Every Mile a Memory ( Part 10 ) Walking tour of Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale

Buon Giorno !!

On the last day of our stopover in Venice we took a walking tour of the Palazzo Ducale or the Doges Palace. From the cruise ship we walked to the Alilaguna Terminal to take one of their vaporettos. The ride to Piazza San Marco was 30 minutes. As soon as we arrived at Piazza San Marco, we proceeded to our first stop Palazzo Ducale.

Everything about Venice, Italy is magical and one of the most captivating stops in this amazing destination is The Bridge of Sighs. This enclosed bridge stretches over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Palazzo Ducale. Known by locals as the Ponte Dei Sospiri, the bridge itself is gorgeous – made of white limestone, fully enclosed and stretching high above the canal, it has small windows with stone bars and an arched roofline. It is known as one of the finest examples of bridge architecture in the world.

The Palazzo Ducale is situated right on St. Mark’s Square in Venice. Overlooking the Grand Canal, It was the seat of the government of Venice until it came under Napoleonic rule in 1797 and then in 1866, a part of Italy. Before, the palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice. Today the palace is a museum and you can walk through the Doge's apartments-- stand in the large rooms where court was held where decisions were made and foreign dignitaries hosted. It was an absolute architectural masterpiece!

We were given time to walk around this courtyard and take photos.

After entering the inner courtyard you'll find a flight of stairs that led to the Doge's private quarters, known as the " Scala dei Giganti " that was flanked by  2 huge statues of Mars and Neptune. The decoration is enormously elaborate and impressive. The columns on the lower colonnade of the building have carvings of beasts, flowers and representations of the months of the year.

If you think the outside of the palazzo is a sight to behold, wait till you go up and see the interiors of the palazzo!! The golden staircase was fabulous! Here you can easily discover breathtaking walls made of stucco, and lavish ceilings covered with enchanted paintings. Our guide took us through the rooms explaining the art work and the historical significance of the building. Did you know that the Doge was a chosen, it was not a inherited position?

The interior of the Palazzo Ducale with the artworks by artists such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto.

Among the most breathtaking pieces was Tintoretto's Paradise, said to be the largest oil painting in the world. His masterpiece completed in 1577 covers the entire wall !! Unfortunately this was one area inside the palace we were not allowed to take any photos. You can take photographs in the courtyard and through the open windows of the palace, but not of the interior.

( courtesy of google images ) 

We marveled at all the various rooms and the apartments of the Doge's, the next one more ornate than the last. Don't forget to look up at the ceilings in these rooms, they are just as amazing as the walls! Below is one of the ceilings done by Tintoretto.

You also get to cross the Bridge of Sighs into the old jail. According to our guide, there was only one man who was able to escape from the infamous prison. His name, Giacomo Casanova on the night of October 31, 1756. Fortunately he was held in the less rigid section for errant nobles called the Piombi, but he had to break through the lead roof and fool the night watchmen. Risking death by falling from the roof of the Palazzo Ducale, Casanova was mistaken for a reveller who had been locked into the palace following a function. He was let out by a side door and fled by gondola.

The prison was certainly interesting to see, but it gets a bit creepy.

one of the cells inside

This was were the prisoners took a last look at freedom as they glimpsed the lagoon and San Giorgio through the small windows. Walking across the Bridge of Sighs is quite interesting because it looks gorgeous on the outside, but it is a different story on the inside.

( courtesy of Lulu Kamatoy )

The Doge's Palace is a work of art that is rooted in history! I loved the frescoes, the grand elegance of the palace, the courtyard - especially loved the paintings by Veronese, Titian and Tintoretto. From the exterior Venetian gothic architecture, artistic interior to the rich history, the Palazzo Ducale is really something!  The artwork and architecture in some rooms are just awe-inspiring. You have to go walk over the Bridge of Sighs as well - romantic and tragic history behind the story of this bridge. Seeing Tintoretto's Paradise was a huge highlight.  I could spend all day telling you about it all!

The works of art are just breathtaking, whether you like art or not, you simply cannot deny the care, effort and beauty that went into these paintings. A MUST SEE is the  largest room in the palace, the Chamber of the Great Council, there are no words to describe it. The famous Il Paradiso by Tintoretto is housed here, the longest canvas painting in the world. The Palazzo Ducale is a must for anyone who travels to Venice.

After our tour of the Palazzo Ducale we walked to the Piazza San Marco and were given free time to walk around once more. I wanted to go to the Basilica of San Marco but seeing the long lines -- I decided to just stay at the piazza and take more photos.

Another one of Piazza San Marcos sights is the clock tower. The clock was first erected as a way of showing others the wealth that existed in this city state. It was built sometime in the late 1400's. From the top of the tower you get a great view of Venice but make sure you get there early because the line can be long.

