Gabriel Bella (1730-1799)

A fascinating room, in Querini Stampalia Fondation is dedicated to vedutist* painter Gabriel Bella (1730-1799). Altogether, sixty sixt paintings that depict Venetian life in the 18th century and, these paintings being mainly landscapes, that give us an idea of how Venice looked like some 250 years ago.

*Veduta (pl. Vedute) : Italian for "View". Large-scale painting of a cityscape.

Visiting the Redentore

Across the Giudecca Canal, right in front of the Fondamenta delle Zattere, la Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore.

Longing for the sea...

With the return of the beautiful days, I know what I would do if I were lucky enouhg to be the owner of one of these dream machines : I would scour the beautiful coast of Adriatic sea, from Venice to Trieste and from Trieste to Split, instead of let them spend night and days here on San Giorgio Maggiore Island, just in front (even if it's a prestigious berth) of the Piazzetta and the Doge's Palace.

Ferro

At the prow of the gondola, the characteristic and traditional "Ferro" the "Iron". This element in shape of a large and heavy comb with six teeth in the front and one in the back, act as a counterbalance to the gondolier's weight. Some say, according to the tradition, that the six front "teeth" represent the six "Sestieri" of Venice, while the back tooth symbolise the Giudecca.

Campanile

A postcard to you, to apologize for these nine days without posting. A campanile? Yes in some way : the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building in New York, where I spent the eight last days for my greatest pleasure. For his fifty-story tower built in 1908 (the highest in the world until 1913) architect Napoléon Le Brun draw his inspiration from... St Mark's Campanile in Venice.

I'm Back

Hello dear readers and friends.
I'm back again in the Old Countries after a too short nine days off, across the Atlantic sea...
Next post, next pic, tomorrow morning without fail.
All the best.
Pierre

Wooden Toys

Maybe the only motorbike in all Venice! A great place from a present to bring back with you. You can't miss this shop, it's right on the Rialto Bridge, on the inside steps...

Giant's Stairs

The Scala dei Giganti, in the Doge's Palace. A monumental starcaise of 30 steps, dominated by two statues, work of Antonio Rizzo, portraying Mars, god of the trade, and Neptune, god of the sea, both of them symbols of the Republic of Venice's power in these two domains.

On top of the Campanile

From one of the main landmarks of Venice, the Campanile, which stands in the heart of the city, on the Piazetta, almost in front of the Basilica. The first one had been built in the 10th century and was used as a lighthouse as well as a watchtower. It collapsed in 1388, 1489, and in 1511... The last colapse dates back from 1902. Ten years were necessary to build this one, almost similar to the former one.

Campo del Angelo Raffaele

In the Dorsoduro, this large place was in the past a water tank. This explains its curved surface, with four groups of small holes, made to collect rain waters. the water was filtered by sand and gravel layers. In the middle of the place was a stone well, called a "Vera" ("Vere" in the plural). You can see some of them, often beautiful, in many places of Venice.

Pescheria

The Pescheria fish market, along the Grand Canal, not far from the Rialto Bridge. The Pescheria is a very lively place... great to visit in the morning and to buy some delicious sea food.

Ponte San Pietro

On the extreme east of Venice, San Pietro Island (San Pietro di Castello), is linked to the main island by two footbridges, one of them being this iron made Ponte di San Pietro. Two steps from the historical Arsenal, San Pietro di Castello still is a sailor's place, with many fishing boats, and fishing nets and keepnets drying on the banks .

Bus Stop

Bus stop,
wet day, she's there, I say,
"Please share my umbrella"
Bus stop,
bus goes, she stays,
love grows
under my umbrella

The Hollies

San Marco

Mark, patron saint of Venice, on top of the Basilica. It's in year 828 that the remains of the evangelist were stolen in Alexandria by two merchants from Torcello and Malamocco. It's said that, not to be subject to any control when leaving Alexandria, the two cunning merchants concealed the precious relic - now preserved under the altar in the basilica - under a whole cargo of salt pork.

Contarini del Bovolo Stairs

From above now, this famous staircase that, two years ago, I showed you from the street level...

Shipyard in la Giudecca

Venice is still a saylor's city...

San Sebastiano, Veronese's church

Churches in Venice are often asociated with the memory of an artist : la Pieta and Vivaldi, la Madona dell Orto and Tintoretto... or this one, San Sebastiano (situated in the Dorsoduro) with Paolo Caliari, aka Véronèse. The artist dedicated a large part of his youth (15 years indeed) to decorate this church where he now lies.

Pensione Calcina

Venetians who live in the Dorsoduro like to take an evening walk on the Zaterre, this long bank along the large Giudecca canal. It is, at the end of the day, the last part of the city exposed to the sun's rays. A great place to take a spritz, to have dinner, or to go all the way from Maritim Station to the Dogana di Mare... Not far from the Chiesa dei Gesuati, your steps will lead you in front of the nice Pensione Calcina where John Ruskin, British art critic and true Venice lover, stayed from february to may 1877.

Tetrarchs

On the Basilica's façade, this group of red porphyry composed of four figures is named the "Tetrarchs". This sculpture could be Syrian or Egyptian and certainely dates back to the 4th century AD. The Tetrarques are four Roman emperors, each one ruling one of the four parts of the empire. They embrace each other two by two in a brotherly fashion.

Gondolas Parking

A classical view, even a cliché...
But so much Venice anyway!

San Michele in Isola

Once a fichermen island, San Michele has been, since 1837, the cemetery island of Venice. Here is the cloister of the little and quiet San Michele In Isola church, one of the first Renaissance churches in Venise, designed by Mauro Codussi from 1469.