Exercise in perspective
Another early morning image. There are a couple of people in the distance. For most of the day you cannot see the pattern in the stones under the arcade. There are two other inscriptions you might want to look out for in the Piazza, but I don't have photos of them. One is about five steps in front of the door of Sant' Alipio (the left door of the Basilica), recording the fall of an Austrian bomb. Another by the entrance to the Museo Correr, not actually in the Piazza, tells us that the church of San Geminiano was demolished in 1807 to make way for the Ala Napoleonica. A third item is a marker under the fifth arch of the Procuratie Vecchie, marking a spot from which your view of the Basilica is exactly perpendicular to the middle. You can read more about the geometry of the Piazza here: http://aloverofvenice.com//Didyouknow/didyouknow.html#three
posted by Bert at 11:02 AM
11 Comments:
Lovely !
I clearly have to pry myself out bed a lot earlier, Bert!
I like your photo, also the information you give is very interesting, do you have a photo of the Rat carved on a stone pillar at "Fondermenta Del Tragheto" not sure what that means but it was on the wall! (almost opposite the Fish Market) I would love to know more about it.
Ann, there's a traghetto ( sort of gondola ferry across the Grand Canal) that goes from the Fish Market to Campo San Sofia on the opposite side of the Canal, quite near the Ca' d'Oro Vaporetto stop - Is that the one you mean? don't know anything about a rat on a pillar there, though. sorry.
Bert, I love this photo! I've never really gotten a good look at these pavement designs. I need to get up earlier too.
The carving of the rat is in Cannaregio on Calle del Traghetto, not far from the church of San Felice. I think there's a photo of it on the "A Lover of Venice" website that Bert linked to above, but Bert might have one too.
I'll also hop in here while Bert is having a well earned sleep.
In the excellent guide "Secret Venice", by Jonglez and Zoffoli. note is made of this rat graffiti, at the end of Calle del Traghetto. The book states that, if the date is to be trusted, it was drawn in 1644. They comment that perhaps the artist wanted to remind people that "the history of Venice is also the history of its rats."
Well, I've seen "the rat", but I didn't think it was worth a photo - not even digital. It would be just one shade of white on a different shade of white. There is, indeed, a photo of it here: http://aloverofvenice.com/HiddenCorners/Cannaregio.html, about half-way down - "Monument to the Rat". There could be a book made of the graffiti in Venice (though I have only heard of two other examples of interest). It may be of interest to film-fans to know that Merton and Kate had a 'knee-trembler' in the adjacent sotoportego in Wings of the Dove.
This is one instance where the lack of people is definitely a blessing. When I'm there, I always try to get to the piazza at least one morning at o'dark-thirty to have the place to myself. (Have never managed to make it before the street cleaners show up though!)
Thank you for the info on the Rat, I thought it may have some connection with the Plague as their appears to be a date above it.
Did you want to know what 'Fondamenta del Traghetto' means, Ann?
'Fondamenta' is a street beside a canal. 'Traghetto' is a gondola-ferry that just goes from one side of the Grand Canal to the other. There are seven now, though there used to be more.
Thank you Bert, every day I learn/see something new from you.
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