Saint Mark Square - The emblematic square of Venice, a miracle of architecture. There are two adjacent squares: the piazza itself, an immense rectangle measuring 500 feet long and 250 feet wide, and the piazzetta (little square) that opens out from the corner of the bell tower, towards the vast basin of the lagoon, called the Saint Mark basin, on which vaporetti and gondolas circulate among an incessant traffic, while in the distance you'll see larger vessels slowly marching by.
Here you are at the epicenter of Venice: pigeons and tourists rushing about incessantly, the latter forming the most amazing lines to visit the basilica or the bell tower... This vast open space surrounded by the colonnades of the Old and New Palaces of the Magistrates, tied together by the Napoleonic wing, under which are legendary cafes (Quadri and Florian) where are night you will find orchestras performing Viennese waltzes and Italian pieces, offer a beautifully theatrical composition.
The superb facade of the Saint Mark Basilica with its loggia, its lively horses, and the gold bits in the mosaics that shine in the bright sun, the tall silhouette of the bell tower, the stone latticework of the façade of the Palace of the Doges, all along the piazzetta to the quay, make of this place built on the old vegetable garden of the neighboring Monastery of Saint Zachary, a miracle of architecture, of colors and of light, that you will come back to again and again during your stay in Venice, whether you want to or not.
Palace of the Doges - Light and shadow of the Venetian Republic. This is the history of the Venetian Republic and perhaps also the history of its spirit, that offers itself up to you in this marvelous palace with, on Saint Mark's Square and on the pier, its marvelous arcades that could be compared with latticework made of stone.
In the courtyard adorned with the Foscari portico, you will take the Staircase of Giants, which leads to the loggia. Then you will go though a series of different rooms of the ducal apartment, decorated with paintings (Carpaccio, Bellini, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Titian...). The Hall of the Great Council is without any doubt the highlight of the visit: immense (14,000 sq ft), it once kept the ballots that eventually concluded in the nomination of a new doge. What is there to say but that you will once again be in awe by the magnificence of the place, both for its wall decoration and the ceilings: this is where you will see the huge Paradise painted by Tintoretto and, in the form of a frieze, the portraits of the 76 doges that governed the city between 804 and 1554, among which that of the infamous Marino Falier, covered with a painted drape as eternal punishment for his crimes, to complement his beheading.
Ready for a thrill? Move on to visit the prisons that you will get to via the famous Bridge of Sighs. But if you really want to find out about the secrets of Venice, you should visit the secret itineraries: a torture room that will make you shiver, prison cells (wells, both cold and humid, and leadings located under the roof, from where Casanova managed to escape), secret passages, hidden hallways, the hall of the Inquisitors: just the opposite of everything you have seen so far in Venice!
Bridge of Sighs - One of the world's most famous bridges. The condemned crossed this bridge after having been judged and condemned in the ducal palace, to get to the prisons where they would languish for years and years. As they walked there, they would notice the sky, the lagoon, the sea, a last glimpse of freedom, upon which they would sigh hopelessly, thus giving this bridge its name.
This arched bridge made with stone from Istria was built over rio di Palazzo as ordered by the doge at the time, Marino Grimani (1595-1605) whose coat of arms it bears. It is probably the best known sight of Venice, which might make it slightly hard to get a glimpse of, as crowds of tourists armed with cameras and portable phones ringing incessantly flock there to see it. The dense crowds will pile onto the tiny bridges at the moth of the rio and upriver that enable you to see it!
Unless, the more affluent among you take a gondola that comes with singer and accordion player: the sighs will then be the tremor of the sentimental - more or less Italian - songs sung by your travel partners...
Finally, you will be able to follow the path of the condemned of another time as you visit the Palace of the Doges, where you will discover the two narrow passages of the bridge before visiting the sinister prisons!
Grand Canal - The great stage of Venetian life. You will never want to leave the Grand Canal, this main water thoroughfare that draws an S through the center of Venice! And no doubt you will travel its length several times, on board a vaporetto, both to admire the facades of the palaces on its edge and for the spectacular show offered by its incessant activity!
As far as anyone knows, it was originally a river that lazily flowed down its path past islands and marshes on its way to the sea. Then, while Venice started taking over the islands and created others, mills and squeri, the gondola repair shops, started taking over its shores. Later on, schools (scuole) and factories settled in; and then the turn for sumptuous palaces belonging to Venetian nobility and that you still see today: whether restored, renovated or in a state of utter abandon, you will experience their past glory and their present harmony, as they make up the decor that so fascinates locals and visitors.
But probably the most fascinating is the busy traffic: you have gondolas loaded with tourists being serenaded by a tenor (who might actually be singing Neapolitan songs!), the traghetti, which are commercial gondolas, which serve as bridges, transporting standing passengers from shore to shore as you watch other boats with a variety of roles: taxis, police boats, ambulances, delivery vehicles, household waste collection barges... in other words, all the activities you are used to seeing done with trucks, vans, etc. are here done on the water, offering a constant show to the onlooker. This is the daily magic of Venice, a city where nothing, not even routine chores, are ordinary!
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