Vacation in Central Italy

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Thursday, 1 June 2006 - Another wonderful day in Venice starting with a walk to Ca' Rezzonico and discovering more canals along the way, toured its elegant 18th-century palace and art, rode the vaporetto (water bus) past the Grand Canal and visited remarkable churches like San Rocco and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari with masterpieces by Titian, took in panoramic views from St. Mark's bell tower and ended the day with a romantic dinner and evening stroll through the canals before heading to the train station to collect extra luggage.

italy2006 — Another day in Venice. It started with a walk to Ca' Rezzonico. Which was the first walk on which we actually got lost. So we were able to see a few more canals than planned. Here is one...

italy2006 — Inside the Ca' Rezzonico. The sumptuous palace, which took its name and luster from the Rezzonico family, was built in 1649 by Baldassarre Longhena and completed in 1750 by Giorgio Massari. Its character as an aristocratic 18th century home was refurnished by the Venice Municipality from 1935 with valuable collections of furniture, hangings, sculpture and paintings from the Correr Museum.

italy2006 — One of the ceiling paintings which were just as beautiful in each room.

italy2006 — Back to the Gran Canal to ride a bus to the next church. This is looking down a connecting canal.

italy2006 — On the left is the Scuola Grande di S. Rocco. This school was built in the 1515 and became famous because of the Tintoretto's paintings that remained here for more than twenty years and that represented the masterpieces of Venetian painting between the Renaissance and Mannerism. Displayed are works by Giorgione, Tiziano e Tiepolo.

On the right is the Church of San Rocco which was begun in 1489 and consecrated in 1508. Facade was built from 1765 to 1771 and appears in keeping with the Renaissance architecture of the adjoining Scuola Grande. Almost all the statues on the facade are by sculptor G. Marchiori.

italy2006 — Near the Church of San Rocco was this sign post with the little statue.

italy2006 — Between the Church of San Rocco and Church Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a pretty courtyard.

italy2006 — Inside the Church Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Francescan friars got the land in 1250 by doge Jacopo Tiepolo and immediately built a little church with an opposite orientation compared to the modern one. The current version of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari dates back to the middle of the fourteenth century.

Interior has three naves with a Latin cross plan and keeps important masterpieces of Venetian art.

italy2006 — On the main altar of Church Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is L'Assunta by Tiziano

italy2006 — Santa Maria del Rosario, the largest monastic complex of the 18th century, was built between 1726 and 1735 for the Dominican order, to replace the small church that still stands alongside, that was no longer big enough to hold the faithful. The Dominicans took over from the Jesuates in 1668, when the Jesuate order was suppressed.

italy2006 — We needed to take a water bus to the Church San Giorgio as it is on an island. It is an impressive Venetian building by Andrea Palladio. The first stone was laid down in 1566. The facade owns clear classical elements as the Corinthian columns.

italy2006 — The subdivision of the facade reflects the internal three naves surmounted by the big dome at the crossing of the Latin Cross plan's axes. A wide barrel vault of the ceiling is held up with composed pillars.

italy2006 — From the bell tower of Santa Maria del Rosario you have a classic shot of St Mark's.

Our next stop will be the bell tower in St Mark's looking back this way.

italy2006 — While returning to St Mark's square we walked past the Bridge or Sighs.

italy2006 — Now up in the bell tower of St Mark's a view out over Venice. Notice there are no visible streets.

italy2006 — From up here you can see the tip of land at the end of the Gran Canal and the Church of Madonna Della Salute.

italy2006 — A view down on the plaza of St Mark's from the bell tower.

In 1723 the bricks were replaced with a more complex geometrical pavement design composed of a field of dark-colored igneous trachyte with geometrical designs executed in white Istrian stone, similar to travertine.

italy2006 — From the bell tower looking back where we just came from - Santa Maria del Rosario. You can see the island from here.

italy2006 — Another interesting shot down on the plaza looking at cafe tables.

italy2006 — This is the oldest of the buildings in the plaza, the Procuratie Vecchie on the north side of the Square, built as a two-story structure in the 12th century, to house the offices and apartments of the tax collectors. They were rebuilt after a fire in the 16th century to a three-storey design by Codussi which still shows something of its Gothic roots.

italy2006 — Back down in the square the birds entertained those brave enough to pass out food.

italy2006 — Finally, we get to the church at the end of the Gran Canal the Church of Madonna Della Salute. Amazing that people had to pull their boats right up to the steps of the church.

In 1630-31 Venice was devastated by a plague that exterminated 95.000 of the lagoon's population. In October 1630 the Senate decreed that a new church would be dedicated to Mary if the city were saved and the result was the Salute church (salute="salvation, health").

The Madona della Salute is built on a platform of more than 100.000 wooden piles and the church took half a century to build.

italy2006 — A few decades after the church was finished Francesco Morosini brought from Candia the painting of a Madonna dating from 1200 which, by decree of the Senate on 21 November 1670, was set on the high altar. The Signoria processed from San Marco to the Salute, crossing the Canal Grande on a pontoon bridge laid from Santa Maria del Giglio.

From that 21 November the Madonna was known as the Madonna della Salute (Our Lady of Good Health). Since then the votive visit to the church is held annually on this date.

italy2006 — At the end of the day we needed to pick up our extra luggage at the train station. We had dropped them off when we arrived so we did not have to carry as many bags to the hotel.

This was in a series of shots from the water bus to the train station.

italy2006 — Thought the red and white poles were so attractive.

italy2006 — Another view of Venice from the Gran Canal.

italy2006 — The gondola rides started at $150. Too many tourists!!!

italy2006 — Our last night in Venice we had a nice romantic dinner outside.

italy2006 — Walking back to the hotel Cal took a few pictures of the canals at night.

italy2006 — Looking across the lagoon at the Church of Redentorer.

italy2006 — A canal near the hotel.

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