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What to see
in Venice
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Venice main information page)
A
visit to Venice can last a few hours or many months; it all
depends on what you want to do here. It's also possible to
take tours to Venice that dwell more on the surrounding
area, since the actual city is not that large.
If you are only planning a short trip, the Basilica di San
Marco at the heart of the city is a must see. There is
little else that illustrates the relationship between Venice
and Byzantium so perfectly. The central plan of the basilica
is a Greek cross with five large domes, one of which is at
the extremity of the cross, and one at the crossing of the
transept. The main fa?de looks out over the Piazza, with
four portals that lead into the body of the church. There
were originally five portals, but one, facing towards the
Piazzetta, has been transformed into a large window.
Immediately next to the church, and in perfect harmony with
its neighbour is the Palazzo del doge. Built as a simple
castle, this has evolved into a symbol of Italian
architecture and engineering from the proto-modern period.
It is home to art works of exceptional importance, but
unfortunately has also lost many pieces to fire at different
times.
On the other side of the Piazzetta is the National Marciana
Library, which contains treasures of Renaissance wisdom that
emerged in Venice when the city was relatively free of
censorship. Many texts are marked as published in Argentina,
but in reality they were the work of thousands of Venetian
printers, who produced them in secret. In the counter-reform
period, the activity of these printers helped to maintain a
situation of free communication between different groups.
The Correr Museum, which is part of the circuit of city
museums, is also in Piazza San Marco. This museum is
dedicated to the history and culture of the city, but also
has other exhibits. Under the Procuratie, and above the
historic Florian caf? is the Archeological Museum. Art
lovers shouldn't miss the Gallerie dell'Accademia, by the
bridge of the same name, which houses some treasures of
Venetian painting dating from the height of its splendour,
in the 16th century.
Slightly off the traditional tourist route are sites
belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. The secular
tolerance of the Republic allowed the persecuted a place to
live peacefully in Venice. The Island of San Lazzaro degli
Armeni is the centre of Armenian Diaspora culture, and there
is the Moorat Raphael Palace, near San Sebastian. Venice can
also boast the first ghetto in history. The Ghetto' is a
Venetian word, derived from getto', referring to the
cast of foundries originally in the area, who moved away for
security reasons. The word getto' became ghetto' because the
Jews from Germany had difficulty pronouncing the g'. The
synagogues and museum can be visited here. The Greek
community meets right behind San Marco, in the San Giorgio
dei Greci church, which is adjacent to the museum of
Byzantine Icons.
The Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni was started in the
secular tradition of the city by the Dalmati, who defended
it strenuously until the fall of the Republic. It now holds
the Carpaccio cycle, which is of exceptional importance. In
the Fondaco dei Tedeschi at the foot of the Rialto Bridge
you will find the Post Office, while the National History
Museum is located in the Fondaco dei Turchi.
Don't miss out on a visit to the islands, which are an
integral part of the city's history. Torcello was one of the
first to be settled; it was then abandoned as it became
unhealthy. There is also Murano, home of blown glass, and
Burano, an island of colour and lace. Venice is not just a
city of stone, if you hire a boat (although you need to be
very specific about the boat you want in a city surrounded
by water!!) you can cruise through areas of nature for hours
in the northern lagoon near Burano. Sights to see include
San Franceso del Deserto and the valleys. Travelling
southwards, you will come across Chioggia and the lagoon of
Cason dei sette morti (the lagoon of the seven dead). Enjoy
oases of fauna, archaeological areas, and hidden
islands&
Once back on terra firma, you can visit Brenta and its
river, or take in its beautiful villas. From Malcontenta up
to Vicenza and Rotonda, Padovan architectural influences are
visible. Pop into Padova if you want and visit the Specola
observatory, which belonged to Galileo, who worked for
Venice as a maths scholar.
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