Vegetable Boat
Metal Sculpture at Guggenheim
La ponte all'accademia
Vedute urbano
Old seal
Church of the Redeemer, I think (not San Giorgio Maggiore, as I had listed before).
Facade della chiesa dei Gesuati
Gondola station (house made of wood)
Inconspicuous door on San Trovaso
l'Università di Foscari
Fly the Venetian Flag
Convex Mirrors
Mestre Arcade
Guardian of the Library
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
Piazza San Marco all a'bustle
The Winged Lion
Campanella San Marco
Santa Maria della Salute from the Accademia Bridge
Salute
Vedute from Accademia
Carciofi
San Moisè
Will at La Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
San Marco and its belltower, my view as I arrive into the piazza on my way to the library
San Moisè peaking in on the street
Immaculate shrine carved from wood hiding above an archway in a street just east of San Marco
Classic Venetian Windows.
The lion of Saint Mark guarding the naval monument outside of the Arsenale, which was the weapon's laboratory for the Venetians in the 16th Century
Renaissance-style towers marking the entrance to the Arsenale
Decorative iron portal covering above a doorway somewhere in Sestiere Cannaregio
The Jesuit Church of the Assumption in profile. Note the distinction between the facade and the old church of the Crosichieri that the Jesuits took over.
Above the main doors of the Jesuit Church
The greatest doorknob that I've ever seen
In the Scuola Grande di Misercordia, Sestiere Cannaregio, I stumbled onto a branch of the Bienalle. This is a wall of water, fashioned from aluminum, created by an Iranian artist. Note the juxtaposition between the aluminum and the old building from the 15th century
Lithuania's contribution to the Bienalle. This is a tube made from multiple threads of what appeared to be analogue recording tape. I actually only went inside this building to pay homage to Joanne's Lithuanian ancestry.
Lithuanian Tube, profile
Neon halos spelling out something in what looks like Farsi. Again, the clash between the neon pink and the crumbling interior of the Scuola was really interesting.
More neon halos leading up to the second floor.
I didn't particularly care for the art on the second floor, but I did use the opportunity to catch myself in two places at once - three, actually, if you count the “real” me taking the picture (not pictured).
The first cat I've seen in Venice, and what was it doing? Sleeping in a flower box. Quanto originale, no?
And then the cat stared me down.
Docks in the Sestiere Cannaregio plus a view across the lagun
The misercordia used to be, at one time, a major center of shipping. This seal may relate back to the merchants traveling between Venice and Alexandria. Imagine a camel in Venice, though. That would have been very strange.
Not a good picture at all. I wasn't supposed to take photos inside Santa Maria dell'Orto (of the garden), but I absolutely had to sneak a shot of Tintoretto's tombstone. This was a very impressive church with several major works by Tintoretto, including his Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple, which just blows Titian's work of the same subject out of the water - in my opinion.
Santa Maria della Salute, 17th Century. designed by Baldassare Longhena as Venice's crown jewel
Salute's front door. Check out the shading (chiaroscuro) of the statues. The hollow recesses of the statuary have collected dirt over the years, which has helped increase the definition.
Salute column
Beautiful detail from Salute's facade.
Mass inside the church
I couldn't use a flash, so this one is kind of blurry, but I wanted to get a picture of that gold crown above Mary's head.
Longheni designed this church with an octagonal floorplan, which is completely bizarre even for Baroque churches such as this one. The inside is relatively unadorned, but the pattern on the marble is exquisite.
Closer peak at the altar.
After Mass I could get closer and get this great close-up of the altar. In the sacristy behind the altar, on the ceiling, you'll see a dark circle. That is a painting by Titian, but I couldn't get behind the altar.
Salute's bell tower
Baroque architecture at its finest. The spirals and the gesturing figures really capture the 17th century style.
This seemingly uneventful picture actually shows the only remaining features of the Jesuit church from the 16th Century, Santa Maria d'Umiltà, which was given to Ignatius Loyola by Andrea Lippomano. The bridge is called Ponte d'Umiltà, and beyond this wall lies a courtyard, which was once the floor of the priest's living quarters. The Jesuits lost the property when they were kicked out of Venice in 1606.
This is an extremely narrow alley. My elbows are each touching a wall as I take the photo!
Archivio di Stato, Venezia - Where I'm spending a lot of time
Bell Tower of the Frari
Chiesa di San Rocco
San Rocco standing tall
Scuola Grande di San Rocco (photoshop is amazing!)
Frari, the church attached to the archives. I study in a room right off the courtyard to the right
Will at the Archive of State, Venice
Will with Inqisitorial Records from 1562 (ASV)
This is the secret entrance to la Biblioteca di Museo Correr. To find it, you have to enter under an archway marked "Polizia Municipale," then root around in a back courtyard, and then take this tiny elevator up to the second floor.
Here are some details from San Marco. You gotta take pictures of San Marco.
Details from the other side
There's old Saint Mark, watching over his city.
I accidentally stumbled upon the giant bookstore that Joanne and I found last year. This is the canal as seen from one its back rooms.
This is the facade of what used to be the Scuola Grande di San Marco. Now it's a Hospital.
SS. Giovanni e Paolo. Nice, old, big.
Winged Lion on the facade of Scuola Grande di San Marco
A factory on the water across the way from SS. Giovanni e Paolo.
I'm pretty sure that this is the flower shop from a movie that Joanne and I rented a few months ago. Joanne, what was the name of that movie?
