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Venice and Beyond
Venice is your home and Italy is your playground.
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This is your week in Italy and making Venice your home base is a step toward understanding what makes Italy so special. After seven days in the land where "si" is heard you may be writing sonnets and performing them in your cubicle to whomever may care to listen. Explore Venice and spend a day in Florence and Rome.
 Day Note
When you arrive in Venice and have consulted your map, you may be tempted to drag your luggage to your hotel. If you ignore the rest of my itinerary and spend the rest of your time in your hotel room, then please take my advice this once and higher a water taxi. It is cool, very Venetian, and you will arrive at your hotel in style. Once you start wandering the streets and see some poor soul wrestling a Samsonite over the top of the Rialto Bridge you will understand what I mean. You are checked-in and ready to explore. Your first stop in Venice must be Piazza San Marco. Climb to the top of the Campanile for great views and then visit the Basilica di San Marco and the Galleria of San Marco. Before dinner at La Furatola walk to the Rialto Bridge.
Located in the very same Piazza San Marco, for which it is named after, the San Marco Campanile, or St. Mark’s Bell tower, soars 98.5 meters high with spectacular panoramic views of the orange rooftops of Venice and on a clear day, the snow-capped Alps seem at your very fingertips. After paying at the entrance, one of the biggest elevators you’ll find in Italy (a normal sized elevator for Americans) swiftly brings you up the San Marco Campanile to the observatory area where wind speeds seem to increase exponentially. Originally constructed in 1173, the San Marco Campanile has had many varied functions throughout the years such as a lighthouse for incoming ships on the lagoon, a means of tying up prisoners for torture during Medieval times, and an observatory for Galileo to demonstrate his telescope in 1609. After suddenly collapsing in 1902, the San Marco Campanile was reconstructed from its remaining base, a collection of marble sculpted storyboards called La Loggetta, and has been firmly standing since its re-inauguration in 1912.
This restaurant is located in Calle Lunga San Barnaba. The name, 'furatola' indicates an old shop where they once sold poor man's food. Food is still sold here today, but it's not for poor people anymore! This is an elegant restaurant which is mainly visited by fashionable Venetians and tourists looking for something refined. It is necessary to book. The cuisine is local, but has been reinterpreted in a creative way. The fish dishes are always very fresh and of excellent quality. The wine list is superb.
Hotel Rialto is a traditional Venetian property situated adjacent to the Rialto Bridge and within 500 metres from Saint Mark’s Square. Contemporary guestrooms are decorated in a Venetian style and all come equipped with satellite television and minibars. Guests can sip cocktails in the hotel bar before sampling Italian specialties on the terrace of the hotel restaurant.
Even before arriving in front of the Byzantine styled Basilica di San Marco, her many magnificent domes can be seen from afar announcing their presence and status in Venice. The story goes, that the remains of St. Mark were brought, or stolen – depending on your point of view, by the Venetians from Alexandria to rest in this elaborate burial place back in the 9th century. On closer observation, you will notice not all of the columns on the Basilica di San Marco are the same (some green marble, others not) due to trading with incoming merchants for the materials to build and decorate this amazing edifice. History throughout the centuries is woven into the world-wide known Basilica di San Marco, including the originally looted Bronze horses being stolen by Napoleon, and then returned again in 1815.
The Galleria of the San Marco Basilica exhibits different works of art, tapestries and documents about the history of the Basilica. The highlights of the collection are the bronze horses, copies of which are displayed on the outside terrace. The date of these is a matter of some dispute, with opinions ranging from the 3rd century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. They were stolen by Napoleon and brought to Italy where they were restored in the 1970's. Call for admission details.
It is not known for certain who made the mid-14th-century Golden Altar Piece. It is a masterpiece of engraving that uses Byzantine ancient enamels, which originate from the pillage of Byzantium in 1204. The Treasure of San Marco should not be missed. A large part was melted down to mint money, but what remains can satisfy the curiosity of even the most demanding visitor, from an artistic and historic point of view. It can be accessed directly from the basilica.
