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Venice is a stunning, decaying
city with no wheels, a labyrinthe of mysterious streets and canals, surprise
views, sublime buildings and particularly Piazza San Marco, “the finest
drawing room in Europe” according to Napoleon. Venice's nature is dual:
water and land, long history and doubtful future, airy delicacy and dim
melancholy. When this precious place sinks, the world will be the poorer.
 Arrival
By plane:
Marco Polo Airport
is 13km from Venice it is linked to Piazzale Roma in Venice by ATVO buses,
a 20-minute trip that passes by Mestre train station. You can also catch
ATVO city bus No 5. By boat, the Alilaguna hydrofoil runs from the airport
to Venice or the Lido and Murano, or there are (more expensive) water taxis
that can drop you at Piazzetta di San Marco. Land taxis are just as efficient
and less costly.
San Guiseppe Airport Buses
to/from Piazzale Roma take 1 hour and 15 minutes. If no buses appear, you
can catch local bus No 6 to the main train station in Treviso and proceed
to Venice by rail.
Treviso Airport is
30km away. You need to get a coach to Venice - this travels to Mestre,
Venice's mainland industrial zone, then onwards to Piazzale Roma.
By train:
 If
you come to Venice by train, you will arrive at the Stazione di Santa Lucia
(known in Venice simply as the ferrovia) from Padua, Verona, Milan, Bologna,
Switzerland and France, a large building located at the beginning of the
Grand Canal in the Santa Croce area of the city. It is easy to reach the
city center on foot walking down the Strada Nuova or by taking the water
bus from one of the jetties that are opposite the station. The Stazione
di Santa Lucia is in the northwest of town, at the end of the Ponte della
Libertà. Paris-Venice takes 9.5 hours, including the change at Milan.
If you're coming from the east (Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and beyond)
you may need to change at Trieste, though there are direct trains from
Budapest and Bucharest. The legendary Orient Express runs between Venice
and London via Verona, Zurich and Paris twice weekly from March to November.
By bus: At the lower
end of the luxury spectrum you can arrive in Venice by bus, deposited at
Piazzale Roma. It's marginally cheaper than train, but much less comfortable.
The bus station is on the southern side of the Grand Canal.
By car: The Ponte
della Libertà bridge connects Venice to the mainland and ends at
Piazzale Roma, the only part of the city where cars can enter. There are
several indoor and outdoor car parks in Piazzale Roma that vary in the
parking fees asked: find the fees they apply and choose one that is most
convenient for you. You can also park at the Tronchetto, which you reach
by turning right immediately at the end of the Ponte della Libertà
bridge, just before you get to Piazzale Roma. At the Tronchetto there are
some indoor and outdoor car parks. You can get to the city center easily
from both these points by vaporetto (the Venice water buses), water taxi
or on foot.
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History and Culture
Back in the 5th and 6th centuries
was the first human settlements on the Venice Lagoon islands during the
barbarian invasions when the people of the Veneto mainland sought refuge
in the marshy region that followed the fall of the Roman Empire. The refugees
built watery villages on rafts of wooden posts driven into the subsoil,
laying the foundations for the floating palaces of today fighting as hard
as they could to survive: little by little this group of pieces of land
surrounded by water took on the semblance of a real town, a town that was
so unique and special that it would become the only one of its kind in
the world. The traditional date of Venice's birth is given as 25 March
421, but there is little evidence to support this belief.
 Settlement
became focused on the Rivo Alto (later known as Rialto, the highest point
in the lagoon), and Venice slowly grew a big enough population to deserve
the title of city, it was then annexed to the Byzantine Empire, formerly
the Eastern branch of the Roman Empire while maintaining its own independence.
The first of Venice's eventual 118 doges (chief magistrates) was elected
in 697 giving life to a new government: the Dogado (Maritime Empire). Venice's
name became inextricably linked with that of St Mark when the apostle's
earthly remains were spirited out of Alexandria by merchants in 828. The
holy relics were eventually brought to rest in the purpose-built St Mark's
Basilica, which was consecrated in 1094.
