VENICE – saints and sinners
Monday – at the end of the previous post we had devoured most of that incredible lunch and found ourselves waddling back to Piazza San Marco.
We have a booked time to enter the Basilica but on our way back from lunch we are looking at more little eating establishments for later. Some are really, really pricey – like Euro 8.50 for a glass of coke. For that amount I would want to keep the glass for a souvenir. Finding nothing that takes our fancy we make a decision to see if we can get into St Marks earlier than our ticketed time.
When we researched these tours all the information was that we could only spend a maximum of ten minutes inside. They also say that if they let everyone stay as long as they liked then lots of people would be turned away. Let me say quite categorically here and now – that is nothing but a load of old cobblers! Read on –
The outside of St Marks is breathtaking. Mosaics adorn the entrance and even though part of it is covered for restoration (xx!!!xxx) there is still no getting away from how beautiful this place is. The Basilica di San Marco was the chapel of the Doges for most of its history, but in 1807, it became the cathedral of Venice.
HISTORY LESSON : In 828, Venetian merchants stole the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist from their original resting place in Alexandria, Egypt. It is said the Venetians hid the relics in a barrel under layers of pork to get them past Muslim guards. The adventure is depicted in the 13th-century mosaic above the door farthest left of the front entrance of the Basilica.
The relics were initially housed in a temporary chapel within the Doge’s Palace, but a more substantial church was built to shelter the valuable relics in 829-32. This burned in a rebellion against Doge Pietro Candiano IV in 976, but was restored by Doge Domenico Contarini (d. 1070). The present basilica, which incorporates the earlier buildings, was completed around 1071.
The ceiling inside is lit once a day but unfortunately that coincided with our visit with ‘Doug’ so we missed it. As we already have our tickets we can go and have them scanned and go straight in hoping that we won’t be tapped on the shoulder and told we are too early. We hold our breath but everything is OK and we enter the doorway. This place is amazing. We all are dumb struck and tilt our heads back to look at the wonderful ceiling. Once we recover from the initial shock we notice the many, many ‘No photography” signs and the attendants walking around.
Bummer – but what’s this, many people have their cameras and iphones out taking photos with nothing being said but it would be just my luck to launch the Canon and be pounced upon and told to leave, so slow and sneaky it is. Where there’s a will there’s a way and I discover that I can still take photos – no flash of course. Spoiler alert – this is going to become a tried and trusty method of photo taking throughout this tour.
Yes, the photos are a little blurry to start , having the camera on the hip and trying to point the lens and focus on something that you really have no idea if you are getting it – together without looking guilty is hard work, but I am pleased with the results.
It’s a shame that there are quite a few places that do not allow photography due to the many idiots that continue to flash here and there without any regard to the delicacy of what they are photographing. K, T and I always use no flash photography. If you are going to get an SLR then you may as well learn how to use it properly. If you want a point and shoot then take photos outside and don’t spoil it for the rest of us. Sorry, I will now get off the soap box and continue with the walk through St Marks.
At this point the line is progressing well but there are still plenty of opportunities to stand to one side and admire the golden mosaics on the ceilings not to mention the artwork through the Basilica. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t hinder anyone we just wished we did have a bit more time to really appreciate what we are seeing.
This walk through the cathedral has been great and we were allowed to use more than the ten minutes advertised on the website, in fact I think it was about 30 minutes and when we leave there are so many other people leaving that we decide to give it a shot and go back in. No one stops us which is great so now we can really enjoy the cathedral and maybe take another photo or two.
After we have a relaxing look at the interior including the wonderful mosaics which adorn the floor we exit for the second time and decide to go upstairs to the Museum. The entrance is on the left as you exit and up a very steep and narrow stone staircase. It is really a good work out after our lunch and by the time we get to the top we are bushed to say the least.
It is up here where you get spectacular views of the inside of the Basilica not the mention seeing the Triumphal Quadriga (the Greek Horses) but first the interior. Cost for entry to the museum is 4 euro. So don’t be stingy it is a bargain and well worth spending the money you will not be disappointed. From this view the mosaic ceilings are twice as good and you can see more of the detail because you are closer.
In the museum are the original bronze horses of St Mark.
HISTORY LESSON : the famous Horses of Saint Mark have endured an eventful history. Long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the four life-sized bronze sculptures date from Greco-Roman times and originally formed part of a triumphal quadriga (a chariot drawn by four horses abreast). They were looted from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade and sent to Venice in 1204 by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
In Venice, the horses were first placed in the Arsenal, but about 50 years later they were moved to the exterior of St Mark’s Basilica. The Venetians were not the only ones to take a liking to the ancient horses; they were taen to France by Napoleon in 1797. Brought back to Venice in 1815, they remained in place until the 1990’s when they were brought into an upper gallery for protection. Replicas now take their place on the facade.
