Our next stop was the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.  As far as I am concerned, this is another must-see, when you are in Venice.  The church dates from 1330, and again, is included in the Chorus Pass we mentioned in earlier posts.  The church contains numerous masterpieces, as far as art goes,…

Our fourth day in Venice began as a wet one.  Rain had moved in overnight, and so, when we ventured out to begin our day, we discovered a very different place than the one we had been getting to know.  The streets were literally deserted.  I must admit that there was a strange sort of…

The Monumento a Pietro Paleocapa, the Italian scientist, engineer, and politician, is the work of the sculptor Luigi Ferrari, and has a prominent place in the Giardini Papadopoli. A plaque marks the house where the Italian poet and essayist, Diego Valeri, lived.  Valeri fell in love with this city, and would go on to write…

Looking at the tiny heads that adorned the facade of the building pictured above, I could not help but wonder if they were portraits of the family that lived there. The Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista is a confraternity building that was founded in the 13th century, and is one of the five Scuole…

As we made our way to the Grand Canal, we suddenly discovered that we were facing the Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia, Venice’s main train station and, in fact, the station by which we had arrived in the city.  The station dates from 1860, and was named after the Convento and Chiesa di Santa Lucia,…

We decided to go into the Chiesa di San Giacomo dall’Orio.  The church is part of the Chorus Association, which maintains and preserves some of the historic churches of Venice.  At the time of our visit, there were sixteen churches that were part of the Association.  One can either pay a single admission price to…

The Scoletta dell’Arte dei Tiraoro e Battioro, found next to the Chiesa di Sant’Eustachio, dates from 1711, and was the home of the Guild of Artists, as well as makers of gold thread and gold leaf.  Here, the 48 members of the Guild would train others in their craft.  The Scoletta functioned until 1798, at…

After a quick breakfast, we were out the door, to explore more of the wonderful city of Venice.  A plaque on the facade of a building reminds those passing by that Aldo Pio Manuzio, the Italian humanist, scholar, and educator, stayed there while he was living in the city.  It was in this city that…

Among the many busts and statues lining the paths of the Giardini della Biennale is the monument to Richard Wagner, by the artist Fritz Schaper.  The bust has an odd appearance, as the nose on Wagner’s face was recently knocked off by vandals. The Monumento ai Soldati di Terra e di Mare, or the Monument…

As we walked through the lovely, tree-lined Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi, we came upon a flower and plant sale. Next, we came upon a ceramic sale, all items made by local artisans. After crossing a bridge over the canal, we found that we were at the entrance to the Giardini della Biennale, a park area where…

The Ponte de la Tana takes its name from the fact that the bridge once led to the Tana, which was a hemp-making center.  All of the rope needed for the construction of the ships, made at the Arsenal, came from this area.  Today, it is a largely residential zone. A plaque marks the house…

The Church of San Giovanni in Bragora is located in Campiello del Piovan.  Though it originally dates from the early 8th century, the church was rebuilt a few times, the latest being in 1475.  Both, Pope Paul II and Antonio Vivaldi, were baptized in this church. The small Ponte del Purgatorio crosses over a tiny…