Ponte di Rialto is Venice’s most famous bridge arching over the Grande Canal, known as a commercial area of the city with the busy Rialto Market nearby, filled with bright colored fruits, vegetables and fish (only open in the morning), and souvenir shops lined up and down the bridge itself. After its construction in 1591, the Rialto Bridge remained as the only bridge connecting the two sides of “the fish” called Venice for almost 300 years. The Ponte di Rialto is perfect for shopping or strolling along with gelato in hand while gazing off the bridge at the passing gondoliers and boats, and postcard perfect shots of the orange buildings & green water against the pink sky at sunset.
San Marco Campanile
Day Note
Your second day starts with a tour of Murano and Venetian glass. In the afternoon if you have time walk along the water toward the Giardini Pubblici to work up an appetite for dinner at Due Colonne.
Both the pub and the surrounding area are quiet. This place is friendly, and popular with both locals and tourists. Speedy service. Good selection of classic pizzas and draught and bottled beers.
From milky opalescent to crystal clear, all kinds of glass, including chandeliers, vases, glasses and mirrors, in various styles and forms are displayed at this museum. Visitors can also watch a glassworker in action. Be sure to visit the glass workshops and famous glass factories in Murano and buy a piece of authentic Murano glass. It is expensive, but it is also worth a lot, as the work of a master glassworker is extremely difficult. Admission to this museum is free.
The skilled Glass Blowers are the founders of this fair sized island called Murano. In 1291, the furnaces were moved off of the main island to Murano in case they ever caught fire, making sure the main city of Venice would still be preserved. To this day, Murano is still known for the beautiful glass works of art, with many stores allowing tours and on-looking crowds to watch the intense production of these delicate pieces. Many quaint restaurants and shops line the quiet streets of Murano, located just a short 15 minute boat ride from Venice.
There is a silent and almost respectful ambience in this museum. Visitors enter by means of a staircase, originally built as a grand entrance to the Napoleonic royal palace. From here, the tour continues through neoclassical rooms, the Royal Palace, the Canoviana Collection, Venetian Civilization, Antique Art, and Renaissance Bronze. There are many sculptures by Canova and decorative objects by Francesco Hayez. Venezia by Jacopo De' Barbari can be admired in the entrance.
The speciality here is 'murrine', glass jewels that are typical of Murano. The technique for making these consists of putting together slivers of multi-coloured glass, melting them down and then cutting them widthways in order to obtain the characteristic concentric circle design. The glass is then used to create extremely beautiful and precious pendants, table ornaments and more.
Museo Vetrario - Murano
Day Note
Day three is an express tour of Florence. You will have to catch an early train from Venice to Florence to get it all done in Florence. Schedule an entry time at the Galleria degli Uffizi to avoid a longer wait. After the Uffizi visit the Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi both in Piazza della Signoria. Your afternoon will begin at the Piazza del Duomo with a visit to the Battistero, the Cathedral, and the Campanile di Giotto. Nearby is the Church Orsanmichele. Before leaving on a train for Rome be sure to visit the Ponte Vecchio. A Eurostar from Florence to Rome will arrive in less than two hours. Once you have checked-in at your hotel go for dinner at the Vecchia Roma da Severino il Pugliese.
Also called the Loggia della Signoria, the Loggia was named the Loggia dei Lanzi when the Duke Alessandro de'Medici made it the camp of the Lanzichenecchi after the fall of the Florentine Republic. It was the Signoria which commissioned a great Loggia for public use in 1350. The job was started by Orcagna, but continued and finished by Benci di Cione and Francesco Talenti only in 1382. Made in Serena stone with acute pointed arches and bricks decorated by sculptures designed by Agnolo Gaddi, this taste for a clasical style is what characterises Florentine art of the time. Benvenuto Cellini's famous "Perseus" was installed under the Loggia, and in the central arch Giambologna's marble "Rape of the Sabine Women", which can be found next to "Hercules with the centaur Nessus" also in marble. The other statues at the back near to the walls came from the Medici villa in Rome.