Even though, up here, there are signs saying ‘No Photography’ I manage to get off a couple of shots – I think that the guards are quite OK if you don’t primp around with the flash going off. After we look at the horses and take an adequate amount of photos we go outside to the balcony and WOW – the heat and humidity hits. It’s nearly overwhelming – nearly – but not quite.
The views of the Piazza and the Grand Canal are brilliant. While we were standing here a very large cruise boat from the Celebrity Cruise Line came past going left to right of this photo.
Now I don’t know where the thing was going and I don’t know how it got here but it sure was huge and took up most of the Canal. I am not going to put a photo of that here – it just spoils the view for sure. I would rather travel the canal on a vaporetto instead of a dirty big liner which is most probably full of Fakers. Now that is definitely not a happy thought. I can just imagine them all at the trough right about now.
But let’s get back to Venice – – – and turning our attention to more beautiful things – here are a couple of photos of the Doges Palace and the Clocktower in the Piazza.
The Doges Palace we have already researched but The Clocktower we have not.
HISTORY LESSON : the Clock (alternatively known as St Mark’s Clocktower or the Moors’ Clocktower) displays the time of day, the dominant sign of the Zodiac and the current phase of the moon – it is an extraordinarily elaborate time piece. The clock fulfilled a resolutely practical role in what was a mighty maritime empire in centuries past. Seafarers setting out from the Grand Canal could rely on this faultless timepiece to decide the most favourable time for setting out to sea. So reliable is the clock, that in 1858 it was made the official timekeeper of Venice – to which every other clock should be set.
In this photo of the Clocktower you can see the replica horses, and below, the hordes of tourists waiting to get into St Mark’s Basilica. I am so glad we went in early. Fancy being involved in that crush and yes, you most probably would only get ten minutes to have a very quick look around, nothing like beating the tour companies to these sightseeing goodies.
We stay out here for about 30 minutes and then the heat and humidity gets too much. You would think that there would be a breeze – but not a whisper so it’s back inside to the shade and the cool of the Museum where we look around at the other items and also make a quick visit to the shop. We stay inside to recover for a while and then decide to go back to the hotel for a nice cool shower and maybe have a bit of a rest before heading out this evening.
As we leave St Mark’s it is twice as humid down here. We catch the vaporetto back but there are no spare seats outside so we have to sit inside in the heat. We practically fall into the door of the hotel and are greeted by a different face who tells us our room is on the fourth floor. It is a really good room but unfortunately the hotel has no lift so we have to walk up the stairs pulling our luggage behind us.
One good thing about our room is that the staff have given us an air conditioner to make the room nice and cool. AAAAAAHHHHH! We take turns in having a refreshing shower and then fall onto the beds to have a well deserved rest before returning to St Mark’s later in the afternoon for some dinner.
Feeling better after a little snooze we head back out and board the vaporetto once again but this time we decide to get off at the Rialto Bridge to have a look around – walk over the bridge and maybe get some souvenirs.
I would like a gold charm for my bracelet and I find exactly what I want at a little store on the bridge – Casanova’s mask. How Venetian is that? Still so many people around but hopefully the groups will soon disappear.
These are the little stalls on the Rialto Bridge. If you are buying glass or masks make sure you get the ones that are sold by stalls that only sell local articles. They will have a sign promoting Venetian wares and apparently, by the amount of the signs the traders are fed up with all the ‘junk’ coming in from overseas. That can only be a good thing if you ask me.
Once we finish on the bridge we decide to bypass St Mark’s and just stay on the vaporetto and head to the end of the line – The Lido. This journey takes us across the bay where we are lucky enough to manoeuver ourselves to outside seats in the shade where we get a breeze. So wonderful. Kylie tells me that The Lido is where they have the Venice Film Festival which has not long finished. She keeps her eyes open to spot someone famous but she is out of luck. We are the only famous people around today.
When the vaporetto heads back to Venice the sun is setting and we are able to get some amazing photos.
This is San Giorgio Magiorre – you must admit it is beautiful. Even though we have been flat out since early morning we can’t help but get excited at this wonderful sunset.
We arrive at St Mark’s and actually we are not that hungry – but we could do with a drink. I tell K&T that I will shout them a drink in the Piazza – how can you not have a drink in this magical setting and if the topic of Venice ever comes up in conversation then we can say ‘oh yes, I had evening drinks in the Piazza San Marco.’ That should make everyone pea green with envy!
We throw caution to the wind and sit at one of the outside cafes in the Piazza – the Cafe Aurora. It is not one that has musicians playing outside (they are really expensive) but we can hear the music from next door and thoroughly enjoy every minute of it – especially when the Clocktower chimes. As I sip my Margarita, Kylie has a Corona and Tyler – a Castello. Somehow sipping Margaritas is just the right thing to do!
After our drinks, music and atmosphere we head back to the hotel on the vaporetto. The main tourist bodies have gone and it is great. We get seats outside and enjoy the Canal by night – more so than by day and we also get to take some more photos. Here are a couple that should whet your appetite for a visit –
