Venice
The City of Light
General Information
Other Name: City of Water, District: NA, State: Veneto, Italy
Area: 412 km²
Languages Spoken: Italian
Long Distance Code: -
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: March to June and Sep-Oct
International Access: -Description
Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto.Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light". It is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.Venice makes you a believer in fairy tales. Cars are banned, so the only way to get around the 1,500-year-old city is by foot or by water. From these vantage points, you''ll be awed by the magical beauty. La Serenissima, "the most serene one," is filled with palaces and art, fine shopping and excellent food. Relax in Piazza San Marco, visit the basilicas.The city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers.Location
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First opened in the middle of the 13th century, this museum''s collection was expanded up until the 16th Century. It houses the Assunta and the Madonna di Ca Pesaro, both by Titian, as well as the Madonna by Giovanni Bellini, which is found in the chapel. The funeral monument to Titian, Canova and Francesco Foscari, is also here, as is the tomb of Monteverdi. The exhibition space is quite large.
Some legends say that the Ponte dei Sospiri was called the Bridge of Sighs because it was a rendezvous for lovers; however, the truth tells a much sadder tale. The bridge, in fact was built to convey magistrates to the courts and prisoners to their fates. However, the Baroque bridge, designed by Antonio Contino, still has a very romantic air to it, and remains an important historical landmark in Venice today.
Blending the architectural styles of East and West, Venice''s magnificent basilica was consecrated in 832 AD as an ecclesiastical building to house the remains of St. Mark.
Built by the Hermits in the 13th Century, this church has been restored several times; the present appearance is a result of renovations in the 15th Century and works done at the beginning of the 20th Century. Inside, note the tomb of the last commander in chief of the Republic and the Sepulchral monument to Bartolomeo D''Alviano, as well as the vestry and the cloisters of the old monastery. The vestry houses paintings by Tintoretto and the bell tower is one of the most renowned in Venice.
Built in the 9th century, this church has a 16th-century facade by Sansovino. On the portal there is the portrait of Tommaso Rangone, a benefactor of the church and the first ordinary man to be portrayed in a Venetian church. Due to the work of Sansovino and Alessandro Vittoria, its style today is late Renaissance. A window by Serlio adorns the front of the church, while inside there are numerous paintings by Palma il Giovane.
There is a silent and almost respectful ambience in this museum. Visitors enter by means of a staircase, originally built as a grand entrance to the Napoleonic royal palace. From here, the tour continues through neoclassical rooms, the Royal Palace, the Canoviana Collection, Venetian Civilization, Antique Art, and Renaissance Bronze. There are many sculptures by Canova and decorative objects by Francesco Hayez. Venezia by Jacopo De'' Barbari can be admired in the entrance.
At the beginning of the 18th Century, Armenian monks arrived in Venice. These monks fled from the Moorish country after the Turkish invasion. The Serenissima (Venetians) gave them an island, which was used as a lepers'' colony in other times, hence its name San Lazzaro. Under the guidance of Pietro Mechitar, the monks founded a religious order and monastery for the Mechitarists, and a library that became a cultural center for the Armenian Diaspora. Fortunate enough to be spared by Napoleon, they continued in their work of cultural rescue.
Located on the top floor of the Modern Art Museum, this museum displays clothes, weapons, musical instruments, and Chinese porcelain. The artifacts are all from the 17th-18th centuries, which was the Iedo period in Japanese history. The collection of arms is absolutely remarkable.
For a long time this was the only way to cross the Canal Grande. There was a bridge here at the end of the 12th Century, but the current one, designed by Antonio da Ponte, was built 1554-1591. There are now lots of shops on the bridge selling all kinds of souvenirs and curiosities. Fresh fruit, vegetable and fish markets line the streets in the bustling neighborhood. A second bridge was built in 1854, this bridge is still an important historical landmark and always a bright spot for tourists.
Piazza San Marco is Venice''s most famous piazza. What appears to be a rectangle is actually a trapezium, and when you look up at the basilica, the piazza seems enormous, although it is only 175 meters long. On both sides of the piazza are the Procuratie, which housed the procurators of San Marco. The centerpiece of the piazza is the Basilica di San Marco The oldest of these are on your left when you face the basilica; Longhena built the ones on the right later, in 1640. The most recent buildings, commissioned by Napoleon in 1810, lie behind.
The Church of San Giobbe is the first example of Tuscan Renaissance architecture in Venice. It was built by Antonio Gambello (from 1450) who began the church in the Late Gothic style.Especially interesting are Paris Bordone''s "St Peter" dating from the 16th century (forth side-altar on the right), and the fine tomb-slab of Doge Cristoforo Moro, the church''s founder, dated 1470, which is in front of the High Altar. In the Sacristy is a triptych by Antonio Vivarini which can be seen on request.
This stunning building was built in the Renaissance, but displays traces of successive interventions up until the baroque period. It is often used as a concert hall, and is next to the San Rocco Church.It is dedicated to Rocco, who cured the sick during the 14th-century plague. The interior decoration of the school was entrusted to Jacopo Tintoretto, whose works, such as the Allegories, Life and Passion of Christ, and episodes from the Old and New Testaments can be admired. Among the most famous displays are The Annuciation, The Epiphany, and The Flight to Egypt.