The most impressive sight in the Piazza San Marco is the San Marco Basilica. The church is named after Saint Mark and his bones are entombed in the church. The church was really the Doges' church and it showcases the exploits of many Venetian explorers. It is a mix of Byzantine and Gothic architecture.

The first view of the ornamental exterior of Basilica San Marco can be overwhelming, especially if approached from its main entrance. Columns, cupolas, statues, and touches of gold in its decorated portals and on the church's many turrets vie for the viewer's attention.

Venice is amazing. There is no other place in world like venice.The best place to see in Venice is the square. You can move around at your own pace. Truly awesome. If you like ancient architecture and art, you will love this city! When you walk in Piazza San Marco Square it literally takes your breath away! What a beautiful place! Wonderful for romantics and lovers. It was more spectacular than any photo could portray. I would recommend a visit to Venice to anyone!

CIAO !!

Every Mile a Memory ( Part 8 ) An adventure in Venice

Buon Giorno Venezia !!

Woke up at the crack of dawn to take a Venetian sunrise as we entered Venice through Lido de Venezia. I was not disappointed at all.  Venice is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean, with nearly 500 ship departures and 700,000 cruise passengers per year. The city and its cruise-ship piers are located inside the Venetian Lagoon, which is connected to the Adriatic Sea by a narrow entrance called the Porto di Lido. We had 2 shore excursions lined up in Venice. but I would like to share with you an unforgettable experience of Lulu and me when we decided to visit Venice on our own.

Venice is a beautiful city to photograph but it can be extremely frustrating to navigate. The backstreets are where you'll find the best views, hidden canals and sights that define Venice, but locating those spots is a different story. 

San Giorgio Maggiore

According to our cruise director, our cruise ship will be docked overnight at the Terminal Venezia Passeggeri (  or Venice Cruise Terminal ). This terminal handles the largest ships that call in Venice and is located 4 kilometers from Venice. For those people who did not sign up for shore excursions there are many ways of getting to the city of Venice. By the ship's shuttle which costs $ 14.00 ( two ways ), by water taxis called vaporettos ( 60 Euros one way )  which are very expensive or by using their Peoplemover Tram (  2 Euros 2 ways ).  Lulu and I opted to take the People mover Tram. 

The People Mover offers quick ( it is also wheelchair-accessible ) connections between three points on the edge of the city's historic center: These stops are Piazzale Roma, the Marittima Cruise Terminal and Tronchetto. Never fear --- the tram ride lasts three minutes between the Marittima  Cruise Terminal to Piazzale Roma. The Peoplemover is operational during the following hours: Mondays  – Saturdays from 7am – 11pm and Sundays and holidays from 8am – 10pm 

(courtesy of google images )

How to get to Piazza San Marco from your cruise ship :

From the Venice Cruise Terminal, we just followed the sidewalk from the terminal parking lot to the tram stop...  it was a 15 minute walk ( we had to alot time for our getting directions on getting there ).  There were tickets being sold at the machine on the ground level. After buying our ticket, we proceeded to the entry checkpoint and held our ticket under the scanner with the barcode up. When the barrier opened, went up the escalator. There’s an escalator or elevator provided to reach the tram platform, where every eight minutes ( time to arrival is displayed on an overhead LED ) a tram will arrive to bring passengers either to Tronchetto or Piazzale Roma. The trip took 3 MINUTES! I couldn't believe it. It was so efficient!!!

As you reach Piazzale Roma, there are official directional signs-- normally yellow, but sometimes white-- are easy to find if you look up at buildings as you walk down streets. These signs point to such major destinations as SAN MARCO ( the piazza and basilica ), RIALTO ( the bridge and markets ), FERROVIA ( the railroad station ), and  PIAZZALE ROMA ( the transportation hub where you can the People Mover to the Tronchetto parking garage and the Marritima cruise terminal. These are the signs that you must remember when you decide to walk to Piazza San Marco. In addition to official signs, you'll see many homemade signs that shopkeepers and residents have painted or tacked up on buildings to help lost tourists.

While we were getting lost on our way to Piazza San Marco we stumbled on these areas:

The Grand Canal

Santa Maria dei Carmini, also called Santa Maria del Carmelo and commonly known simply as the Carmini.

The Frari Basilica

Scuola Grande di San Rocco -

It's often said that getting lost is half the fun when you're exploring Venice, but there are times when you simply want to find your destination-- Lulu and I left the ship WITHOUT a map of Venice!! The only information we knew was -- " the walk from Piazzale Roma to Piazza San Marco would take an hour -- just look out for the signs ". Being very adventurous, Lulu and I thought they did not understand our question... so we ventured into the numerous bridges and small alleys... most of the time feeling lost in the maze!

