2012/13 Europe Adventure: Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Basilica Side Alter

St. Mark's Basilica Ceiling Mosaics

The day began with a little rain but that certainly doesn't stop the intrepid travelers when they are in a gorgeous city like Venice. I had my breakfast and was quickly off on the vaporetto to St. Mark's Square to attend Sunday mass at St. Mark's Cathedral. 10:30am mass according to the gentleman at the front desk of my hotel is the high mass of the day there which usually means beautiful music as well.

And yes, beautiful music was indeed present as well as so many exquisite artistic details to gaze and admire when I wasn't able to understand what the priest was saying. I had visited the cathedral over 12 years ago on my first visit to Venice as it was included in our tour package as well as the Doge's Palace tour. But I'm so happy I got to take in all it's beauty not while walking quickly past listening to commentary, although that is always so interesting as well, but just sitting quietly and focusing on one or two small items at a time and more in depth.

St. Mark's Basilica Incredible marble floor designs

St. Mark's Basilica Side Alter

St. Mark's Basilica Incredible marble floor designs

The ceiling is one of the most impressive aspects of the cathedral interior with brilliant gold mosaic designs covering the entire surfaces or rather surfaces with it's many vaulted archways and alters. Breathtaking only describes it so far and at one point during mass when the rain had stopped and the sun shone brightly through the clear glass windows at the top there just aren't enough words to describe it in the English language.

St. Mark's Basilica Incredible marble floor designs

The Cathedral is smaller than I'd imagined or remembered it to be but that is part of it's charm because so much artistic beauty exists in a relatively (compared to many of the other cathedrals in Europe) small space. "The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace. Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city's cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, formerly at San Pietro di Castello. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has been known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold.):"

And I had to smile at one point, about 15 minutes into the mass, an elderly Italian women arrived at the side entrance (which you must use to go in for services as the main entrance is for the tourist lines going on a tour) near where I was sitting and was carrying a large bouquet of white flowers (I think mums.) She handed it to one of the security guards but was talking to him in such a loud voice that of course many people turned to look. She then left him with the bouquet and slowly ambled off across the main alter where the priest was making his homely and past the entire church congregation until she reached the other side and a nice man got up and let her have a seat in the front row. It's almost as if she wanted to be seen by as many people as possible which really at her age, why not. I think she must have been in her 90's out and about by herself (which is no small feat going over the bridges and navigating streets of uneven cobblestones.)

My favorite book store in Venice "Librerio Acqua Alta" with just piles and piles and piles of books in
multiple rooms and even an annex in a building past a small, narrow courtyard. Oh, yes and several happy cats.

My favorite book store in Venice "Librerio Acqua Alta"

My favorite book store in Venice "Librerio Acqua Alta." A large sign below this table reads in English "The Most Beautiful Book Store in the World." And it is pretty amazing if not spotless and organized. It's for a book lover
with a sense of adventure.

Near St. Lorenzo's Church a little cat sanctuary where several healthy looking cats napped
in well placed baskets below the cat homes. A sign posted tells you that they are protected
cats for the church and neighborhood.

I later noticed she had disappeared from her appointed chair but I hadn't heard any disturbance so I could only wonder what had prompted her to move. But later, after mass was over I saw her corral a nice, very tall, man dressed in a neon orange jump suit (clearly a municipal worker) and he slowly and kindly helped her make her way out of the church as she chatted about life, weather, politics, one only knows but she was all smiles and that's what matters.

So after taking a few pictures, several of the incredible inlaid marble floor designs the stunning side alter near where I sat, I was off and running, so to speak, to visit more of this city I love.

I realized last night that I had missed one of the churches on the Chorus pass so that was also on the agenda.

I walked up to the marina which is the Castello District and the Biennale Garden which is mostly closed until the opening of the art exhibit I imagine pretty soon. But the garden's surrounding it are beautiful and so many people out enjoying a gorgeous Sunday.

Also visiting a church that I noticed in passing but today a young boy and his father were kicking around a soccer ball in front of it and I noticed past them the door was open so I thought I'd stop in and it's really quiet a lovely church with a pretty big history. "San Giovanni Battista in Brágora built in 1475 (The meaning of in Bragora is uncertain. It could refer to a square (agora), a fishing site (bragolare: to fish), or a marshy area (brago) combined with a stagnant canal (gora). Tradition has it that the first church on this site was among the twelve churches founded by St Magnus in the 8th Century, but the earliest written record dates to the 9th. This later church said to have been built to house relics of St John the Baptist.)

