My walk to the Arsenale...

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As I walked out of the shadow into the Piazza San Marco, I was quickly caught up in throngs of people moving thru the square sightseeing. I remember the first time I saw the domes of the Bascilica di San Marco reaching up to the sky with the Campanile di San Marco towering above everyone. In addition to the mulititudes of people moving about the square, you cannot fail to notice the incredible amount of pigeons flying all over the place. I'm not entirely sure when the practice of feeding the pigeons truly started. Most likely it's been going on for centuries. If you're inclined, you can buy food for the pigeons place it on your clothes and watch them devour every last scrap of food right off your clothes. I got a lot of photos of people doing exactly that but I admit that I did not engage in the bird feeding myself.

Sam's girlfriend Federica told me that there are now so many pigeons in Venice that it's causing problems for the buildings. I can well imagine that it would. My own personal thought is that the Venetian government should try introducing a few hawks into the city. The hawks would have plenty to eat with all the pigeons around and that in turn would diminish the damage to the buildings caused by the birds. I admit that the tourists may not like it if they're feeding a pigeon only to have the bird snatched away by a voracious hawk. I still think it's a good idea don't you?

I slowly made my way over to the bascilica and saw the gigantic line of people waiting to get in. I turned to the right and saw a similar line of folks waiting to get into the Campanile di San Marco. I had been toying with the idea of visiting both, but I scratched the idea after I saw the lines. I'd spent a great deal of time visting both places, so I decided that there would be another time to visit them in the future. Going past the bell tower, you will enter what's known as the Piazzetta di San Marco. Depending on who you talk to someone might tell you that the Piazzetta is not part of the actual San Marco square, others might disagree. My own view is that it's all the same to me because once you make that right hand turn, you suddenly find yourself walking between the Doge's Palace on one side and the Biblioteca Marciana on the other.

Walking further you'll see two very large columns rising up to the sky each featuring the two patron saint's of Venice, Saint Theodore and Saint Mark. Originally, Saint Theodore was the first patron saint of Venice, and it's the column to the right that depicts Saint Theodore slaying the dragon. The exact same statue of Saint Theodore can be found in the courtyard of the Doge's Palace. Looking at it closely, you'll see Saint Theodore in full armour, carrying both spear and shield, with a halo over his head. The work is finely detailed, and I advise you to make some time to experience what you're seeing. It has been said, that Napoleon called the Piazza San Marco, "the drawing room of Europe." I don't really know if Napoleon actually said that but I have to confess it's an amazing sight that is not to be missed.

Beyond the columns, you'll see the canal itself with a multitude of gondolas along the quays from end to end. It had grown very hot by this time, so I decided to sit by the canal and rest for a bit. I was not the only one with this idea however, as I could see many folks lounging by the canal in various states of relaxation. I found a spot to camp out for a bit and I was able to stretch my legs as I stared across the waters of the canal to what lay on the other side.

Looking across the waters you will see the Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore which is home to the Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore. I did not have an occasion to visit this particular church when I was last here. I resolved to make that trip over the water just as soon as I bought a ticket for the vaporetto. I found myself growing drowsy in the suns heat, so I decided it was time for me to get up and continue on my trek. Now, the path I was traveling on is known as the Riva degli Schiavani. I did a bit of research (always the historian) and discovered that this particular promenade was named for the Slavs who came from Dalmatia to fish and sell what they caught along the canal. The Riva degli Schiavani is the exact opposite of the Zattere in that it's always packed full of people from all walks of life. Also, there are plenty of stalls there where you can probably buy just about anything you want, providing you haven't already spent your money crossing over the Rialto that is.

There is a canal bridging the distance between the Palazzo Ducale and what used to be the Venetian prisons. Looking upward, you'll see an ornate bridge linking the two buildings together. In the Italian, it is called Ponte dei Sospiri otherwise known as the Bridge of Sighs. It was across this bridge that convicted criminals could get their last glimpse of Venice before being led into the prisons on the other side. Lord Byron's poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage directly references the Ponte dei Sospiri in the following, "I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs,
A palace and a prison on each hand." Looking at the Bridge of Sighs with my own eyes, I tried to imagine how those prisoners felt as they looked out on to Venice for that final time and I sighed. It was enough. Time to move on to the Arsenale.

Throughout history, Venice has been renowned for many things not the least of which was shipbuilding. The Arsenale is said to have been built around 1104. There are other sources that say the Arsenale was built earier than 1104 but there is no evidence of an exact date that I could find. Since the time of it's inception, the Arsenale is the site of all shipbuilding in Venice and that is still true today. The Arsenale is a quite a fair distance from the Piazza San Marco but on a day such as this it didn't seem too far. The sun was shining, the gulls were gliding overhead calling to one another as I continued my walk. I walked down the Riva degli Schiavoni beyond the Riva di Dio. I crossed over one more bridge and that's when I realized that I was looking out over the Rio dell' Arsenale. There's a walkway on the opposite side of the bridge that leads you directly to the Arsenale that I could see in the distance.

The air was warm the humidty was very heavy wrapping around me like a cloak. The air shimmered with the heat and I was very glad that I had a liter of water with me as I traveled. Across the way, I saw a black pelican sleeping with his beak folded under a wing. I think nothing short of a thunderstorm would have awakened that bird. As I approached the Arsenale, I saw a bridge that would lead me over Rio dell' Arsenale to stand in front of the Porta Magna (main gate) to the Arsenale. As I approached I saw signs all over that this was a military zone so I didn't imagine I'd be able to go inside. It was then I notcied a large group of travlers who were admitted for a tour. I found out afterward that it is possible to go inside but those arrangements have to be made way in advance. I decided if I get the opportunity to get inside the Arsenale I'd seize it but at the moment, I decided it was time to make my way back to the Hotel Tivoli.

I knew that I was over in the Castello district so I retraced my steps back thru San Marco crossing over the Rialto wandering through San Polo until I entered Dorsoduro arriving back at my original starting point. I stopped off and bought three gigantic slices of pizza and a Coke. I found a quiet corner beside a canal as I ate every slice of pizza watching people walk by to where ever they were going. As the sunlight faded, I got up from where I'd had my first dinner in Venice returning to the hotel.

I took a minute to email a few folks, and then made me way off to bed. I had a big day ahead of me tomorrow as I was heading off to Conegliano to see Sam.

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