Venice, Italy
This was my second visit to Venice (late 2023, the first 1995). Things have changed for both good (no more large cruise ships) and the not so good (greater water inundation, fewer locals, too many tourists), but things are looking up.
Gondolas have transported residents, lovers and tourists around Venice since the 11th century. Of the estimated (almost) ten thousand that existed in the 17th and 18th century, only about 400 are in active service today, and my gondolier refused to sing! So I did! You should try it!
The city’s 2024 60th Biennale title “Foreigners Everywhere” (to describe the multinational source of art on display) reminded me that I hadn’t posted my visit there when tourists were ‘wall-to-wall’ – and foreigners were indeed everywhere! On my previous visit in 1995, there were fewer visitors, but the sight of huge cruise ships dwarfing even the tallest domes and spires left me speechless: it felt like an invasion. For many years Venetian citizens have lobbied against these ships, and cruise companies themselves have elected to dock elsewhere. Finally, the battle was won.
The large number of tourists, however, still poses problems, more so during peak times, but the city desperately needs the income. I once thought I’d visit during Venice’s (Lent) Carnevale; the images of masks and costumes are extraordinary. What fun! If you enjoy a Mardi Gras (last day of Lent), you’d love the Carnevale traditionally held to ‘prepare’ for forty days of fasting. Carnevale was/is an extravagant over-consumption of food, alcohol and fun while wearing a mask to disguise your excesses.
The income potential tourists create has motivated many ‘lagoon’ Venetians to move to areas on mainland Venice such Mestre, listing their island properties on Airbnb. There now seem to be more hotels and holiday rentals than homes, and, a few buildings had their windows boarded up. On close inspection, you see some changes in the city’s ‘character.’
Clever use of Google Maps allowed me to quickly move throughout the main island along metre-wide lanes to avoid the tourist drags. Along these you’ll see locals recognisable not only because they’re the ones walking a dog, but by a perceived glare of disapproval. Before mobile phones, these lanes allowed them some privacy and escape from the deluge of tourists that I represented. To solve the crowd problem, Venice has finally, in 2024, decided – much to the relief of locals – to set a daily limit on the number of tourists allowed in, and to charge a 5-euro entrance fee. ‘Has it become a theme park?’ I heard someone ask.
Images: One of the very narrow lanes; my silent gondolier; gondolas squeezing past each other; St Marc’s (expensive) outdoor dining, the Piazza at high tide; the Doge’s Palace; a peek at the sky and lagoon through a window on the Bridge of Sighs; canal scenes showing water inundation; the theatre, and me.
To date, between 22 and 30 million visitors have arrived annually, and most spend their time on the main island where the major ‘attractions’ are located. When visiting the Piazza San Marco, they quickly learn that these days it’s best to visit when the tide is out as the main square tends to flood (sea level rise or Venice sinking?) On the ferry, we’d pass the same building at different times of day. On the ground level, there was a table and chair just inside the door. When the tide was low, a man sat there reading, his feet dry. At other times, he was gone, and the ends of the white tablecloth floated as the water rose halfway up the table’s legs. I was left wondering about the resilience of the building’s foundations and remembered a TED Talk focused on a biological solution involving bio-reinforcement ‘sprayed’ around existing submerged footings. Perhaps that’s being put in place?
Images: Some of the lovely stores and galleries.
That said, you might well be asking, ‘Is Venice worth visiting?’ Of course, it is!! Everyone, if they’re able, should experience this unique, UNESCO-protected treasure at least once in their lifetime. Venice (Commune de Venezia) consists of 126 islands and areas on the mainland. Only about 50,000 people reside on the historical Island-city called the Centro Storico. The other (larger) islands in the Venice lagoon are Murano, Burano, Torcello and the Lido. However, I’d booked an inexpensive hotel near Venice’s first main train station in Mestre on the mainland. This gave respite from the crowds at day’s end, only a fifteen-minute ride to and from the Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia, Venice’s second station on the island. At the side of the exit is the office that sells tickets for the main attractions.
Most of the main island is dedicated to dining and shopping, punctuated here and there with theatrical and music performances (Vivaldi was born here). There are many small eateries that make delicious panini ‘sandwiches.’ High fashion, silks, exquisite leather goods, masks, ceramics, object d’art for interior design and glass of every conceivable shape and colour dominate the selection of goods awaiting purchase. Most of the glass is produced in Venice, but take care as, these days, some is also imported from China. The Venetian glass bears the Murano or another Venetian company’s stamp or certificate.
Images: Inside the opulent Doge’s Palace. It’s stunning, packed with history and art. You could literally spend all day and still not take it all in.
My favourite drawcards (apart from riding a gondola and singing loudly to the amusement of onlookers from the pretty bridges above the canals) are St Mark’s Basilica, the Piazza San Marco, and the Doge’s Palace where the artwork, the historical artifacts and the architecture are simply too magnificent – and their number too overwhelming – to even begin to describe. (There are reasons why Venice is called ‘A living Museum.’) After you’ve marvelled at the sheer opulence of it all, your tour guide will walk you over ‘The Bridge of Sighs’ into the dank stone dungeons where, having ‘sighed’ at their last glimpse of sky, prisoners spent what remained of their lives.
Images: The famous Rialto Bridge near St Lucia station – the arrival point for most visitors, and scenes from quiet Murano, the most famous of the glass-blowing centres in Venice.
Ferries and water taxis will take you to some of the outer islands. I spent the afternoon on Murano, a picturesque, almost provincial island, much quieter than the Centro Storico, with fewer tourists. If I ever return to Venice, this is where I’d stay and go island hopping to explore other, less populated places. Here, I could walk without having to dodge crowds, enjoy the sunshine, more authentic alfresco fare, and watch glass blowing exhibitions at leisure.
Sitting only two meters from the artist, I watched him pull an orange lump of molten glass attached to a poll from the ‘glory hole’ in the huge furnace. He sat down and used pliers to pull four thin ‘branches’ from the glass. Quickly, he detailed these into legs and extended and twisted the top into a horse’s head, the base into a tail. In less than ten minutes, he held a beautifully detailed, 25 cm high stallion rearing up on hind legs, his mane and tail seeming to blow in the wind, his life-like body caught in dynamic action. This was as close to ‘magic’ as it gets.
Venetian history: its artistic achievements, its politics, papal influence and changing allegiances is fascinating. In all, thirteen different ‘flags’ have flown over Venice. It has had its share of masters, but has also held power itself and conquered lands far from its shores including some Mediterranean islands such as Crete and Cyprus. Historically, its wealth came through international sea trade. Its strategic position at the head of the Adriatic saw trade with the Middle East and Asia, and, via the Brenner Pass, to-and-from the rest of Europe. This made it once one of the wealthiest cities in the world trading in silk, spices, art, gems, and grain. Venice, ‘the most beautiful city in the world’ was once a staging area where crusading knights met before heading to ‘The Holy Land.’ As a major maritime, financial, and commercial power, it was the capital of the Venetian Republic for nearly a thousand years between 810 and Napoleon’s arrival in 1797. In 1866 (during Italy’s unification), Venice became part of the Kingdom of Italy, and since 1946, it has been part of the Republic of Italy.
And where to next?
