Venetian Dreams: Outdoor Spaces

Part 1 is here: Venetian Dreams: An Introduction
Part 2 is here: Venetian Dreams: Water Buses and Islands
Part 3 is here: Venetian Dreams: The Obligatory Museums

The best thing about outdoor spaces is that they are free. They tend to involve you in, or allow you to witness, the real life of a place. They satisfy the greed of wanderlust. On a cold and wet day, they can be just that: cold and wet. That’s real life for you.

Canal Di San Marco, Castello and Sant‘Elena

When the Grand Canal has finished snaking from north to south, it greets Canal Di San Marco (Saint Mark’s Basin).

If you visit Piazza San Marco (or Saint Mark’s Square) - the prime tourist spot of the city - Canal Di San Marco is next door. When the water levels rise, the basin and the square become as one. Stepping-stones provide a walkway through the flood. It was wet, but it wasn’t that wet.

Instead of visiting Piazza San Marco first, we decided to meet a little of the city. Starting at Palazzo Giustinian, we walked along the water’s edge from San Marco district, or sestiere, into Castello. Across the water, we could see the island of La Giudecca, the grand domed of church of Santa Maria della Salute and, to its left, Dogana di Mare. The latter sit at the tip of Dorsoduro district and, with a map in hand, are easy to identify. I recommend buying a waterproof city map before leaving home. Dogana di Mare is an old customs house and in the shadow of the great churches’ dome, the customs house has a feature of its own. On top of a short white tower, sits a golden globe, and on top of that stands a woman who points with the wind.

We slipped past Piazza San Marco to find a very small public garden called Giardini ex Reali. It’s size exemplifies the lack of green space in Venice, but we were on a quest to find more. We raised our noses snobbishly and walked on.

Past the Doges Palace and past the Bridge of Sighs, we headed eastwards. In the summer, this is a place of funfair rides, sweet treats and pickpockets. In the cold, we walked past closed tourist attractions and enjoyed the peace. Pink lampposts, nearby islands, a wide promenade and gentle waves set the scene. It was dry, but cold. A young couple sat on a bench sideways. Silhouetted against the water, they faced each other. With her legs folded, they tucked neatly inside his. With locked eyes, they were eighteen or nineteen and in lust.

Small detours allowed us to view the alleyways and the houses where people live. The streets wore washing and communal dead-ends told us of life, but people were few. It was ideal. Street hung washing delights me. Colourful t-shirts, empty jeans, billowing jumpers or well-washed whites, there is something quite beautiful about washing. Freshly hung or nearly dry, washing is a storyteller. It dresses streets, adorns gardens, and adds life whenever it dries. It provides a public exhibition of a private world.

Whether in Zanzibar, Barcelona or Venice, street hung washing is a travelling favourite. It means so much more than historic relics or tourist draws. Money and power make landmarks. Washing is part of the life that all of us live. I could travel the world taking photographs of drying clothes and die happy. Such images would create an exhibition so colourful, so real and so levelling, that I could never leave.

Back in Venice, on an archaic hotel television, I watched a weather forecast sponsored by Confetti. That was before I started to see confetti everywhere. There are other ways to create colour in streets. On an unguided and unscripted walk along Canal Di San Marco, we always returned to the water, the promenade and confetti.

Now when I shut my eyes, small colourful shapes, cut from paper, pattern my eyelids. We saw so much confetti that it’s left a indelible image in my mind. A small girl held a large bag aloft, and she threw it to the world. It filled her sister’s hood, spread wildly across the pavement, scattered all across Venice and then travelled with the wind to Rome. We saw it thrown once, but it was everywhere.

Then, we found green. It was landscaped and tamed. The promenade continues to the tip of the Castello district and circles the largest park we found. In fact, two parks sit alongside each other. They create a large public space, with swings, trees, benches, statues and archways. They are Giardini Pubblici Park and Parco delle Rimembranze. A group of young people rollerbladed and cycled by. Young families strolled. It was quiet, but not empty.

We walked over a bridge, and when Giardini Pubblici became Parco delle Rimembranze, we found ourselves on the island of Sant‘Elena. Centro storico is all islands, but Sant’Elena has retained its island status in name. It’s a lovely part of town. Gated communities live there. Perhaps there are threats from parkland wolves, degenerates or rabid tourists.

We walked along a wide, tree-lined pedestrianised street called via 4 Novembre - not via five Novembre - and turned left at the gated community onto via 24 Maggio. Why the streets are named with number is a mystery to me. We crossed the river, which has an accessible bridge, with ramps, and followed the locals along Pakudo Sant’ Antonio. There were rows and rows of fabulous washing hung over this street. Rio Terra di San Guiseppe took us to Parco delle Rimembranze. On the other side of the park, we took a Vaporetto back to San Marco.

