My+trip+to+Venice

=__**//Venice//**__=

Venice is a very beautiful city. To travel around Venice you can use boats and gondola. This trip will be on a gondola. It is a great way to experience the city. This gondola ride takes you along the //Canal Grande//, the biggest canal in Venice. There are three bridges that cross the canal; the Rialto Bridge, The Accademdia Bridge and The Scalzi. There are many sites located on the banks of the canal. For example;
 * The search for the Golden Lion**
 * 1) Ca’ d’Oro (Palazzo Santa Sofia)
 * 2) Ca’ Rezzonico – museum
 * 3) Church of St Eustachio or San Stae
 * 4) Scuola Gande di San Marco - school
 * 5) The Arsenal
 * 6) San Giorgio Maggiro

These are amazing sites to visit make sure you put them on your agenda for another day. Today we are visiting the following 5 exciting sites:
 * La Galleria dell’Accademia
 * Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
 * Piazza San Marco
 * Palazzo Ducale (Doge Palace)
 * Basilica di San Marco
 * San Marco Campanile

Firstly we travel under the Scalzi Bridge, then the Rialto and finally the Academy Bridge. Located just after the Academy Bridge is the Academy of Fine Arts.

rom the 15th century to the 18th century. Its collection consists of Renaissance artists, Byzitine, Venetian, Gothic and many more. Some of the artists are Tiepolo, Carpaccio, Bellini. Just to name a few. The tickets are quite cheap and there are a lot of amazing paintings. You would see extraordinary arts, and have a wonderful. If classical museums not your thing, then there are still other sites to visit.
 * //La Galleria dell’Accemdia è museo bellisimo//**. The Academy of Fine Arts hold art works


 * Prossima fermata: La Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.**

It was built in order to give relief to Venetians from the black plague in 17th century. It has beautiful Baroque architecture. It is also one of the largest churches in Venice. It is built on a platform made out of 100 000 wooden planes, and the church itself consists of Istrian stone and bricks covered in marble dust. On the 21 November of every year, the Venetians troops marched across over a specially constructed bridge to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. It is celebrates the Venice’s end to the plague.
 * //La basilica è molto magnifico.//**



//**Piazza San Marco è il migliore piazza in Venezia.**//

Across the canal from the ‘**Basilica di Santa Maria**’ is **Piazza San Marco**. Venice’s most famous town square. There is also joining to the Piazza is the **Piazzetta di San Marco**. It is a small open space next to the opening of the lagoon. The ‘Porta della carta’ is also in the Pizzaetta. Located in the Piazza San Marco is the **Palazzo Ducale, Basilica di San Marco, San Marco Campanile e Torre dell’Orologio**. It is a place for social, religious and once political gatherings. Carnevale is Venice’s biggest tourist attraction. The Piazza is filled with masks, costumes, parades, etc. There are many events held in Piazza during this period. They are usually free and you can join in with them. Even just walking around for a while you can admire the extravagant costumes. All over Venice there are different events organized and all you have to do is have fun. Carnevale is usually taken place is February. The Palazzo Ducale is located near the waters edge. The Basilica di San Marco is behind it, facing to the Piazza.




 * //Palazzo Ducale//** **//è molto grande.//**


 * The Doge Palace,** once was the centre of all the political decisions in Venice. There was also a place where the court, the jail and the beheadings used to take place. If you get a ticket for the ‘Secret Itineraries’, you are able to visit the old prison cells (the new prison was relocated under the Bridge of Sighs), the room of torture, room of torment, and many more other rooms in the Doge Palace. It is an unbelievably experience. It was first built in the ninth century, and it’s structure was more like a castle than its present shape. However during the ninth century and fourteen century, it had been rebuilt many times, that’s why its appearance had hange. Its present structure is a Venetian gothic architecture. It took nearly over a century for the exquisite details to be completed (1340 – 1420). It had three majors roles; the Doge residence, the seat of government and the palace of justice. It is classified as one of the most famous buildings in Venice.

//**La migliore basilica per visitare è Basilica di San Marco.**//

One of the other famous buildings located in the Piazza is the **Basilica di San Marco**. The Doge had built this ‘Basilica’ as a tomb and (as a dedication) for San Marco. Venetian merchants stole his remains from his tomb in Alexandria, Egypt and brought them back via ship. It says that the Venetians had chosen San Marco as their patron saint because he had ties with Rome and their could declare independence from the Byzantine Church. His symbol the winged lion became the emblem of Venice. There are four replicas of the famous ancient horses of San Marco, outside the front entrance. The original ones are safely behind glass in the Basilica. The architecture of the church is a mixture between Roman, Venetian and Byzantine. It was finished in 1071 with its current structure today. In 1807, it had become the cathedral of Venice, before it was the Doge’s chapel. It is listed as a World Heritage Site.




 * //Ha una vista panormica.//**

Finally in the last site today is the **San** **Marco Campanile**. It stands at 97 metres high and it is the tallest building in Venice. You can easily go to the top with a lift and enjoy the scenery. It stands in front of the Basilica. There are five bells in the Campanile;
 * The Nona which marks the 9th hour
 * The Marangona, calls the beginning and ending of a working day
 * The Maleficio announces those condemned to death
 * The Trottiera and The Pregadi, called judges and senators to their seat in the Doge palace

The views you can catch from the top of the bell tower are phenomenal. On a clear, sunny day you can see a panoramic view of Venice. It is truly magical.

//**Il Leone d'Oro di Venezia.**//

Now we have reached our destination the ‘golden lion’ (well one of them. They are scattered everywhere around Venice. Search for a while and you will not only sculptures of them but as well as paintings, etc.) In the Piazza, on the ‘Torre dell’Orologio’ (clock tower) sits one of the most famous winged lion sculpture in Venice. Also in the Pizzetta stands another well known one, a column. As mentioned earlier it is the symbol of Saint Mark and the emblem of Venice. The winged lion can be armed with a sword and it represents strength, civil ventures, and courage. The highest prize given at the Venice Film Festival is the golden lion with wings. I hope you have enjoyed it. Enjoy exploring the rest of Venice and her glory. Remember the sites I mentioned earlier.





· [] · [|http://www.italyguides.it/us/venice_italy/interactive_map_of_venice] [|/map_of_venice.php] · [] · [] · [] · [] · [] · [] · [|http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/eng/panoramiche/panoramiche.bsm?cat=4&subcat=2#] · [] · [|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCcRWe1HEGM&fature=related]
 * Bibliography**