Hi, I'm Rick Steves,
back with more of the best of Europe.
Get ready to be immersed in the wonder of this
continent's most romantic city...Venice.
Thanks for joining us. Venice, more than any
other European city, has a seductive charm.
There's no place like it. For centuries it was
nicknamed "La Serenissima" -- "the most serene
place" -- and you're about to see why. In this first of two
episodes on Venice, we'll sample the splendor of
the Doge in his palace, take a pilgrimage to
St. Mark's Basilica, see some famous horses, enjoy a grand but noisy view, feast on Venetian treats, get a splash of modern art, be dazzled by masterpieces of the Venetian Renaissance,
and get intimate with the city of
Casanova...on a gondola. Located in Italy at the
north end of the Adriatic Sea is Venice.
It's a fish-shaped island connected to the mainland by a long causeway.
Its main drag -- the Grand Canal --
starts at the fish's mouth and winds through the center.
Everything we'll see is within a
ten-minute walk of the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square. Venice, more than any other
city, is the place to get out early and stay out
late -- to be swept away. On every square
is a surprise and around each corner is an excuse
to savor the unique charms of the city.
But all the magic sits on a practical foundation
of political and economic might. With mountains of
capital, plenty of traders with ready ships,
and an awesome military, Venice was a commercial
powerhouse -- among the six biggest cities in Europe.
At its peak, in the early 15th
century, of its 180,000 citizens, nearly 1,000
were fabulously wealthy. The city's ceremonial
front door was unfortified and faced the sea: two
mighty columns welcome you to a power without
equal and the most exquisite downtown
imaginable in its day. The winged lion is the symbol of Mark,
the patron saint of Venice. This was the Venetian
Republic's religious and political center:
St. Mark's Square, or Piazza San Marco,
with the Basilica of St. Mark and the Doge's Palace. The Doge's Palace -- the
ruling center and residence of Venice's duke -- was
built to show off the power and wealth of the
Republic and to remind visitors that Venice was number one.
Its lacy exterior, a distinct blend of
east and west, is Venetian Gothic. For four centuries,
this was the most powerful piece of real estate in Europe.
The sprawling palace is a maze of
richly decorated rooms. Here in the doge's lavish
apartment, a map illustrates the reach
of the Venetian maritime empire -- which stretched
across most of the eastern Mediterranean. While it didn't have vast
land holdings, Venice was a mighty trading
empire -- built upon a network of ports and a mastery of the sea.
The city was driven by an interest in
dominating Mediterranean trade. And, until the 16th
century after explorers like Vasco da Gama
and Columbus opened up the world leaving
Venice stuck in a geographic hole,
Venice did dominate. Here in the Senate
Hall, nobles gathered to address their colleagues,
debate, and pass laws. Glorious paintings
throughout the palace reminded Venetians of
their heritage and divinely ordained greatness. Tintoretto's "Triumph
of Venice" shows the city -- always represented
blond and virtuous -- in heaven among the Greek Gods, receiving the wealth of the sea. The doge was something
of an elected king -- which only makes sense in an
aristocratic republic like Venice.
Technically, he was a noble selected by other nobles to
oversee the carrying out of their laws and decisions. There were 120
doges over 1100 years. The vast Hall of the
Great Council could host a meeting of 2,500 nobles.
Tintoretto's monsterpiece, "Paradise" -- the largest oil
painting anywhere -- reminded lawmakers that making
wise decisions would ultimately put you in the
company of 500 saints. And for further
encouragement, the famous Bridge of Sighs led
directly from the palace to its infamous prison.
According to the romantic legend, gazing out the
window, prisoners tried to enjoy their last
view of Venetian beauty, sighed...and were
taken to their cell. Opponents of the government
were dealt with swiftly and decisively.
This prison -- with discouraging bars -- held commoners and nobles alike. The great Venetian rogue
Casanova did time here. While this prison was
considered relatively comfortable in its day,
wasting away in here, with so much beauty so
close, must have been a particularly cruel punishment. The palace kept an armory
on display -- an intentionally intimidating array of
weaponry designed to dishearten potential adversaries.
Along with a powerful collection
of weapons-state of the art in its day,
it comes with some fun curiosities: tiny
crossbows, thumbscrews, and a particularly effective chastity belt. Along with economic
might, the splendor of Venice was built upon a
foundation of military power. Its formidable
navy saw lots of action. Nearby stand the imposing
gates of the Arsenal -- Europe's first great military
industrial complex. The Republic's fortified
shipyard, with 3,000 workers using an early
form of assembly line production and
standardized parts, could produce one warship a day. The Arsenal put the
"fear of Venice" into visiting rulers.
When the king of France came to town,
he was taken here for a humbling spectacle: the creation
of an entire warship before his very eyes. Then, after a quick glide
down this canal, the vessel was completely
outfitted and ready to bolster Venetian dominance
of the Mediterranean. Power in Venice also came
from some ancient bones. To gain religious
importance and a kind of legitimacy,
the Venetians needed some important relics.
According to legend, St. Mark actually traveled
here, personally bringing Christianity to the region. His bones would be perfect. So, in 828,
Venetian merchants smuggled Mark's remains out of Egypt and
into the church -- shown here as it looked in the 13th century. Mark -- looking pretty grumpy after
the long voyage -- became the city's patron saint
and his symbol -- the winged lion -- became
the symbol of Venice. The grand church of St.
Mark's was built in a distinctly Eastern style.