That was the end of a lovely walk. It was simple and easy, and there was green.

If you follow it, you can see Piazza San Marco beforehand, afterwards or both.


Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco is a famous square, that’s not square at all. It’s trapezoid. You can get there on a number 1 or number 2 Vaporetto. It’s signed posted all over Centro storico for walkers. You can’t miss it.

If you travel within the safety home, you can see it here:
Piazza San Marco All Round View

Of all the buildings in the Piazza, the Basilica is the most impressive. It has five domes and is impressively decorated. It’s also free to get in, and not much is in Venice.

I bought an Eyewitness Pocket Map and Guide for Venice, which I’d heartily recommend. Its size, content and style make it a good companion. The map of Vaporetto routes is particularly useful.

The guide contains a particularly impressive diagram of the Basilica and Doges Palace, with explanations. It seems that Saint Mark’s body has a symbiotic relationship with the history of Basilica di San Marco. Venetian’s monks stole it from Egypt, it was lost in a fire in 976AD and then reappeared in 1094 when the church was consecrated. Apparently, it now lies in the altar. Or does it?

Ultimately, Piazza San Marco is a large public space, covered in paving slabs. The buildings and water that enclose it, are what makes it special. Doges Palace, Museo Civico Correr, Basilica di San Marco, Campanile si San Marco and Saint Marks Basin make this square a natural magnet for day-trippers and tourists.

Tourists can’t sit unless they pay to. Pigeons can. Personally, I prefer Trafalgar Square, with its multiple steps, gushing fountains and low walls, all available as seating and picnicking. Trafalgar Square also has many free public events and free toilets. Piazza San Marco wants your money.

It was quiet when we were there, and these are the benefits of travelling in the cold.


The Grand Canal

You can see this by Vaporetto or foot. I suggest a bit of both, mixed with some sightseeing. It’s a wide waterway filled with boats and dressed with buildings.


The Jewish Ghetto and Cannergio

The Cannergio sestieri, or district, with wide streets and public spaces, buzzes with a mix of locals and tourists. It has shops and is a place to buy everyday goods. Small alleyways lie off the main thoroughfare. Schools and green space demonstrate that there is more to life than tourism.

The main thoroughfare runs from Fondamenta di Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Railway Station) to Strada Nova. Although there was no flooding during our stay, raised walkways, like tables, lay along parts of this road. Important routes in Venice keep raised walkways at the ready.

The through road hosts bustling market stalls, bread and sweet shops, and an odd mix of products. The stalls aspire to attract locals and tourists alike. Outside Campo Santissimi Apostoli we saw approximately 50 locals protesting, against what we could not tell. Men pushing two wheeled trolleys rushed goods to their point of sale.

Near Fondmenta Nove, where we took a Vaporetto to San Michele, abandoned and boarded up convent buildings stood next to the imposing white church of Santa Maria Assunta. This was on Campo dei Gesuiti. The sight of the ostentatious religious building on this wide, and empty, avenue of boarded up windows was quite striking. I wonder what the Jesuits would think. After all that effort to build it, it now stands next to desertion.

Cannergio is the home of the Jewish Ghetto, and attracts tourists away from San Marco. It was the first Jewish Ghetto ever and this was exciting news to me. 'Geto' in Venetian dialect refers to a foundry, and the Jewish population replaced the foundry. The name refers to what went before and nothing more.

We went to the Jewish Ghetto with a courtesy umbrella from our hotel. We turned it into a circular walk of sorts. I will describe it, and you can follow if you choose.

Starting at Fondamenta di Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Station), we walked along Rio terrà Lista di Spagna, past the rain-soaked market stalls and raised walkways. We crossed a canal at Ponte Guglie, strode along Rio terrà San Leonardo, with its bread and sweet shops, and then headed northwards onto Rio terrà Farsetti. The synagogue signs lead to the ghetto, and we opted to follow these westwards.

We met Campo Ghetto Nuovo via an old gateway. In secular times, the gate would close at midnight. Christians then guarded it, paid by the Jews. It was an odd scenario.

The gate was no more. Instead, there was a big sign that said “Campo de Gheto Novo” clearly welcoming us or warning us away.

The Jewish population of Venice was confined to live in this area from 1516 to 1797. That is was the first ghetto is not something for Venice to regret. When other countries choose expulsion, Venice chose to resist. As a merchant city, Venice wanted to retain Jews. They placated the church by creating the ghetto, and it is told, that the Jews didn’t really mind. They enjoyed the benefits of a gated community. They did complain about being squashed.

