Unmissable Excursions: VENISE
The streetscapes in Venice are defined with special names: the “rughe and salizada” are the main streets; “calli” are the smallest streets, while the streets which line the canal are known as “fondamenta”. The “rii terà” are the filled-in canals, the “campo” is a square in front of a church, whereas the “calli” lead to a square between the houses known as the “campiello”.
PIAZZA SAN MARCO lies in the heart of the city: it is the only one which can be called a square, in fact the others are called “campi” or “campielli”. The BASILICA DI SAN MARCO stands in the centre of the square, it has a golden colour and is adorned with mosaics which tell the history of the city. Its wonderful bas-reliefs represent the months of the year. Above the main portal stand the bronze statues of four horses from Constantinople, (they are replicas of the originals which are housed in the museum of San Marco) which remind us of the fourth Crusade in 1204. The Basilica is built on a Greek cross plan and is crowned with five huge domes. It is the third basilica dedicated to San Marco to stand on this site: the first two were destroyed. It seems that the present design was inspired by the Church of Apostles in Constantinople. Its interior is decorated with mosaics containing gold, which represent biblical and allegorical passages. Originally it was the chapel of the Doges of the Republic of Venice.
THE PALAZZO DUCALE stands beside the Basilica: they are joined by the Porta della Carta, a marvellous piece of work by Bartolomeo Bon which today forms the exit gate of the Doges’ Palace. The main entrance is on the side which overlooks the lagoon. It housed the political institutions of the Serenissima Republic and was built of marble from Istria in the XV century. It was once the site of a castle which was set on fire in an attempt to remove Peter IV Candiano, who had taken refuge there during the uprising. The Palace is now a museum and houses works by some of the best Venetian artists: part of the building is occupied by the Sansovino Library, which hosts a number of temporary exhibitions. The Sala Maggior Consiglio, which was the seat of the Venetian government, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Piombi prisons are all worth a visit.
In front of the Doges’ Palace rises the CAMPANILE DI SAN MARCO: it was built in 1173 as a lighthouse to assist navigators, and was restored by Bartolomeo Bon in the XV century. It collapsed on 14 July 1902 and was completely reconstructed. The loggia made of red marble from Verona is the work of Jacopo Sansovino, it is decorated with low reliefs representing allegories of the achievements of the “Republic of the Lion”.
The PONTE DI RIALTO is another symbol of the city. It was designed by Antonio Da Ponte, and completed in 1591. It provided the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot, and was the only bridge until 1854, when the Ponte dell'Accademia was constructed. The central part of the Rialto is lined on both sides by lavish shops, whereas at the end of the bridge, in the San Polo district, stands the picturesque fish market and the San Giacomo church of Rialto.
Other important Venetian monuments are the Arsenale, the Santa Maria della Salute church, the basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the synagogues of the Ghetto.
The main canals of the city are the Canal Grande and the Canale della Giudecca. The first forms a large S-shape and divides the city into two parts, the second separates, in the strict sense of the word, the historic centre from the island of Giudecca.