The baptismal font where Vivaldi was baptized San Giovanni Battista in Brágora.

Alvise Vivarini's "Madonna col Bambino" in San Giovanni Battista in Brágora

Relief over the sacristy door San Giovanni Battista in Brágora

Also, an interesting note and one I didn't know until just now when I was looking up the church online, the famous Venetian composer Vivaldi was born near here and was baptized in this very church. I had seen a beautiful copper baptismal font with flowers in it which definitely catches the eye for its unique structure as well as the now elaborate display but had not idea of it's cultural significance until now. How very interesting. "He was born in a house in Calle del Dose nearby on 4th March 1678 and was baptized in this church two months later on the 6th of May. In fact this was his second baptism - he'd been hurriedly baptized at home as it was thought that he was too sickly to survive. The font is on display here, as is a copy of his entry in the registry of births."

I then zipped off across the Lagoon to where the Santa Maria della Salute Basilica stands which as you might remember was closed yesterday when I was there so since I was in that neighborhood it was great that the church was open for a visit. The first three times I've been here I've visited and the first I can especially remember because in my mind still the church was large but dark. Well that would be most likely because it was under refurbishment and the last two times I recall it also dark and being repaired. Now it was also that each of my previous visits have been in late fall so the light that time of year is of course very different where as yesterday the light was warm and bright. But either way clearly all the walls and pillars and ceilings have been thoroughly cleaned and are now gleaming white and the church is bright and welcoming. There is still a little construction going on so you couldn't get to close to the high alter but the painting of Our Lady of Health was visible and glowing beautiful under a spot light. I was reading a plaque that said that several Popes when arriving to Venice for the first time came directly here to place an offering to her including Pope John Paul II. Even from a distance that painting gives off a sense of peace and warmth and welcoming. "In 1630 Venice experienced an unusually devastating outbreak of the plague. As a votive offering for the city's deliverance from the pestilence, the Republic of Venice vowed to build and dedicate a church to Our Lady of Health (or of Deliverance, Italian: Salute). The church was designed in the then fashionable baroque style by Baldassare Longhena, who studied under the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. Construction began in 1631. Most of the objects of art housed in the church bear references to the Black Death. The dome of the Salute was an important addition to the Venice skyline and soon became emblematic of the city, inspiring artists like Canaletto, J. M. W. Turner, John Singer Sargent, Francesco Guardi and Laza Kostić."

This is how some of the neighborhoods put out their trash to be collected

Charles Ray's "Boy with Frog"

I then continued along the walkway that leads you past the lagoon and the canal on the other side of the city. It's a really beautiful walking staring with the sights of the Grand Canal, then to the tip where there is a the "triangular shaped Punta della Dogana separates the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal. As a center for contemporary art, the former customs house of the city presents a permanent exhibition of works from the François Pinault Collection, the institution who wanted and sponsored the transition of this masterpiece of architecture, so emblematic to the city, from its eminently commercial function to port of contemporary art and ideal venue to share it with the world." It has a large sculpture of two men holding up a sphere with an angle sculpture on top of that that moves in the wind. It's a beautiful building in just in front is a contemporary sculpture from the 2009 53rd Venice Biannual Art Exhibit of Charles Ray's "Boy with Frog." Apparently there is controversy as to why it got to remain there right at the point looking toward St. Mark's Square and now encased in a large Lucite box. It's an odd piece for that spot granted but it certainly does make you want to walk over and see it when you first notice the piece from the vaporetto when you're traveling down the canal into the lagoon.

Punta della Dogana

From there I headed to the last church on the Chorus list, St. Sebastiano which was closed so I had dinner across the small canal from there and then headed back to Lido since by then I'd walked about 5 hours many of it straight through and I was getting a bit pooped.

About What? The Esperienze Un Luogo Unico - Art Exhibit in a first floor warehouse space along the promenade on the Giudecca Canal side. There were three parts (About Food?, About Thoughts? and About Nature?)