets, halfheartedly checking Google Maps to make sure we weren't too lost, and ended up at St Mark's Square. By night, the light gave it a sparkle, like a Christmas tree. The Cathedral glittered at the end like a cake. And there were barely any people around.

In the morning we returned to the square and took a lift up the campanile to view Venice by morning mist. We were both disappointed that we couldn't take the stairs for exercise (who am I?!) and unfortunately, it was bitterly cold at the top. I have been battling a fairly light cold, but the wind and mist at the top made me feel like a sledgehammer hit me in the nose. As a result, we didn't stay long, but we had more than enough time to appreciate the sprawl of Venice.

As my head pounded from the cold, we retreated into a cafe right on the square that had enticed us the night before. But then it was packed with a line. In the early morning, we were one of only a few patrons. Caffe Florian is one of only 3 cafes on the square and has the most prestigious history. The opulent furnishings and handpainted walls and ceilings set the stage for the prices they demand. See below for a picture of Sarah's tea at 12.50 Euro.

The cafe was opened 29th December 1720 and was the only coffee house to admit women. One of the reasons people like the real Cassanova frequented the place. Goethe, and later Lord Byron (who will feature again with the Bridge of Sighs), Marcel Proust, and Charles Dickens were frequent visitors.

The tea 'bloomed', the wad of leaves opened up to fill the water. It was light, refreshing and a little bit tasteless...

After warming up, St Mark's had reached high tide. The water had been bubbling up through the grates all morning, and the square was nearly impassable. Not wanting to spend money on the weird plastic shoes, we people watched for a bit before retreating to high ground, planning on returning later to explore the Doge's Palace and it's surrounding buildings and bridges.

The Ponte de Rialto is the oldest of the few bridges that span the Grand Canal. Antonio da Ponte's controversial and audacious creation was finished in 1591 to the disgust of Venetians. Like so many other now-famous sights, the initial horror of the locals is now a protective pride.

We caught a Vaporetto back to the bottom of the island, and just before the final stop, the boat swooped out into the bay, giving us a sensational view towards St Mark's and to the mouth of the Grand Canal as the sun dipped low in the sky.

St Mark's Cathedral (Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco) is a shining (literally) example Italo-Byzantine architecture. The conglomeration of too many architectural styles, all forced together into one building, reflects Venice in it's prime. The shipping town bridged so many parts of the world and cultures and they came together in Venice in a wonderful mix of extremes. Due to its extravagance and originality, and the detailed, sprawling golden mosaics covering every inch of the ceiling inside, the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold) is fitting.

We were unable to take photos inside, as I discovered after taking this one (oops!):

The highlight was the Cavalli di San Marco or the Triumphal Quadriga. The four horses have been replaced by replicas to preserve them from pollution and are now kept inside the roof of the church:

A photo from the internets

The incredible copper/bronze sculptures date from classical antiquity and are sometimes attributed to the 4th century BC Greek sculptor Lysippos, however, the 2nd or 3rd century AD is also likely, when a comparison is made to the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome (c. 175 AD). Whenever they were made, they are OLD and just absolutely perfect. They look as real as the Stature of David. The facts that are certain about the Horses center on their desirability. Their artistic and cultural value has been understood since they stood on the Hippodrome of Constantinople until 1204 when the Venetians plucked them for their basilica. In 1797, Napoleon removed them to Paris before they were returned in 1815, where they were displayed outside until the 80s.

The replicas of the Cavalli di San Marco

We went up to the top of the facade to catch the last rays of sun over the square.

The Bridge of Sighs was designed by the nephew of the architect of the Rialto Bridge in 1600. It spans the canal that separates the Doge's Palace and parliament and the prisons of Venice. Prisoners would cross from the place of their sentencing to where they would live out their shortened lives. Lord Byron was enchanted by the contrast of the two buildings, and the bridge that joined them. He imagined prisoners looking out of the small decorated windows and capturing their last view of Venice, and sighing. After poems he wrote about it, the bridge took on its new name.