Wild times were afoot in 15-century Venice. When we stopped on our pre-museum stroll through Venetian history, Gutenberg’s printing press had just taken off. Venice had become the printing capital of the world. But what about the impact of all this on the scribes of the day? Did anyone ever stop to consider the plight of the lowly scribe? Continue reading “The Lowly Scribe”
Category: Venice & Florence
15th-Century Venice – Wow!
The Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia is a special museum in Venice’s quiet Dorsoduro district. Before going inside, we’re taking a stroll through Venetian history. It’s not your average historical tale. Big changes that would affect us all were in the works in Venice – especially in the 15th century. Continue reading “15th-Century Venice – Wow!”
The Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia
The Gallerie dell’Accademia, (the accent on the “mi”), is a museum in Venice’s Dorsoduro district. I hinted last time that there’s something inside that you really ought to see. But if we just barge on in and see it now, we won’t appreciate what we’re seeing. We have to do our homework first. As always! Continue reading “The Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia”
Lost in the Dorsoduro
A map of Venice looks like a picture of a fish. The Grand Canal winds its way through the middle of the fish. The lower part of the fish is the Dorsoduro district. It’s off the beaten path for most tourists, but it’s a great district to stay in or visit. And even though it’s not a large area, it’s an easy place to get lost. I proved it! Continue reading “Lost in the Dorsoduro”
Marco Polo and the Great Kublai Khan
This morning we’re going to take a walk to see the Rialto bridge. The bridge that exists today was built of stone in 1590. The original Rialto bridge was a wooden structure built in the 12th century, shortly after the Crusaders returned from Constantinople. Someone we’ve all heard of probably walked across the Rialto bridge right about that time. His name was Marco Polo. Continue reading “Marco Polo and the Great Kublai Khan”
Lunchtime in Venice
It’s lunchtime in Venice, Italy. We left the crowds in Piazza San Marco and roamed the back streets to find a nice place for lunch. It didn’t take long. We settled in at a cozy restaurant situated on a quiet canal. If I had wanted to, I could have put my hand in the water while sitting at our table. (I didn’t want to). Continue reading “Lunchtime in Venice”
Detour to Constantinople – The 4th Crusade
The area known as the Gateway to Venice inspired this (continued) detour through history. Now we find ourselves in Constantinople in the 13th century. Crusaders on the 4th Crusade had planned to attack Alexandria, Egypt. But the Venetian Doge convinced them to sack the nearby city of Zara first. Then, as described last time, he convinced them to attack Constantinople instead. Wow. He must have been in sales, eh? Continue reading “Detour to Constantinople – The 4th Crusade”
Detour to Constantinople
We’re in beautiful Venice, but we’ve taken a detour through history, and now we find ourselves in Constantinople in the 13th century. We had no choice. The buildings surrounding Saint Mark’s Square ooze history. We had to know how this place came to be, so here we are on a detour to Constantinople. Continue reading “Detour to Constantinople”
How Little Venice Got to be Powerful Venice
We’re in the middle of the story of how little Venice got to be powerful Venice. If you’ve been following along, you may recall that in the 13th century, the Venetians were in a very interesting position. Venice, thanks to tax-free trade and its perfect location between East and West, was prospering mightily. But their sweet deal was in jeopardy. Continue reading “How Little Venice Got to be Powerful Venice”
Standing at the Gateway to Venice
There’s something special about the place called “The Gateway to Venice.” Buildings here seem as if they haven’t changed in hundreds of years. There’s a regal spirit in the air, maybe left over from when Venice was a force to be reckoned with in the western world. Continue reading “Standing at the Gateway to Venice”
