Don’t Die Before You See Beautiful Venice

by Jillian Kammer

Venice is more than just another romantic place. It’s more than a city filled with art treasures, and it doesn’t just host a multitude of some fine architecture. Venice is all of this and much, much more.

One small example of many in the city of Venice is St. Mark’s Basilica. St. Peter’s in Rome is the rival of this church and although St. Mark’s Basilica isn’t as grand or large as St. Peter’s, it definitely still offers some of the finest works of architecture anywhere.

The Campanile can be found outside the Basilica di San Marco, which served as its belltower. Previously this place has been a military lookout during dangerous times to help keep Venice safe. Nowadays the church serves no purpose other than aesthetically but the sight is delightful and cherished by tourists who are lucky enough to visit.

The Piazza is what hosts the previously mentioned places, along with other sights such as St. Mark’s Square. The Square is a great gathering spot along with a beautiful sight seeing experience. Housing a magnificent clock tower and providing access to the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Square ads plenty of grace and charm to Venice while providing silence from traffic and auto noise.

Venice is best known for other things like gondola rides through its canals. While boating down the city’s main waterway (the Grand Canal) or through the many different secondary channels, a magnificent view of the city can be had.

The Rialto can be found along the Grand Canal, along with other main bridges that cross it. Moving up the Canal in a vaporetto or in a gondola provides some of the best vantage points for spectacular views.

The loggia of the Ca’ d’Oro (The Golden House) can easily be accessed from the canal. A short vaporetto ride away is the Palazzo Grassi which serves as a perfect example of Venice’s architecture.

In other examples, a short boat ride away offers different styles of Venice such as the Villas of Venice. Beginning in the early 1700s, Villa Pisani was modeled on Versailles in Paris. A creation which is one of many by the world famous architect Palladino can be found at La Rotunda. And Villa Cornaro as well as the Villa Contatini- Camerini are housed by Padova.

A short trip outside the main city offers several islands to explore. One island (Murano) displays the famous glass works of Venice’s Artisans, who have been renowned for centuries in this art. Another island named Burano holds a museum dedicated to the Lace that craftsmen have provided the world for centuries can be found here.

See a large collection of the master Renaissance painter Tintoretto and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and see work by others at the Gallerie dell’Accademia. La Fenice offers other arts of Venice such as paintings, architecture and opera all in one place.

If visiting Venice during the 2 weeks before lent, participate in Carnevale by becoming a theater performer yourself. A mask to take home is a trophy you’ll never want to forget. With wonderful people living in Venice and the wonders of their culture, art and architecture, no other place will bring on a smile that will last a lifetime.

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