Venice is a city on the water. The history of this corner is amazing. But before you go on vacation, it must be carefully planned. Explore the historical sights of the place you are going to relax in advance. This article is intended for those who decide to take a trip to the most romantic corner of Europe.
Historical reference
The history of Venice has more than one hundred years. This Italian city is located on the Adriatic Sea. It so happened historically that most of the city "stands on the water." Beautiful Venice. The history of the city is interesting and full of amazing events.
The city received its name in honor of the tribe of Venets who inhabited this territory. After many centuries, the venets assimilated, but even today you can meet their descendants in a place like Venice. The history of the city goes back centuries. And the best time to visit the city on the water is May and June!
History of Venice. Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute
It so happened that Venice is a city of romance and love. There are also delightful cathedrals and churches, including the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. The history of Venice informs curious tourists that this basilica is the largest domed church. It is located opposite the Doge's Palace, which will be discussed a little later.
The construction of the Basilica in honor of the Virgin Mary was completed in 1682. The church is the pearl of a city like Venice. The history of the basilica is amazing. In 1630, a plague raged in Europe. Citizens offered prayers to the Holy Virgin. Unable to fight the bubonic plague, people were dying on the streets. The city authorities appealed to the Most Holy. If she stops the epidemic, a unique cathedral will be erected in her honor in Venice. The Holy Virgin took pity, the plague retreated from the city, and the authorities immediately began the promised construction.
The architect of the basilica was the young and talented Balthazar Longen. The history of the creation of Venice confirms that the cathedral was built for almost 50 years. Unfortunately, the architect did not live to see the completion of the construction of the basilica. Every year on November 21, the Venetians celebrate the victory over the plague and praise the Virgin Mary in a festive mass. Outwardly, the basilica looks grandiose. It is decorated with pilasters, tympans and sculptures. The interior of the church is in no way inferior to the exterior. When visiting places of worship, clothing should be appropriate. There should not be anything bright and open on you.
St. Mark's Square
The history of Venice is closely connected with this square. The first information in historical chronicles about this area dates back to the 9th century. Three centuries later, it was expanded. They named it after the cathedral, opposite which it is located. For many years, the main attraction of St. Mark's Square was feeding hand pigeons. San Marco is also famous for the fact that a lot of films were shot on it!
The square itself consists of two so-called parts:
- Piazzetta - the distance from the Grand Canal to Campannila.
- Piazza - the square itself in front of the entrance to the Cathedral of San Marco.
Stepping on the piazzetta, you will immediately see two white grandiose columns. There used to be three. The columns of Saints Theodore and Mark were presented to the Venetians as a trophy in honor of the victory over the king of Tire of Constantinople. To extract such a unique and huge exhibit from a ship is a serious matter. Unfortunately, the third column fell off and fell to the bottom of the lagoon. There was no way to get her. After several centuries, the column was covered with a dense layer of silt of the lagoon.
Basilica of San Marco
Walking around St. Mark's Square, be sure to visit the eponymous cathedral. This is a Catholic church, which differs from all other religious buildings with unique elements of Byzantine architecture. The basilica was built back in the year 832! But in 976 there was a fire. The basilica was rebuilt again. The Byzantine style remained dominant, but elements of the Gothic, Romanesque and Oriental styles were added. The walls inside the cathedral are decorated with unique antique mosaic paintings. Also in the cathedral there is also a cancer with the relics of St. Mark. No tickets are needed to visit the cathedral, admission is free. It is forbidden to wear open clothes in such places, as well as to shoot.
The most grandiose channel
The Grand Canal is S-shaped, permeates the entire main Venetian city. The large canal originates from the St. Marco basin. Its 4-kilometer path extends to Santa Lucia Train Station. The width of the channel varies from 30 to 90 meters. Its depth is about five meters.
Sailing in gondolas, you will see 4 beautiful famous bridges:
- new bridge of the Constitution;
- Rialto Bridge;
- Skalzi bridge;
- Academy Bridge.
In the 10th century, the area with the Grand Canal was the center of Venice. There were a huge number of markets and points of sale. This is easily explained by the fact that sea merchants swam along the canal on ships and entered into large trade deals.
Five centuries later, the Canal Grand Venetians built up buildings in the Gothic style. And in the following centuries, he was "marked" by the Baroque and Classicism styles.
The grandiose construction was completed by the XVIII century. And even now nobody is building buildings there anymore.
Doge's Palace
This palace is a must-see destination for tourists. His story is long. The very first building was erected in the XIV century, when the Venetian state was powerful and rich. At that time, the Turkish threat did not exist yet, since the Turks did not have a serious fleet. Doge's Palace was intended for the first persons of the state. It hosted meetings of the Grand Council and the Council of Ten. The Doge's Palace was rebuilt many times. It burned several times, during the period of the republic’s power it did not correspond to its greatness, which caused another perestroika, etc. That is why the palace does not have a single style. Its facade is similar to an inverted ship, it marked the elements of architecture inherent in Gothic and Byzantium.
The courtyard is decorated with lots of statues. Through it one could get to the second tier, where the Doge’s coronation ceremony took place. On the same floor are the private chambers of statesmen of past centuries.
Doge's Palace has many rooms and halls. The first room that you will fall into as tourists is Purple. The doge of the prosecutor’s office wore a purple robe. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with shades, their stucco molding in gold shares. You will get acquainted with the rest of the halls on excursions.
Rialto Bridge
We continue the tour and again return to the Grand Canal, to the Rialto Bridge. Let's talk about him. This is the very first bridge over the Grand Canal. He is a symbol of Venice. The Rialto Bridge opens the top ten popular venues in Venice. There are 24 stalls selling souvenirs. William Shakespeare wrote about this crossing in the play “The Merchant of Venice”. The history of this bridge is impressive. It burned several times, as it was built of wood. It so happened that the crossing could not withstand the load and collapsed. But in 1551, the authorities held a competition for the best stone crossing. Among the works of the participants was the project of Michelangelo himself. But the winner was an unknown architect Antonio de Ponte. Envious people whispered that the bridge could not stand and collapse. However, they were mistaken. The bridge is already seventy hundred years old, and it stands. True, the Venice authorities are conducting a large-scale reconstruction until December 2016.
The Rialto Bridge is small in size:
- the maximum height in the center is 7.5 meters;
- the length of the bridge is 48 meters.
The piers of the bridge amaze tourists. Each of them has 6 thousand piles driven into the bottom of the Grand Canal.
Grand di San Rocco School
The school, erected more than 6 centuries ago at the expense of the townspeople, stands and delights tourists even today. Today, a charity organization is located in the building. And the school began its educational activities in 1515. They named it in honor of St. Rocco. The Venetians believed that it was this saint who protected the city from the rampaging plague. Today, for tourists in this building exhibited paintings that are five hundred years old! All of them are perfectly preserved. The main advantages of the school of San Rocco are the canvases “Adoration of the Shepherds”, as well as “The Temptation of Christ”.
Finally, about the fabulous Italian city ...
The history of the construction of Venice is closely connected with the heyday of the Republic of Venice. Fairytale Italy is waiting for tourists. It is worth remembering that life in Venice revolves around canals, including the Grand Canal. Transport moves along them. Be sure to buy a carnival mask as a souvenir, it is a symbol of Venice.
In 2017, the Venice Carnival will be held from February 11 to 28. Two fabulous weeks await you. But always remember that visiting is good, but home is still better!