Venice - Day 4

We begin with a very short stop on Lido to change over to the vaporetto that will take us along the outer canal of Venice. One of the places we pass by is the Isola di San Michele, which is also known as the Isola dei Morti (Island of the Dead), it is home to Venice's cemetery.



To reach it you need to catch either vaporetto 41 or 42 from Fondamenta Nove - these lines also go to Murano.



The cemetery dates from 1797 and the fall of Venice to Napoleon - it was decreed that people could no longer be buried within the city. The island of San Michele was chosen because it can be easily reached by gondola. Unfortunately internment on the island isn't a permanent thing - it is only for 12 years. After that time the bones are exhumed and re-interned into a mausoleum box or added to a communal ossuary of the island of Sant'Ariano.

The Chiesa di Madonna Dell'Orto was built in the 1300's and modified in the 15th century. Its facade shows transition from Romanesque to Gothic to Renaissance.



Its noted for housing works by Tintoretto and he is also buried in the church..



Contained under the onion shaped dome is the bell tower.




One thing you'll notice is that everything gets shipped via the canals



even the coffee makers!

This next church is San Simeone Piccolo, built in 1738 it is based on Rome's Pantheon. It is located just in front of the main train station.



A few doors up from the main station is Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth (known as the Scalzi) - it is right opposite the Scalzi Bridge.



The facade is notable in that it's the only one in Venice made with Carrara marble.






Doesn't matter where you are in Italy you'll always find these street shrines.

Our final afternoon in Venice was spent exploring around Castello and Arsenale.



Chiesa di San Pietro di Castello is on the island of Olivolo. The original church was built in the 7th century and was dedicated to the Saints Sergius and Baccus. This church was built in the 9th Century and was dedicated to St Peter the Apostle.



It was altered in the 16th-17th centuries to its current form.



Just a fraction of the Arsenale walls.

Venice - Day 3

It will look like we didn't do that much today but the photos are deceiving - many of the churches we visited today did not allow photography.

Our first stop for today is Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute (Basilica of St Mary of Good Health).



This church was built between 1631-1681 as a dedication to the Virgin Mary to help protect Venice from the many plagues it had suffered. Besides building the church they also set aside 21st November as the Festa della Madonna della Salute.




The basilica has an octagonal shape and made from Istrian stone and marmorino.






I do so love the beam of light shining down onto the altar.



The main cupola and galleries...



The spiral mosaic on the marble floor represents the 32 roses of the Virgin Mary's rosary.


The high altar is baroque and designed by Longhena and showing the Virgin Mary and child , kneeling to one side is the allegorical representation of Venice praying for help against the plague. To the right the figure depicting the plague is seen fleeing.

The painting encased in the altar is from the 12th century and is a Byzantine image of the Virgin Mary.



There's that beam again!

It's well worth visiting the Sacristy as it houses works by Titian.


Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari is a minor basilica dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.



Built in an Italian Gothic Style, work started on the original church in 1250 and finished in 1338. Work then recommenced to construct this larger church, taking more than 100 years to complete.



We spent a lot of time inside this church, with its amazing works of art and funerary monuments, it is a must see but please, do respect the wishes of the church and do not try to take photographs. There is nothing more annoying than seeing that flash go off or worse still those that try to take sneaky photos - you really are as pathetic as your behaviour.

Dinner:



Who says only good pizza is found in Naples? Paalo loved his margarita and I had the rather amusingly named "braccio di ferro" which is arm of iron - it's chock full of spinach and topped at the last moment with a raw egg.

Venice - Day 2

Another beautiful day of blue skies greet us as we take to the streets. Here you can see the rather expansive view showing three major churches



On the left, San Giorgio Maggiore, in the middle Santa Maria della Salute and to the right the Campanile of the Basilica of San Marco.



San Giorgio Maggiore is located on the island of San Giorgio and was designed by Andrea Palladio and built between 1559-80.



Once you reach the Piazza San Marco, the Campanile certainly dominates


Campanile showing the top of Sansovino's Loggia - full view shown below. The Campanile is around 99 metres high - first built in the 12th Century, it was rebuilt in the 16th century. The bell tower originally housed 5 bells but all except the largest were destroyed with the tower fell in 1902.

The Loggia was built between 1537 and 1549 by Jacopo Sansovino. It was damaged by the tower's collapse but restored by 1912.





Basilica di San Marco - is one of those instantly recognisable churches and is even more stunning in person.

Photos aren't allowed inside but it's well worth spending the time to take in the incredible mosaics.











Piazza San Marco - yes there are a lot of annoying pigeons there.

















Church of S. Giacomo di Rialto (San Giacometto) - dates from 11th-12th century with restoration work in 1531 and 1601. The large gothic clock is quite a distinctive feature.



Church of San Silvestro - founded in the 12th century, it was rebuilt in 1422 and then restored between 1837-1843.



Inside the Church of San Silvestro.



Not far is that most notable bridge - The Rialto Bridge








The Fish Market isn't too far from here.





Church of S. Stae (Sant' Eustachio) - located on Campo San Stae in Sante Croce, it was built in 1709 by Domenico Rossi.






The facade of the Fish market



















Just near the fish market we spotted A Macelleria Equina - that is a equine butcher - salamis made from ass and horse as well as fresh meat is available.



From here we made our way back to the Piazza San Marco.



The facade of the Palazzo Ducale and



the top of the Basilica San Marco.



The Horses of St Mark - these are replicas of the guilded bronze originals which are now hosed inside the basilica.



On the facade, this 17th century mosiac shows the smuggling out of St Mark's body from Alexandria.



This is St Mark and the Angels - they were adding during the 15th century.





The columns of San Marco and San Teodoro - St Theodore was the original patron saint of Venice until the relics of St Mark were smuggled into the city from Alexandria in 828. The statue is a copy - the original is kept in the Palazzo Ducale.



The Campanile is topped with a golden weathervane designed by Bortolomeo Bon.



One final view for the day - looking out at the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.