Destinations / The most romantic places on the Earth / Venice

 

  Venice is a very romatic city, a city of supreme love, the place where most of the lovers meet each other. For many of us, Venice is equal with the romantism, and just love it, taking it like a symbol of Love, inspired by many love stories housed by the shriveled walls of the city’s buildings. For those who would like to live a unique experience and to manifest their love, Venice is the ideal destination, full of gorgeous places favorable for inloved couples. But noone can really and exactly say why this city continues to fascinate generations of tourists, lured by the fame and the history of the city which floats on water. The first thing that captivates your attention is the façade of the buildings, which appears very strange and lapsed, but in the same time gorgeous and sumptuous, that keeps with nobility the mark of the time. Venice is one of a very small list of cities which are really majestic. Once it was a center of a powerful maritime empire, now  it is a city dotted with spectacular palaces and churches. The city is almost devoid of modern cars and buildings, and the time seems to have stood here. The legends of the town brought to it the fame as a city of love, that is why many lovers choose it as a touristic destination. Nowadays Venice is a popular attraction and the most visible characteristic of the city is the perfect romantism. A perfect way to visit Venice is walking, admiring its beautiful sites, its wonderful monuments, churches. A tour with a gondola is a great experience, reserving special memories to you, and magnificent attractions, which will truly fascinate you. The city is located in the middle of a lagoon and is dissected by 150 channels. The architecture of the city is unique as well, a clear mixture of Gothic and Byzantines styles. Venice is a wonder, a special gift made by a poor ground, which had nothing else to offer to people, just to charm them and to delight their eyes with a marvelous scenery of amazing structures and sightseeing places. Over the time Venice was called the Adriatic Queen, the City of Waters , the Bridges City, or the City of Light. The city includes 117 small islands that run along the Venetian Lagoon.

 

 

 

  The majestic Doge’s Palace is one of the most significant structures in Venice, one of the centers of power, from where the Venetian Republic was ruled. The site where the palace is now was once occupied by a 10th century wooden stockade which watches the towers. By the 14th century the hierarchy of Venice decided that  a palace was needed , a grand building that would be proper to the wealth and the power of the city. The designs of the palace were created by Filippo Calendario, so the work began. The palace was built in two phases, because of the death of the designer. The eastern wing which faces the Rio di Palazzo was founded between 1301 and 1340. The western wing which faces the Piazetta San Marco was completed after 110 years of work, in 1450. The architectural style  refers to a Venetian Gothic , with Byzantine influences. The facades include a lower section that consists of a ground floor colonnade. The openness of the structure reflects the power of the city, which didn’t feel the need for a fortified castle, like some other cities at that period of time. The ornamentations are everywhere. The capitals of the lower colonnade are beautifully decorated with biblic and historic scenes. Two columns of the façade from the Piazetta are colored in red, like a symbol for the place where once public executions  took place . This façade is also the main gate to the palace, also called “Porta della Carta”. The gate leads directly to the courtyard. The gate was designed by Bartolomeo Bon in 1438, and is decorated with Byzantine ornamentations. The walls from the interior of the building are made of stucco and the ceilings feature ornate works of art. The chancellery offices are located on the first floor, while the doge’s apartment was on the second floor. The third floor included the Sala del Collegio, where the doge had met  with the foreign ambassadors. In this place now the visitors can admire portraits of all the Venice’s doges. The largest room in the Palazzo Ducale is the Grand Chamber Council, situated on the second floor, measuring a length equal with the entirely southern façade. In this room the guests can see the Tintoretto’s Paradise, a spectacular full-wall work, which was completed in 1577. The basement of the palace features many prison cells, which housed convicts awaiting  their trial.

 

 

  Venice’s Grand Canal is an important water traffic corridor that runs through the amazing city of Venice. The canal runs through the city of Venice in a large S shape, traveling from the Saint Mark Basin on one end to a lagoon near the Santa Lucia rail station. This ancient canal has over 3,800 meters long and ranges from 30 to 90 meters wide. The wonderful canal is an ancient water way, lined with miraculous buildings mostly built from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Most of the buildings were founded by wealthy Venetian families. The majority of the traffic cruises are private, made with boats, vaporetti, which are the water buses, or with the water taxis and with the famous gondolas. Many people think that the Grand Canal follows the course of an ancient river. One of the first settlements that grew along the canal was around the area of the Rialto Bridge. By the 10th century the area was an important trade center, and a ship accessible port. Due to this fact almost all the houses along the canal belonged to the merchants who have their own businesses on the seas. During the 12th and the 13th centuries the homes along the canal became more ornated with Byzantine influences, such as elongated arches, large loggias. The Gothic style started to appear on buildings constructed along the canal in the 15th century. Some of the best examples can be found there, for example the House of Gold. During this period of time the facades of the houses included  plaster in bright colors, the pointed arches were popular, and the columns were skinner than before. The houses and the structures designed in a Renaissance and Classical styles started to arrive in the 16th century. More and more white facades started to appear, and more windows touted round rather than pointed arches were visible. Perfect examples of these styles are the Palazzo Dario and the Palazzo Grimani. At the end of the 16th century and during the 17th century Baroque style buildings were added to those wonderful houses that fronted the Grand Canal. But the most gorgeous buildings started to appear by the 18th century, with much prettier design. However, during the last centuries significant renovations have been made for many of the historic buildings that fronted the Grand Canal. The most important ones became museums, or have been owned foundations that want to keep their beautiful styles.