In Barcelona, the ghetto streets are so narrow that one can imagine the cramped conditions. In Venice, most streets, ghetto or not, are narrow, and there are few public squares. Campo Ghetto Nuovo has a large and pleasant public square, with trees. TREES. In some ways, it seems spacious. You don’t get the same sense of overcrowding. The Venetian Jews built up instead of out, with buildings growing taller and taller.

Napoleon tore down the ghetto gates in 1797, but the people chose to stay.

Hitler deported and killed 200 Venetian Jews, during the Second World War, and it was then that ghetto lost its Jewish focus. According to the Jewish population of Venice, there are now about 600 Jews living in Venice and Mestre, and very few in the ghetto. All the same, the ghetto is experiencing resurgence. It hosts Jewish community activities, synagogues, Jewish community administrative offices, a museum, a rest home and a social centre.

While we were there, Campo Ghetto Nuovo also hosted a green sentry box, with armed men inside. Other photographs suggest that this is new, and we wondered if it might be due to recent Israeli and Palestine conflict.

We walked southeast through Ghetto Vecchio, past a synagogue and kosher shop. It was a little late for the museum.

Instead, we walked along Cannaregio Canal - the second largest canal in Venice – past more gateless gateways, well-kept buildings and shops. Reaching the lagoon waters, and driving rains, we wove our way back to Santa Lucia Station. We passed Parco Savorgnan, one of Venice’s rare parks, and the leafiest alleyway in town.

Having walked from Ca’ d’oro to Fondamenta Nuove before, we covered a lot of Cannergio on foot. I preferred it to the San Marco or Dorsoduro districts. The latter focus heavily on churches and tourism and Cannergio does not.


Dosoduro

It was in the Dosoduro sestieri that we found the Peggy Guggenheim museum. Our visit to the district started well. It was raining lightly, but manageably. As the day progressed, the rain continued abated. Suddenly, tolerance levels found themselves exceeded, and we frog marched back to the hotel.

The sights probably didn’t get the attention that they deserved, but we covered much of the region and had churches coming out of our bottoms. If you like churches, Venice is for you. Even for a non-church enthusiast, like me, some of the Dosoduro sights are well worth a repeat visit.

From the Guggenheim Museum, we headed south to Fondamente Zattere al Gesuati. The Zattere’s run along the edge of Canal Di San Marco, provide a view of La Giudecca island and, without any tourist ‘sell’, provide a great opportunity to walk alongside the urban landscape with the lagoon lapping at your side. This is where sailors and fisher-folk once lived. It now has a relatively suburban atmosphere.

We followed the basin-front to Ponte Lungo, where we turned right onto Fondamente Nani. There we saw a boathouse. It was so similar to those that sit on the edge of the Norfolk Broads that my heart sang. This was in Squero di San Trovaso. From across the canal, in front of the boathouse, we saw upturned gondolas, perhaps waiting for the rain to stop. We learnt that this is where gondolas are made and repaired. I felt oddly at home.

We crossed the bridge and turned back southwards, passing the church of San Trovasco, and its three wells. Instead of collecting groundwater, the residents would collect rain. It was raining when we went by. Churches and wells seem to exist in partnership in Venice. If you see a church, a well is usually to hand.

We turned again, right, onto Fondamente Bontini and proceeded along the road as it turned into Fondamente Ognissanti. There, we passed a former convent, now a hospital. We learnt that it once housed nuns that escaped Torcello during the malarial days. I was tempted to go in. The building looked bold and shabby on the outside, but large signage indicated a professional interior. I have a nosiness for such places. The grit of life must live inside.

The reason I loved this walk, despite the rain, is because I got to see not one, but two boathouses. From the bridge at the end of Fondamente Ognissanti, we stood looking directly over the Squero (boathouse) and it was more impressive than the first. Even though the rain was now soaking through our trousers, and there was an ugly building site to our left, I found myself delighted with the view. To our left was the realism of construction, and to our right the fairytale world of boats.

From the narrow Calle della Chiesa, we turned right onto the Fondamenta Bontini, and then left across the canal. We found ourselves in a piazza between two great churches, with San Sebastiano on our left and Angelo Raffaele on our right. The oddly shaped public space felt good to walk through. We continued along the Fondamenta Pescheria, and over a bridge protected by a startling encased Jesus.

