TEN TEKST MOŻNA PRZECZYTAĆ RÓWNIEŻ PO POLSKU
This is the second part of the reminiscences from the trip to Italy I had made several years ago. Recently I have written what I had visited during a short stay in Rome and a one day excursion to Assisi. Today I will write shortly about three other cities in which I had spent just one day. Somewhat more I had written only, some time ago, about Florence.
Venice
Hm, what can I say? The truth is that Venice did not impress me at all. The city is interesting due to its location on the water; many buildings catch the eyes with their architecture. And that is all... I have not seen anywhere the romantism and charm everyone is raving about.- St. Mark Square (Piazza San Marco) – its history goes back to XI century; it is the main square of the city; from the beginning there had been held important celebrations and events here. It is connected with a smaller square called Piazzetta San Marco. They both are surrounded by buildings of the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale) and the Basilica of St Mark. The palace has bizantine origin, it was for a long time a seed of the doges (the rules of the city) and the Palace of the Justice. The temple was build in the X century as a burial place of the St Mark the Evangelist's relics. It was rebuilt later several times. It is a magnificent example of the Italo-Bizantine architecture.
The square is often flooded by water, then low platforms are set up for the visitors, creating sort of paths for them to walk around the square and to enter the temple.
In front of the basilica there is a neoclassical building called Ala Napoleonica. There are here also the Clock Tower (Torre dell’Orologio) and the Bell Tower of St Mark (Campanile).
Ala Napoleonica houses several museums: Museum Correr (Museo Correr, history of Venice), Archeological Museum (Museo Archeologico, ancient Greek and Roman sculptures), Museum of the Uprising (Museo del Risorgimento, dedicated to the uprising against the Austrians in 1848), and Quadreria (paintings of the Venice school from XIII-XV centuries).
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| View of the St Mark Square |
- Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) – the most famous bridge in the city. It was built at the of the XV i XVI cent. to connect the prison with the Criminal Court which was held in the Doge's Palace. The convicts were lee through here to their cells. According to the writers of the XIX century, prisoners were said to be sighing to their beloved ones who rested in liberty - this is where the name of the bridge comes from.
- Bridge Rialto (Ponte di Rialto) – the oldest bridge over the Grand Canal; its construction was completed in the XVI cent.; centuries ago it was the only connection between the two banks of the Grand Canal; shops lining in the middle make a very picturesque view
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| Rialto Bridge |
- Grand Canal (Canale Grande) – strictly speaking it is a strait, 3,8 kms long and 30 to 60 meters broad, in the shape of the inverted letter S, cutting the city into two. The channel was built in the XV cent., many buildings were built along its run; they can be admired during the excursion in a gondola or a water tram
- Vaporetto, or water tram – while in Venice it is a must to use at least once a water tram which is the main means of transport here; for those more romantic - there is a wide offer of the excursions in a gondola
- Obviously, there is much more to see in Venice, but that is all I managed to do during a one day trip
Pisa
Another Italian city that I visited during a one day trip. There are many historic buildings here but the majority of the tourists are interested only in the Leaning Tower and its surroundings. It is so called Meadow of Miracles (Campo dei Miracoli).
- Leaning Tower (Torre Pendiente) – its construction began in 1173, and it lasted for approx. 200 years; it is about 60 meters high; it was supposed to be a bell tower for the near-by cathedral, but during construction works it began to tilt - because of the sandy ground; its tilt is now 2,8 meters; entering it one has an impression that the building will fall down; the visiting is allowed only with a guide, it lasts for about 30 minutes; it is not allowed to take any bags, bagpacks etc., they have to be left in a cloakroom
- Cathedral (Duomo, Cattedrale) – built at the turn of the XI and XII centuries in the place of the former church; it was consumed by fire at the end of the XVI cent. and after several years it was rebuilt maintaining the original style. Its facade is decorated with the colored sandstone and plates of glass and majolika; the most precious is the southern door, mosaic "Christ in majesty" from 1320 and a pulpit from XIV cent.
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| In the foreground: Baptystery |
- Baptystery (Battistero) – a very interesting building; its construction began in 1152 and lasted until the second part of the XIII cent. It combines several styles, Roman, Gothic and Renaissance; its name comes from the marble baptismal font in its interior
- Cathedral Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo) – there are exhibited here precious objects from the Cathedral and Baptystery. From the upper balcony there is a beautiful view of the whole square
Verona
Another city to which I went for a one day trip. Everyone associates it with the love story of Romeo and Juliett, described in the maginificent work of Shakespeare. The city authorities know how to benefit from this interest.- Arena Amphitheater – one of the most famous monuments of the city, the third bigger Roman amphitheater but the best preserved
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| Arena - one of the oldest monuments of the city |
- Juliette's House (Casa di Julietta Cappelletti) – at via Cappello, with a famous balcony, the "obligatory" place to make a photo-souvenir
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| Picture-cliché on the Juliette's balcony |
- Castle (Castelvecchio) – castle-fortress from the XIV cent., built by the family Della Scala, it is supposed to have been built to protect them against the inhabitants than against the enemy; nowadays it houses a city museum which presents Italian and European art
- Basilica of St Zeno (Basilica San Zeno) – dating back to the XII cent., with a Bronze door decorated with reliefs with the scenes from the Bible and the life of the church's patron
- Main cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Matricolare) – built on the remains of the two paleo-christian churches which fell down during the earthquake in the XII century
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| Panoramic view of the city from the Tower of the Lamberti |
- Tower of the Lamberti (Torre dei Lamberti) – in the central part of the Erbe Square (Piazza delle Erbe); built in the XII cent.; it is 84 meters high; from its summit one can admire the beautiful panoramic view of the city