Grand Canal
The Grand Canal or Canal Grande winds
through the heart of Venice. It's over 21/2 miles (3 km) long
and full of vaporetti, barges, water taxis and gondolas. Bordering
the canal are beautiful palazzi, mostly dating from the 14th to
the 18th century. You can admire them by taking a gondola ride
or more cheaply by taking vaporetto no 1 from front of Santa
Lucia railway station. Three beautiful bridges span the canal
(Scalzi, the Rialto and Accademia).
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Basilica di San Marco
This is where the Byzantine meets the Western
art. Basilica di San Marco is one of the most beautiful buildings
in the world and the most important church in Venice. It was built
over several centuries, starting in 832. Inside, the basilica is
covered in splendid Byzantine mosaics (only illuminated at certain
times). There is an entrace fee for the treasury and for Pala
d'Oro (the main altarpiece made of gold and precious stones) and
to see the four ancient bronze horses kept in the Museo della
Basilica (the ones on the balcony are copies). From the balcony
one can get a nice view of the Piazza.
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Rialto Bridge
Until the 19th century this was the only
bridge between the two sides of the Grand Canal. The bridge as
we see it today was built in the 16th century when a competition
took place to chose the design of the new bridge to replace an
older structure. Michelangelo was among the contenders but the
competition was won by Antonio da Ponte. This is one of the
centers of activity in Venice and everywhere on the islands
there are signs indicating the direction for the Rialto bridge.
The bridge is a good place to watch the activity on the Grand
Canal at any hour of the day.
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The Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace was built in the early 9th
century as a fortress. It was afterwards rebuilt in the 12th
century and modified again in the 14th and 15th century. Its
facade as we can see it today is a Gothic masterpiece in pink
and white marble. From its early days, the Doge's Palace served
as the seat of the government, the Palace of Justice, the prison
and the home of the doge. The doge was the elected ruler of the
Republic, but its role was rather that of a figurehead. Inside
the palace the halls are lavishly decorated with many of the
paintings representing the eternal glory of La Serenissima.
Many of the works are by Venice's most renowned artists like
Veronese and Tintoretto.
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Islands of the Lagoon: Murano
Like Venice, Murano is made up of smaller
islands connected by bridges. It is known all over the world
for its glasswork. The glasswork manufacturing started in the
12th century and in the 15th and 16th centuries Murano was the
main glass producer in Europe. This craft continues today and
the main attraction of Murano is to watch the glass artisans
at work. Many small factories line the Fondamenta dei Vetrai,
the street that starts at the Colonna landing stage. We went
there on a Saturday and found out that many factories are closed
over the weekend. Still we managed to find one that was open
and witnessed the glass blowing of a horse. All these factories
have a showroom where they sell glass (no obligation to buy,
of course). There is also a Glass Museum (Museo Vetraio) that
one can visit. Murano can be reached by vaporetto.
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Islands of the Lagoon: Burano
Burano is another small island of the Venetian
lagoon. The same way as Murano is known for its glasswork, Burano
is known for its lace. As soon as you leave the vaporetto's
landing stage you'll see the vending stalls that sell lace and
linen. The island is quite small and densely populated and the
houses that line the streets are painted in bright colors which
makes the stroll very enjoyable. The main thoroughfare is Via
Baldasarre Galuppi which ends into a beautiful piazza. Here you
can find the Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto) where you can
find out more about this craft.
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Islands of the Lagoon: Lido
Lido is a slender island located between the
lagoon and the open sea. The only reason to visit this island is
to go to the beach. It has no notable architecture but if you
want to relax on the beach, after all that walking in Venice,
then this is the place to do it. From Venice you can reach Lido
by vaporetto.
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