Although shopping in Venice is fun, it can also be a challenge due to the crowds and the fact that the city's waterways can be difficult to navigate. You should buy items you want immediately, rather than risk not being able to find the store later on.

The Crafts of Venice

The artisan tradition is still strong in Venice, making it a wonderful place to buy handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts and souvenirs. One thing good about not having a map is that Lulu and I were able to browse shops. Even if you aren’t much a shopper, you will appreciate the quality of the merchandise not to mention the things that are unique to Venice. Here are some items you should buy when you are in Venice:

 MASKS :

As the saying goes, " WHEN IN VENICE -- BUY A MASK ! "-- there are many shops in Venice that sells masks. But to find quality masks is hard to do. I remember in one of my trips to Venice -- I stumbled in a mask shop that had good quality masks. I could not remember the name but fortunately while Lulu and I were walking we found it again. The name is Atelier Marega. They have the best and the most expensive papier mache masks being sold. A handmade mask can cost between 35 and 200 euros.

MURANO glassware:

There are more than 1,000 glass shops in the San Marco district alone. It's also not surprising to anyone who has walked the streets of Venice, where every little hole-in-the-wall shop and big, touristy boutique seems to sport a display of delicate and colorful examples of the glassmaker's art.

Quality varies tremendously, and many of the items are actually machine-produced or crafted anywhere from Eastern Europe to Taiwan, but the best rule of thumb is simply to buy it if you like it.  If you're looking for the real thing, or are buying with a collector's eye, you'll have to shell out big bucks to ensure quality. If you decide to buy any of their glassware --- have them mail it to you. They have a lot  of experience packing glass so it doesn't break. Would you really carry the thing around in your bag or luggage??

Venetian glass is a popular souvenir, but Murano glass is in a league by itself. The island of Murano became a major glass-making center in 1291, and is still famous for specialties like millefiori (multicolored glass) and sommerso (sunken glass), made using centuries-old techniques.

After an hour and a half we finally reached Piazza San Marco!!! What a relief !!!

( courtesy of Lulu Kamatoy )

After an hour of just wandering around the Piazza, we had our dinner in a small restaurant that was beside the Cathedral of San Marco.

After dinner, Lulu and I decided to walk back to Piazzale Roma trying to retrace the way we reached Piazza San Marco. The walk back to where to the terminal where we took the People Mover Tram took another hour and a half.....


Some tips when you go to Venice:


1. When we visited Venice last April, we got lost. Of course, that’s part of Venice’s charm. There’s nothing better than being lost in such a beautiful city. Unless, you want to get to places and see sites in a limited amount of time. Try to imagine yourself walking through the confusing medieval streets and adding to your confusion lays the frequent obstacle of a  canal blocking your path. After crossing the fifth bridge you feel that you are just going around in circles. You have to  consider extending that amount of time a bit more than you might have originally thought necessary — allow time on your schedule for getting lost!

2. In general, the cheapest way to get around Venice is, simply, to WALK. But sometimes, your feet just can’t take it anymore. Not to mention that part of the fun of Venice is the way in which it’s just like a normal city… except that instead of streets, there are canals, and instead of buses and trains, there are boats! The problem? These water taxis ( known as vaporettos ) can be pricey. So, I recommend that you do a lot of walking in Venice. The beauty of Venice is in its back streets and piazzas—places that, often times, the boats just can’t get to.

3.  Anywhere in Italy, when you sit down with that coffee at a cafe or bar, the price goes up. If you drink the same coffee, and eat the same cornetto, standing at the counter, the price is lower. ( That’s why you’ll see so many Italians eating at the counter ). At Piazza San Marco, when you take a seat with that cappuccino, and you can expect to pay three or four times more what you would standing.

Some cafes also tack a huge surcharge onto the bill—and, annoyingly, that surcharge isn’t for servizio, it isn’t for pane e coperto… it’s for “ listening to the band ” that they have playing at the tables. To avoid those kinds of surcharges, or the stress of worrying about them, stay away from eating at major tourist sites.

4. When you are shopping in Venice. Haggle...Don't be afraid to bargain, especially if you're buying more than one item.

Venice's appeal and authentic beauty is not so much in its largest sights, but in its labyrinth of alleys, canals and bridges; its multitude of piazzas; and its elegant architecture. You can just spend hours walking around taking pictures or sitting in a piazza watching people go by. Every bridge you cross, and take hundreds of pictures all look somewhat the same, but are all magical in their own way.

You have to experience falling in love with this magical city called Venice at least once in your lifetime!!!!  I know that everyone has seen pictures or movies depicting the beautiful city of Venice, but when you actually go there you see that those pictures could never actually do it justice. It literaly takes your breath away. There is no other place in world like Venice!



Ciao !