Did you know that George McConnell had some work in the Bienalle?
This was by far one of the coolest (no pun) things I saw at the Bienalle inside the Arsenale. It is one of the pieces contributed by Russian. The top have of this iron Eagle is frozen and iced over.
Also from the Russians: an armoire of bread.
There is always Neon light art at large festivals. This isn't really a deep tunnel.
The best stuff at the Arsenale venue of the Biennale is the architecture and art that's been there for hundreds of years and isn't part of the art exhibition.
Look at this massive crane for unloading boats.
A wine bar that Joanne and I visited last year - in Cannaregio, just off the rabbit warren's main street
A courtyard tucked away in Cannaregio
Sort of an anti-chandelier from Scottish artist Martin Boyce. It is the shadowy counterpart to the Murano chandelier's made from beautiful, light, airy glass.
Facade of S. Maria dei Derelitti, near SS. Giovanni e Paolo
Detail from S. Maria dei Derelitti
Grrr.
Hah ahhahah ahhhhah
From my research this summer I learned that the Republic executed criminals between these two columns where, today, hundreds of tourists run around unaware of the historical resonance.
The window boxes on the National Library Marciana were the prototypical box-seats from which Nobles would watch the executions. No joke, the architects of Venice's first permanent theatres built private box seats from this very model.
I mean, tell me this isn't a theatre scene.
Santa Maria di Giglio. Sorry about the wonky perspective, but this beautiful facade is stashed on a narrow street. You could walk right by it and never notice it.
Kitty in enclosed garden (Cannaregio)
San Marco detail
One Piazza San Marco's two clocks
Composite of San Marco
A Slice of the Baroque. Taken from my seat on the Vaporetto.
View of the Canal (near the train station) from my seat on the vaporetto as I travelled to Burano for the day.
The Water. I tried to capture the weird blue-green of Venetian lagoon water, but it didn't really come out here. For those of you who have been to The Venetian in Las Vegas, the color of the water there is pretty accurate.
The Jesuit Church, from the lagoon. Notice how it's tucked right into that neighborhood.
A lighthouse in Murano near the vaporetto stop for the little ferry that takes you to Burano. (Murano and Burano are small islands north of Venice proper. The former is known for its glass work, the latter for its lace work).
A great Murano glass sculpture.
Detail of the Murano glass sculpture.
While Burano is known for its lace work, it is also renowned for its colorful houses. These colors depart from the typical yellow, burnt-sienna, ornage, and brown of most venetian houses.
Burano Hot Pink.
A pretty, quiet, tiny Burano piazzetta.
Isn't it strange to see grass and play areas for kids in Venice? I think so.
Wet shells. These might end up on somebody's plate in a few hours.
Dry shells. These have already been picked clean by the birds.
An old bell tower inside the public park on Mazzorbo.
Burano lace. You know, I saw some nice stuff there but I can't really tell the difference between the real and the imported stuff form Asia. The museum was closed, so I'll have to go back and educate myself.
Mazzorbo. I found a very serene spot on a shaded park bench. This was my view. I thought it was fun to see grass and park benches in a Venetian town.
Angel gazing toward heaven.
A wilting sunflower. This thing was probably 8 feet tall.
San Donato in Murano. I realized later that I had taken this exact picture last year. Probably because it was taken in front of our favorite glass vendor. If you go to Burano, find this spot, turn around, and go inside that store.
Entrance to Teatro Olympico: probably the oldest standing theatre built in the Renaissance based on Classical architecture. Created by the famous Andrea Palladio. Vicenza is full of Palladio's architecture.
Sorry (again) for the blurry photo, but I wasn't sure about taking pictures in here. Look at this though! Palladio's first major theatre. Based on Vitruvius and then on Serlio's understanding of Vesuvius, this was one of the first permanent theatre buildings in the Veneto. It is still intact. The facade is marble but the perspective architecture behind it is wood.
Detail from inside Teatro Olympico. These figures lean out into the audience space and feel like actual bodies in the room with you.
People trying to deal with the awesomeness of this theatre. It was nice to have some people in the audience to get an idea of what the space is like with people in it.
Another detail of the theatre. Natural light comes in the room from these windows in the back of the house.
An oblique view down the central corridor.
Palladio's Basillica in Vicenza's Piazza dei Signori.
A pretty classic Palladian facade.
Vicenza is full of this kind of architecture with the large portals and classical column structure.
This lion guards Vicenza. Onetime possession of the Venetian Republic.
The outside of a Loggia in Vicenza's Piazza dei Signori
The inside of that same Loggia (Capitaniato, I believe is its name). The blend of contemporary with classical art works well there.
Vicenza windows. Notice the Venetian style?
Once the walls of the city of Vicenza.
A random building. I liked it because it was standing apart from everything else.
Fountain in Vicenza's public park.
A very nice public park in Vicenza. There are these houses tucked away in its corners.
Ducks in a public park, so....public ducks?
An interesting sculpture in the public park. The hole contains a thick mirror that flips the view upside down.
I think this is Palladio's Chiesa della Corona. It's really tucked away on the Corso del Palladio.
A Well inside of Ca' Pisaro, which now houses a very interesting modern art gallery with mostly Italian modern painters.
If you're by yourself in Venice, then cat spotting is a pretty fun game to play. Where is he?
There he is (do you think his owner intentionally matched the cat's colors with house's colors?). And what's he watching? A pigeon, obviously.