Although the Baptistery's precise origins remain unclear, its foundations are known to date back to Roman times. The central doors are stunning works of art, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament and they have been called “The Gates of Paradise.” Lorenzo Ghiberti who worked on them from 1403 to 1424 designed these ornate doors. Inside, the octagonal structure is richly decorated with Roman columns and gilded column heads. The floor's marble inlay features Islamic-style patterns and the apse is decorated with 13th-century mosaics. Coppo di Marcovaldo and Cimabue were among those involved in the cupola's decorative mosaic work.
A restaurant offering traditional Puglian cuisine, with friendly, homey service. The Puglian specialties include orecchiette pasta with turnips, rice with potatoes and mussels, cabbage roulade and coq au vin blanc. For those stuck in Rome to have a taste of the deep south.
Housed in an early 19th century villa, this is a simple and uncomplicated hotel. The staff is efficient and courteous. Its location near Termini station and the Air Terminal is convenient for those arriving by train and for those relying on public transport. The rooms are comfortable and have all the essentials.
The palazzo's construction began in 1299 and it was enlarged repeatedly - in 1343, 1495 and lastly in the 16th century by Vasari and Buontalenti. It has been the symbol and the political centre of the city for centuries. The Great room of the Cinquecento stands out, the work of Cronaca, it was designed as a reception area and decorated with frescoes celebrating Florentine victories against the other Tuscan cities and with sculptures depicting the deeds of Hercules by De Rossi. On the upper floors the Quarters of the elements are noteworthy as are those of Eleanor of Toledo who was the wife of Cosimo I and to whom the little chapel by Bronzino is dedicated. The Gigli room and the Audience room, which has a marble entrance, are sumptuous. On the Mezzanine there is the Loeser collection of painted sculptures. It is recommended that you visit the upper balcony where you can enjoy a fabulous view of Florence. In front of the museum, you'll find a copy of Michelangelo's David.
Piazza del Duomo, namely Cathedral Square, is one of the most-visited landmarks in Florence. Various events including the Cornetto Music Festival are periodically held here, and the grand Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is the chief attraction. The beautiful frescoes within will fascinate those who have an eye for art. Meanwhile history buffs will love the Cathedral Museum, which houses a fine collection of sculptures. For better photo opportunities get on top of the Campanile di Giotto (the Giotto Bell Tower)—the view of the piazza will take your breath away.
Compared to other religious buildings from the same period, this fourteenth-century church is somewhat unusual in design. Rectangular in shape, with two naves, it does look more like a grain store, which was in fact how it started out when first built by Francesco Talenti, Neri di Fioravente and Benci di Cione. After the previous grain store built in 1290 by Arnolfo di Cambio was destroyed, its replacement had to be built on a larger scale, enabling it to contain a marketplace. Arches were later closed off and the structure acquired two floors that were used for shops. At the end of the 15th century the building was converted into a church and became a powerful symbol for the city guilds, which met the cost of decorating the niches situated along the outside walls. For this they commissioned several of the most talented artists of the day to produce magnificent pieces of artwork, including Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Giambologna, Luca della Robbia and Verrochio. Of particular note are the copies of Donatello's statue of San Giorgio and bas-relief, whose originals are now in the Bargello museum.
The Medici family reserved rooms for their prestigious collection during use of the gallery as magistrate's court in the 1700s. Made up of 40 rooms, the gallery contains works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio and Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Note the collection of Flemish, French, Dutch and German masters. The corridors, ceilings with splendid frescoes, are lined with Roman and sixteenth-century sculptures. By reservation, the Vasari Corridor above the Ponte Vecchio offers a link between Pitti Palace and Palazzo Vecchio. The Galleria houses 700 paintings including well-known self-portraits.
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