Your first visit to Venice – a suggested itinerary Part 6

Your first visit to Venice - Part 1 Monday (day of arrival)
Your first visit to Venice - Part 2 Tuesday
Your first visit to Venice - Part 3 Wednesday 
Your first visit to Venice - Part 4 Thursday 
Your first visit to Venice - Part 5 Friday 

Part 6/ Day 6 - SATURDAY

The weekend will be the busiest in the city of your few days in Venice, and you’ll probably notice how much more difficult it will be to circulate around Venice, and if you go near the Piazza, how long the queues will be to enter the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco, in particular.  

I’d stay away from the Piazza between the hours of around 8.30am – 6pm during these few days.  Instead, take the opportunity to explore some of the less well-known parts of the city.

Rialto markets

Rise early today and catch the action at the famous Rialto markets. 

Traghetto

Now, take a traghetto trip across the Grand Canal from Rialto to the Santa Sofia stop.

The Grand Canal from a traghetto between Rialto and Santa Sofia

Ca d’Oro

Ca d’Oro is Venice’s finest Gothic building.  Its elaborate exterior is clad with white and coloured marbles (including red Verona marble).  Its window traceries and carvings used to be gilded, hence it’s name – the House of Gold.

Highlights of the collection are Mantegna’s St Sebastian, fresco fragments by Titian and Giorgione that used to decorate the Fondaco dei Tedeschi (formerly the main post office and now owned by Benetton and being converted into a large shop).

Be sure to enjoy the views on the balconies on the first and second floor, and the gorgeous courtyard with a beautiful well-head.

Second floor balcony of the Ca' d'Oro on the Grand Canal

Then, head by vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore. 

San Giorgio Maggiore

This Palladian complex of San Giorgio Maggiore includes a church, a campanile (which you should climb for magnificent views), and a monastery including cloisters, a refectory, library and garden.  It’s hard to believe that so much serenity can exist just a short hop across the water from the busy Piazza di San Marco.

Giardini Pubblici

Next, hop on a vaporetto and descend at Arsenale.  You could take a small detour to your right to peek inside the Giardini Pubblici – Napoleon razed this part of Venice to create these enormous gardens.  Beyond the public gardens are the gardens of the Biennale of art housing national pavilions of around 16 countries.  However, you can only access the Giardini della Biennale when the art and architecture biennales are being held.

Museo Storico Navale

Pop your head into Venice’s maritime museum to see a replica of the Doge’s ornate Bucintoro (the original was destroyed by the French when they conquered Venice).  My favourite exhibit is Peggy Guggenheim’s gondola.

Arsenale gates

Next, walk up to the gates of the Arsenale.  This area is still patrolled by the Italian Navy but you can stand at the Renaissance gates and gaze at the extraordinary trophies of war that protect its entry – two lions pillaged from near Athens in 1687 and another bald, upright lion with runic carvings.  He is thought to have been carved by Scandinavian mercenaries who in 1040 fought for the Byzantine empire.

Gates to the Arsenale, Castello

La Pietà

Continue to walk along the Riva degli Schiavoni.  You’ll pass the Metropole hotel.  Turn right and walk a short distance between the Metropole hotel and La Pieta.  You’ll see the wall of the Metropole’s bar incorporates a foundling wheel, which allowed mothers to anonymously leave their children at the orphanage that used to operate on the site of the Metropole hotel.

Pop your head into the La Pietà, somewhat erroneously known as Vivaldi’s church - he worked as choirmaster at La Pietà from 1704-1740 and composed many works for the choir – but the present structure was built from 1745-1760 so Vivaldi never actually set foot inside this newer building.   The church is mostly used for concerts, and it’s well worth popping your head inside to see the 1755 ceiling by Tiepolo, Triumph of Faith.

San Zaccaria

We’ll change the pace at San Zaccaria with Bellini’s Madonna with Child and Saints, some 15^th century frescoes by Vivarini and an atmospheric and slightly eerie waterlogged crypt where eight doges are buried.

For things to do tonight, please refer to my suggestions from yesterday’s itinerary.

Your first visit to Venice - Part 7 Sunday

What I'm reading: Fragile City (1896 - the birth of film in Venice)

I love how much is available on the internet.  I've been reading Margaret Plant’s wonderful Fragile City, a history of Venice from 1797-1997, and have been riveted by this comprehensive, fascinating account of a relatively little published period in Venetian history.

In one of the chapters, Dr Plant discusses the history of film, both set in Venice, and exhibited in Venice.  Dr Plant notes that Albert Promio, a cinematographer for the Lumière Brothers, shot the first moving footage EVER in 1896, from a gondola in Venice.  I hadn't known that.

I raced over to my Ipad and found several samples of the footage on Youtube.  Here is a screenshot of the first stills:

A gondola floats past as we head up the Grand Canal:

And then a steam boat swings into view:

It is extraordinary to look at the clarity of the footage, and remember that these images were captured in 1896! 

19th century view photography

During the 19^th century, greater ease of travel meant that tourists were arriving in Venice in increasing numbers.  They were eager to take away souvenirs of their journeys to show friends and family at home, and to remember their travel experiences.  Since the birth of photography around 1840, a tradition of ‘view’ photographs of European scenes developed, concentrating on scenic landscapes and famous architectural sites. 

Carlo Naya

Photographer Carlo Naya owned one of the most successful photographic businesses in Venice, specializing in a large stock of negatives showing the city’s buildings, canals, monuments and canals.  His shop in Piazza San Marco was one of two major photographic firms in Venice (the other was owned by Carlo Ponti, Naya’s former employer).

I first became aware of Carlo Naya when the Historic Houses Trust in Sydney presented an exhibition in 1996 at the Museum of Sydney entitled Views of Abroad.  The exhibition showcased photographic images from the collection of Rouse Hill House (founded 1813), and the Rouse family’s extensive collection of photographs acquired during their European tours undertaken in 1868-69, 1874-76 and 1878-88, including a series of exquisite prints by Carlo Naya. 

Some of Naya’s most famous images of Venice including the Basilica di San Marco (circa 1876) and View of the Piazetta from a gondola (circa 1876) were included in the exhibition.

The Historic Houses Trust’s picture collection also contains a series of 32 mechanically coloured photographs of European cities, monuments and buildings which were pasted into an album by members of the Rouse family.  The collection includes several views of Venice including:

A view down the Grand Canal to the Salute (dated around 1900)

A view of St Mark's square, clock tower and basilica (dated around 1900)

A magnificent view from the Campanile over to the Salute and surrounding lagoon

A view of the St Mark's campanile, the Doge's Palace and Biblioteca Marciana from the Grand Canal