Since the very beginning,
Venice showed strong inclinations towards trade. This increased to the
point that at the end of the 11th century, the city set up close trading
connections with Byzantium. This was the start of the Republic of Venice,
which was finally consecrated in 1202 through the 4th crusade that saw
the conquering of Byzantium and then the islands in the Aegean and Ionian
Seas. The eastern city was sacked and the booty was taken to Venice, where
it was used to decorate churches and palaces. The four bronze horses that
still adorn the main facade of the Basilica of San Marco were also part
of that booty.
Venice now commanded a thriving
and expanding commercial empire, and had gained a strong political role
due to the fact that it now controlled a large part of the Mediterranean
and it also increased its military power and its trading. The city's historical
rivalry with Genoa exploded under the form of four wars that were fought
one after the other until a truce was finally agreed at the end of 1381,
when Venice beat Genoa in the famous Battle of Chioggia (1380). Venice
then realized that it was necessary for the city to have bases on the mainland
too and began to expand towards Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia and Bergamo.
Venice's prestige grew at the same rate as the increase in the land it
controlled and was thus given the name of Serenissima. However, danger
was round the corner: the Serenissima was so busy expanding on the mainland
that it did not realize that the Turks'power was expanding rapidly, to
the point where they took over Constantinople (Byzantium) and some cities
on the Greek and Albanian coastlines.
The Austrians were not accepted
by the Venetians, and in 1848 the city joined the long list of rebels who
rose up against the established order across Europe. The Austrians were
run out of the city by a group led by Daniele Manin, and the second Republic
of Venice was proclaimed: in 1848, This new republic did not last for long,
however, as Venice was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1866. The
city was a hive of activity during the last decades of the 19th century:
increased port traffic was coupled with growing industry; a railway bridge
linking Venice with the mainland was built, permanently erasing the lagoon
city's island status; canals were widened and deepened; pedestrian zones
were laid out in the city centre, and tourism began to take off.
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City Transport Venice has
two interlocking street systems - the canals and the pavements Venice and
the surrounding islands are well-served by waterbuses, the workaday vaporetti
and the faster motoscafi. Buy tickets in advance at landing stages or tabacchi.
Away from the large canals, travel is on foot, so be prepared to do some
walking when exploring the smaller alleys and canals. In many cases the
speediest way of getting around is on foot . Distances between major sights
are sometimes tortuous but extremely short (you can cross the whole city
in an hour), and once you've got your general bearings you'll find that
navigation is not as daunting as it seems at first. The old city center
is divided into six areas known as sestieri: Castello, Cannaregio, San
Marco, Santa Croce, Dorsoduro, San Polo. Some islands are also part of
the city: Giudecca and San Giorgio, that can be seen from Piazza San Marco,
the islands of Murano, Burano, Torcello and the Lido, home to Venice's
beaches and where it is possible to go by car, taking the ferry from the
Tronchetto. There are many water buses and motorboats to take you quickly
to any place in Venice. The vaporetto lines 1 and 82 travel along the Grand
Canal from Piazzale Roma to the Lido, allowing passengers to view the wonderful
buildings that stand alongside the Canal until it reaches the San Marco
Basilica, where it is possible to catch a glimpse of the wonderful, majestic
Piazza San Marco. An interesting way to cross the Grand Canal from one
side to the other is by using the gondola ferry. These ferries can be found
at various points on the Grand Canal: from Santa Maria del Giglio to the
Salute and vice versa (until 1 pm); from Ca'Rezzonico to Palazzo Grassi
and vice versa (until 1 pm); from Riva del Vin to the Town Hall and vice
versa (until 1 pm); from the Rialto Market to Strada Nova and vice versa
(up to 7.45 pm); from San Marcuola to Fontego dei Turchi and vice versa
(until 1 pm); from the train station to San Simeone and Giuda and vice
versa (until 1 pm).
