A Rainy Day in Venice - Venice, Italy
Venice, Italy
Where I stayed
Hotel Villa Igea
I was due to participate in a three hour Venice Walking Tour yesterday but the company failed to confirm the booking. They then sent it through late in the afternoon, after the tour had been completed. As a goodwill gesture, they suggested I do it today. It is a rainy, bleak day, so the planned trip to the islands of Murano and Burano is probably best left until tomorrow anyway . . . fingers crossed for a sunny day. I cannot complain, apart from the rare early morning shower and the 'Irish' rain, the weather for eight weeks has ben magnificent. I have been very blessed.
An 11.10am tour which began at 11.25am under rainy skies and many, many umbrellas. Most laneways in Venice struggle to allow two people to pass on fine and sunny days but the difficulty increases considerably when people are carrying umbrellas. Patience and a smile works well for most people, not all. The hawkers just love the mere hint of rain. Out come the umbrellas, hoodies and rain ponchos all of which are not of the greatest quality as one of my fellow 'touring' people found out when his umbrella would only partially open allowing the rain to pool in the top like a dam. I made sure I didn't stand too close.
Assuming I wouldn't be doing this tour, I took the opportunity to visit San Marco yesterday and I'm so glad that I did as, whilst our tour guide was very informative about the cathedral, we stood in one place for ten minutes and then left. One positive was that the lights were on, illuminating the cathedral beautifully. These mosaics illustrate the stories and messages from both the old and new testaments sublimely. A few gems shared with us by the tour guide - I will just record them without further explanation as it would take me pages upon pages to do so! In no particular order:
> St Mark's symbol is the Lion which is now the symbol of the city of Venice.
> The basilica was originally the private chapel of the Doge whose palace is 'next door'.
> Doge means 'leader'
> Statues and paintings feature the Doge kneeling at the feet of a Lion
> Basilica has three architectural styles: Venetian, Gothic and Bysantine.
> Due to proximity, Venice had developed a close relationship with the east, hence Byzantine
> Three Popes have been, at some time, Bishops of Venice.
The second part of the tour, three hours later, was a small group tour in a water taxi around the lagoon, along the Grand Canal and 'up' or 'down' some smaller canals. Nine tourists in a water taxi on a rainy afternoon made for a wonderful trip. The Americans on board happily sat undercover but I sat at the back with a couple from Ireland. It wasn't raining too heavily so we were happy to fold back the roof for better views . . . just love the Irish! The guide was brilliant providing us with many interesting facts about Venice. Too many to record but just a few for me to remember:
> The lagoon, in some places is quiet shallow, (three foot). The water markers for the boats indicate the safe areas to travel. These areas are regularly dredged to around ten foot.
> The different service boats have different colours eg ambulances are yellow, 'hearses' are black or purple, rubbish is green etc
>. The general hospital was once a church. It was incredible to see the ambulance boats lined up at the wharf transferring patients
>. The population of Venice has declined significantly in recent years. In the 1970s the population was around 160 000, currently it is 60 000 and falling. The 'empty' houses have become hotels in order to cater for the 25 million tourists that visited Venice in 2013.
>. Each of the six main districts has one square accompanied by a 'main' church. There are over 140 churches in Venice, far more than 'needed' so some have been deconcecrated.
>. Until the highway connecting Venice to the mainland, essential services proved somewhat difficult to manage. Fresh water for instance was collected when rainfall drained into holes in the paving and was then filtered, and released into wells which can still be seen throughout Venice today. Today, most of the pipes are attached to the underside of the bridges. Fire hydrants are an exception. Due to safety reasons, the pipes for these must run under the canals.
Venice, apart from being quite beautiful, is fascinating. I marvel at the inventiveness of the inhabitants over the course of history in creating a thriving community which has no need to rely on road transport. No cars, buses, trains or bikes. It either happens by foot or by water! So just how does this city 'stay afloat'? Venice is an archipelago consisting of 118 swampy islands. The early inhabitants built their houses on wooden bases. I was not aware of the scientific fact that certain wood, when submerged completely in water becomes petrified, therefore just as strong as rock. Difficulties arise when the wood is exposed to air for this is when it will decay . . . simple really!
Churches, churches everywhere. Some are open, some are closed! Some encourage prayer, some encourage donations. Some are sublimely beautiful, some a cold and emotionless. During the past two days, I have visited a number of 'lesser known' churches usually hidden away where I would never find them again. In some I stayed for a short while, others a little longer. There were so many in such a short time that I have not managed to remember all of their names or even their characteristics - I must be getting tired and a tad forgetful. A couple worth noting:
> San Basso was founded in 1076 and deconsecrated in 1810. It is now the property of San Marco and is used for storage. By night it is a concert hall.
> San Giovanni Grisostomo (Saint Chrysostom - I had to research this saint) Built primarily from rose pink marble I think it looks beautiful. It has a large number of canvases on display.
> Santa Maria Assunta or I Gesuiti - Quite a large and grand church. Ignatius of Loyola was ordained a priest in this church.
> Oratorio dei Crociferi - I just loved the exterior which looks quite Mediterranean . I had read about this ancient and 'unfashionable' church but it was closed.
> Santi Giovanni e Paolo - One of the largest churches in Venice - it has the status of a minor basilica. It is the principal Dominican church of Venice. After the fifteenth century the funeral service for all of Venices doges were held in this church. there are twenty-five doges buried here.
> San Zaccaria - Located ten metres across the piazza from my hotel. Dedicated to the father of John the Baptist whose body (supposedly) is housed in the church.
I could not visit Venice and not attend a concert. My knowledge of classical music is, well virtually non existent. The style of music is not something I have ever been particularly drawn to over the years but when in Rome . . . or in this case Venice. I saw one concert advertised on a sandwich board outside a hall somewhere near the Rialto Bridge. When I went online to book I discovered I had booked a different Vivaldi Concert than anticipated - he is obviously very popular in Venice with it being his birthplace. The concert I mistakenly booked was a better option as it was being held in the Ateneo di San di Basso which is located directly opposite the Basilica of San Marco and only a couple of minutes from my hotel. I could not understand the title of the concert, Virtuosi di Venezia Omaggio a Antonio Vivaldi, but I am familiar with Vivaldi so a chance to immerse myself in Venetian culture.
Holding one hundred people the hall was all but full. The concert plays every night and I think they rely heavily on 'walk ins'. A thoroughly enjoyable concert, quite rousing and, even though I didn't understand the arias, they were sung beautifully. The orchestra was also very, very good, well at least to my ear and that of the audience. One over excited lady kept shouting 'bravo' quite loudly - I remained a little more understated.
A little more culture as I stepped outside into St Mark's Square. Every night three small orchestras 'take turns' entertaining those taking a late night stroll or dining at the restaurants which hire them. They are wonderfully entertaining with the crowd moving from one to the other and then back again. There was a moment when live I looked around the square, saw San Marco, listened to beautiful music and had to pinch myself . . . 'the only time is now and the only place is here' . . .a mantra I must continue to follow and believe.