 

 

  The bell tower of the St.Marks’s Basilica is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city of Venice. The first tower that lies on the site of the Campanile was founded in the 7th century, initially as a lighthouse. The first clock tower dates back to 900. Over the time the tower was rebuilt and remodeled many times, reaching its finally look around 1513. The project of the restoration was initially led by the Venetian architect Giorgio Spavento and later continued by Bartolomeo Bon. The gold leaf spire was topped with a gilded wooden statue of the Angel Gabriel. In 1540 an ornate podium was added at the entrance of the tower, called Logetta. Many calamities affected the tower in the next centuries. One more fire occurred in the early 17th century and at that time a well -known Venetian architect started the renovations. In 1745 the Campanile di San Marco was damaged by fire again, causing a collapse that killed many people. In july 1902 the Campanile di San Marco was collapsed totally the Logetta and a small part from the Biblioteca Marciana were also destroyed. The local government had to rebuilt the tower and after 10 years of construction the structure was completely renovated and officially reopened on April 25, 1912. The Campanile di San Marco rises up with a height of about 99 meters, located near the front of the Basilica. Most of the building looks very simple, made of brick, topped by an arched belfry that features five remarkable bells. On the top of the belfry is one more brick sensation, which is decorated with walking lions, dedicated to St.Mark. On the top of the bell is a pyramidal spire which has a golden weather vane of top, with the form of the Angel Gabriel. Each of its five bells has its specific purpose. At the base of the tower is the Logetta, designed in a Baroque style, with marble bas-reliefs, bronze sculptures, created by the sculptor Jacopo Sansovino. The top of the Campanile reserves stunning views over  Venice and the lagoon. You just have to use the lift that will take you to the observatory.

 

 

  The Venice’s Arsenale was the largest shipyard in the whole world, but nowadays it is a technology center and a naval base. In 1320 the Nuovo Arsenal was founded providing more space than the original Byzantine style structure. Due to the addition of the Nuovo Arsenale the state had an ideal place to erect and maintain the merchant ships and navy, all gathered in one location. The Arsenale covers over 32 hectares and very soon became famous for its unique shipbuilding techniques. The workers developed first system of building the ships and they used production line techniques that were never seen until some centuries later during the International Revolution. The firearms were built at the Arsenale, in the early 14th century, and included bombards. At a later date some small arms such as crossbows and guns were made here. Around 1500 another section was added to the Arsenale , called Novissimo Arsenale that housed an assembly line for the construction of hulls. One of the most splendid architectural feature is the Porta Magna, or the main gate, added to Arsenale in 1460. The Porta Magna was the first Classical Revival that was built in the city of Venice and served as a  model for many other buildings. Near the ornate gate the tourists will get to see two lions statues taken from Piraeus in Greece.

 

 

  The Madonna dell’Orto church is situated in Cannaregio, and it is one of the most loved masterpieces in Venice. The fabulous church was built by an Italian religious order known as Humiliati. The Madonna dell’Orto church was constructed in the middle of the 14th century. The grand structure was designed by Tiberio da Parma, and was initially named for St.Christopher, the patron of travelers. Its name was changed in the 15th century when it was determined a miraculous statue of Mary the Mother of Jesus, which was found in a nearby orchard. It had a poor construction that is why had to be restored in 1399. The church was remodeled in the 16th century and yet again in 1841 by the Austrian Government. The exterior of the miraculous church is very simple but it is actually delicate decorated. The present façade is made of brick and has sloping sides. When you step inside you can see one nave and two aisles and pointed arches supported columns decorated in a Greek style. It has a must see interior, featuring the veritable Tintoretto paintings that grace in the interior, including the Presentation in Temple,  the Last Judgement, and the Four Cardinal Virtues, all of them painted in the  1562-1564 years. The incredible church surprises with its magnificent interior and also with its unique exterior, enchanting the visitor’s eyes and souls.

 

 

  Venice is a small city conquered by waters, an archaic world veiled in the mystery of an old story, well preserved during the centuries. The picturesque city is majestic, is truly fantastic which keeps a pleasant atmosphere, leaving  great impressions on you. The impressive attractions are overwhelming the tourists, with unique experiences. Here you can have the best vacation, on antique and in the same time modern sites, a perfect destination for inloved couples, who will find  the best refuge, full of tranquility and peace here.

 

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