Churches and Museums
 St
Mark's Basilica
St Mark's is one of the most
spectacular houses of worship in the world built in 829 it is said to contain
the remains of Saint Mark, The basilica was modelled on Constantinople's
Church of the Twelve Apostles and consecrated in 1094. It is famous for
its golden mosaics, particularly those above the doorways in the facade
and decorating the interior domes. If you can wrench your eyes away from
their glitter, take time to admire the 12th-century marble pavement. It
has been renovated and decorated several time over the centuries and the
Basilica is most certainly the most spectacular church in the city. Its
main façade is unique. It has five arched doorways, a long terrace
that are home to four bronze horses that came from the booty from the 4th
crusade of the infidels. Its bas-relief work is in Byzantine style. The
interior is just as sumptuous as the outside. The marble floor has a striking
geometric pattern and there are splendid mosaics on the walls that tell
stories from the New Testament. Take the lift to the top for some fabulous
views over the rooftops and lagoon. The dress code requires knees, shoulders
and upper arms be covered.
San Marco Bell Tower
The San Marco Bell Tower
was built in the 9th century. It was originally used as a lookout tower
and as a lighthouse. It was rebuilt in 1100 and it was then completed in
the 16th century under the guidance of the architect Bon. It was rebuilt
in a Renaissance style while maintaining the original structure. In 1902,
the bell tower fell down but fortunately there were no tragic consequences.
Venice decided to rebuild it "as it was and where it was" and 10 years
later the new bell tower, an exact copy of the original, was ready: the
tower is square, built in brick. It is 12 meters wide and 98.6 meters high
and is closed on top with a pyramid-shaped point. On the top there is a
golden angel about 2 meters high. The bell tower has played an essential
role in the political and social life of the city for centuries. The bells
were rung to inform the city's inhabitants of all the main events organized
in Venice. At the foot of the bell tower there were popular wine sellers
who moved around to stay under the bell tower's shade depending on the
time of day. This ancient custom is where the term that the Venetians use
for a glass of wine comes from: ombra (shade in Italian).
Church of San Giorgio
Dei Greci
The Church of San Giorgio
dei Greci was built starting from 1539, as soon as the Greeks obtained
permission to build a church and a school from the Republic. The Church
of San Giorgio dei Greci was completed by Chianantonio and was consecrated
in 1561. The church’s interior is truly magnificent: the hemispherical
dome is worthy of note, with its center covered in frescoes by G. di Cipro.
Church of the Pietà
The church was built in the
15th century according to a design by Giorgio Massari and was consecrated
in 1760. The building is one of the elegant and striking from the 7th century.
There is a wonderful fresco by Tiepolo on the ceiling of the main entrance:
Fortitudine e Pace, one of this greatest masterpieces. The frescoes that
adorn the choir ceiling, which make up the Trionfo della Fede, are also
worthy of note. Here Tiepolo has excelled himself, painting the Glory of
Paradiso.
 Church
of the Santissimi Apostoli
The ancient Church of the
Santissimi Apostoli stands in Campo dei Santi Apostoli, where it was built
in the 9th century. The current building is the result of lots of renovation
work carried out during the 18th century. Legend has it that the spot on
which the Church stands was one of the first places in Venice where refugees
from the mainland came to live. There are several wonderful frescoes inside
the church: The “Comunione di Santa Lucia” by Tiepolo and the large panel
painted by Francesco Canal that is on the ceiling, showing the Communion
of the Apostles, the Celebration of the Eucharist and four ovals to the
side showing the Evangelists.
The best Museums Venice
has to offer
Peggy Guggenheim Museum
The Peggy Guggenheim Museum
is a foundation that is housed inside Palazzo Venier dai Leoni, a typical
building with just one floor that looks out onto the Grand Canal. In 1954
Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979), a collector and patron of many modern artists,
bought the building to live in, transferring her own collection of sculptures
and paintings by artists such as Mirò, Magritte, Boccioni, Picasso,
Chagall, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Ernst, Dalì. Today these works of
art can be visited at the Peggy Guggenheim Foundation, the best Museum
of Modern Art in Venice: 400 works of art, including paintings and sculptures.
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About the Author: Giuseppe
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