Venice – the inspirational city
Despite the countless pictures and historical documents available about Venice, when one arrives to this charming city, can’t help it but always feel a so-difficult- to-describe sensation. Finding yourself in the middle of a lagoon and surrounded by so much beauty, makes you perceive Venice as a truly unique city not just because of the last gondola maker, or waiters in boots.
Venice was the genuine inspiration for many important painters, musicians and writers.
Venice boats
At a stone’s throw from your Venice accommodation you’ll find the Piazza San Marco, which is one of the most visited places of the city. Terraces, pigeons, and a constant movement of tourists from around the world, makes this important square a true melting pot of cultures. The majestic Campanile, which is located on one of the Piazza’s corner, is approximately 100 meters high and offers spectacular views of the city that never fail to take the breath of locals and tourists.
The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark, which contains the relics of Saint Mark, is also located in this famous Piazza. This majestic church was built on the eleventh century and features a stunning mix of Byzantine, Gothic and Muslim architectural styles. The Clock Tower is another point of interest in the square. Designed during the fifteenth century, this impressive tower is adorned with two shepherds, known as the Moors (popularly named like this due to their dark color), who hit the bell with hammers to indicate the time.
The access to the canal from the Piazza is done from the Piazzetta dei Leoncini, which is the space surrounded by two columns that hold the Lion of St. Mark and the statue of St. Theodore, the former saint of the Venetians. The Library, which a Renaissance building built by Jacopo Sansovino during the sixteenth century, is located on one of the sides of the Piazzetta, on the other, we can appreciate the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), which used to be the official residence of the Doge of Venice. The palace was built in the fourteenth century and is one of the masterpieces of the Italian civil Gothic art. Artists like Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto participated in its decoration.
view of San Marco square
Connecting the ancient prisons and the interrogation rooms of the Palazzo Ducale is the famous Bridge of Sighs, which is a very important landmark of the city.
Venice’s main street is the Grand Canal, in which vaporettos, gondolas and other boats constantly navigate to transport people and goods. Many of the most important festivities of the city take place in the Grand Canal, but the most important of those is the Historical Regatta, which is a gorgeous parade of boats decorated with colorful fabrics, directed by oarsmen dressed in their finest traditional outfits.
Venice is a great city to visit any time of the year if you enjoy getting to know a little more about history, music, gastronomy and of course, arts. If you are planning to come to this inspirational city with your family, perhaps you should consider renting apartments in Venice, that way you will have a closer experience with locals, while having the privacy that no hotel can offer.