We briefly looked at the church of San Nicolo dei Mendicioli, rebuilt many times since the 12th century and, undoubtedly, a highlight for some, and then headed back the way we had come; along the Fondamenta Barbargio, and then back across the canal into the courtyard of Santa Maria dei Carmini Church. The huge gothic building before us, stood astern and imposing. The building does not encourage fun. There is no fun to be had here, it says.

Then we stepped into the Rio Terrà della Scoazzera and our rain-soaked hearts rose. Rio Terrà della Scoazzera transforms into a large square, called Campo Santa Margherita. The square hosts trees, more glorious trees. Lined with homespun cafes, and boasting an irregular shape, the piazza is warm and welcoming, even on a cold and wet day. There is a quirky building that sits alone in its heart. Apparently, this is the Scuola dei Varoteri. It once housed furriers. Campo Santa Margherita is a Venice highlight.

At its northern tip, we left Campo Santa Margherita and the Dorsoduro district. We found a wonderful shop selling freshly made bread, pizzas and soya milk all for a reasonable price. Feeling cheered by our first and last successful shop in Venice, we headed for warmth.


Rialto Bridge and Market

Rialto Bridge crosses the Grand Canal. Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the Grand Canal’s bridges. As bridges go, I didn’t find it very impressive. It’s a sight worth seeing, but not a wonder of the world.

The oddest aspect of Rialto Bridge is that it hosts three walkways. If you take the middle walkway, you could miss the whole bridge thing altogether. Shops line either side of it and hide the canal. The tourist hellholes, that they probably are, stood shut for winter.

There is a good view of the canal from the side walkways and tourists gather to snap, snap, snap.

Rialto market is close by. It’s smaller than Norwich market. The focus is on fresh food. Artichokes in water, courgettes wearing flowers and old Seville oranges fill stalls. We bought oranges and they were dry and tasteless. Fresh dates were expensive – four for €1.50 – and perhaps Rialto market isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

There is an impressive line of seafood stalls.

You can see a little video of the Bridge and Market here:
Rialto Bridge and Market Film


Final Venice Tips

Recommended Websites:
viewer.arounder.com
europeforvisitors.com
museumplanet.com

Recommended Resources
Eyewitness Pocket Guide and Map: Venice
Insight Fleximap: Venice (it’s waterproof)


Fabpants Recommends: I’m enjoying the resurgence of morose music.

I rated The White Lies as ‘Fucking Awesome’ at Latitude Festival last year and truly enjoyed their bottom of rung support slot at the Concorde2 last May. Do I like their number 1, bestselling album? Hell no! During the first track, I had to stop myself from yelling out ‘Oh, will you please stop wailing’. It’s stadium wank rock. What a shame.

Alas, it is not to be.

Fortunately, there are more doom and gloom mongers for 2009. Where’s there’s misery there’s hope. It’s not very often that I’ll praise an NME giveaway, but their ‘Pictures of You’ album - made up of covers versions of The Cure - is brilliant.

When Dinosaur Jr’s cover of ‘Just Like Heaven’ came on I found myself back at college. I used to have that very song on a cassette mix-tape, made for me by one Mr Banyard in 1989. It had the same abrupt ending too.

Download MP3: Dinosaur Jr - Just Like Heaven (courtesy of coverlaydown.com)




Initially the drums on this track confused me, now I love them:

Download MP3: Marmaduke Duke – Friday I’m in Love (courtesy of 8106.tv)




The Cure revival was evident in town yesterday. In one pub, they played a best of CD on a loop. There’s something wrong with that in a public environment. In another, they played several tracks mixed in with a great selection of tunes. It was a far better mix than at the Silent Disco later. Last night, the Silent Disco DJ sets were surprisingly poor. I expect them to be poptastic in a highest common dominator dreadful pop kind of way. That’s a detour though.

Crystal Stilts ‘Alight of Night’ secretes gentle and soothing misery. Gloomy, warm and lovely. The Jesus and Mary Chain, they imitate, but are not. Crystal Stilts are a little one dimensional and certainly have room for improvement. This song is rather wonderful though:

Download MP3: Crystal Stilts – The City in the Sea (courtesy of Frocksdemilo.files.wordpress.com)




Download MP3: The Jesus and Mary Chain – April Skies (courtesy of bnc.yi.org)




Finally, I highly recommend the Maupa album ‘Run Sleep Run’. Maupa create bleak, desolate and beautiful music. Allow the album to seep into your subconscious and bestow a visual imagery of dour industrial towns, and gloomy alluring lands.

Download MP3: Maupa - Run Sleep Run (sorry, this link is dead)



Download MP3: Maupa - Milky Eyes (sorry, this link is dead)