Its domes and elaborate exterior remind
us of Venice's close ties with the Greek,
Byzantine, and Muslim worlds. The basilica is decorated
with a ragtag assortment of miss-matched columns
and statues from different eras, much of it pillaged
from Venice's rivals. The style?
I'd call it "Early Ransack." These four guys are a
favorite of mine. It's an ancient Roman statue
carved of precious purple porphyry stone --
symbolic of power -- pillaged from far away -- probably
Constantinople, and placed here proudly as spoils of war. Of all the loot
ornamenting the church, its grandest prize is a set of
horses, which for centuries looked out
over the square. While these are copies,
the originals are inside. These much-coveted and
exquisitely cast bronze horses are a trophy
befitting the city's power. And talk about
well-traveled: According to legend, they were cast
for Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC,
taken by Nero to Rome, then brought by Constantine
to his new capital in the East...Constantinople.
Later the Venetians grabbed them,
only to have Napoleon swipe them to decorate an arch in Paris.
Today, they're back in what Venetians believe
is their rightful home. The church is covered
with glass and gold mosaics. And, in good medieval style, they come with religious lessons.
The entrance hall-features an elaborate
and cohesive series of Old Testament scenes. The creation dome tells
the story of Genesis with Adam and Eve and
the original sin. In a scene-by-scene story
board, we see Adam lonely in the garden,
the creation of Eve, and then trouble: from apple to
fig leaf to banishment. The interior of the
basilica glitters with its gold leaf mosaic work.
The remains of St. Mark lie beneath the high altar.
The Pala d'Oro or Golden Altarpiece is
a medieval masterpiece. Its stunning golden wall
of 250 painted enamels features prophets and
saints, and, at its center: Jesus, as Ruler of the Cosmos. All this precious art
is carefully maintained in the church's mosaic workshop.
As they've done for a thousand
years, artisans here are patiently restoring a
damaged piece of mosaic. They're cleaning and
resetting old stones and cutting new ones as
necessary -- all according to the exact medieval original. St. Mark's bell tower -- or
"campanile" -- soars 300 feet over the square.
A tower has stood here, like an exclamation
point, proclaiming the power and greatness
of the Venetian empire for 1200 years. Today an elevator zips
you effortlessly to the top to enjoy a commanding view.
From here, you can see how Venice
is an island lying in the center of a vast lagoon.
Surveying the domes and towers of
the city's skyline, it's amazing to think it all
sits on a foundation of pilings...millions of tree trunks driven
deep into the clay. For an ear-shattering experience, be here
on the top of the hour. About 25 miles of canals
crisscross the city, flowing like streams
into the Grand Canal. The city is actually a
car-free maze of about 100 islands -- laced together
by several hundred bridges and a vast web
of alleys and canalside walkways.
With a shrinking population and in a state of elegant
decay, Venice survives on the artificial
respirator of tourism. Survey the city by
cruising the Grand Canal on a boat called a vaporetto.
These work like city buses except that
they never get a flat, the stops are docks,
and if you get off between stops, you'll drown. Joy-riding through the
town is one of Europe's unforgettable treats.
Boats come every few minutes so you can hop on and off
along the way. The city's main thoroughfare
is busy with traffic. With water taxis,
police boats, delivery boats, post boats and
over 400 gondoliers all navigating around the
churning "vaporetti," there's a lot of congestion
on the Grand Canal. Where the Grand Canal
opens up into the lagoon stands one of Venice's
most distinctive landmarks, the church dedicated
to Santa Maria della Salute, Our Lady of Health. Plagues decimated communities
throughout Europe. They were a huge concern.
Entire cities would make great and desperate
deals with God if he'd spare them from
the dreaded disease. While lots of towns
built plague monuments, Venice built this entire
church in hopes of surviving the disease
that hit in 1630, and in just 14 months killed
a third of its people. Stepping into La Salute,
the glorious architecture -- a round dome atop a
hexagonal base -- makes the relatively small church
seem bigger than it is. And the theme is
made clear at the high altar: The Virgin Mary
is approached for help by a humble Lady Venice.
Mary then sends an angel baby to drive away Old Lady Plague. For a break from
sightseeing and a fun meal, explore the back lanes,
and pop into a bar serving "cicchetti," uniquely Venetian
hors d'oeuvres. This is a great way to try a
variety of dishes. With a good regional
wine in a rustic setting you can eat
cheaply and make new friends or enjoy old ones.
Allesandro is joining us to give our
nibbles some meaning... Rick: So, what is "cicchetti?"
Allesandro: It is a small bite, you know, that you normally have when you
have a glass of wine with a friend. Rick: It can make a small meal. Allesandro: If you keep going for
three, four bars, yes. Because you can't drive
a car in Venice it's perfectly suited to
bar hopping like this. Allesandro: This is
"cicchetto"....a little thing that you grab with the hand
that's to be finger food. Rick: Eat with your fingers,
with your wine. Allesandro: With your
finger, with your wine, yeah. You help yourself,
one for you, one for me, a little for you, a little for me,
and they try you see, look yeah. Rick: Good one. Allesandro says it's
alright to just point at what you want,
but your selection will be limited to what's fresh from the market
that day. Allesandro: When you
come here to the bar you have to order what
they find in the market in the morning, has to be fresh. Rick: So this is representative
of what Francisco found in the market
good this morning. Allesandro: Yes, yes,
to find in the market in the morning. Eating "cicchetti" is
a tasty opportunity to try something
new and unusual. Allesandro: This, this one
they are cooked in the oven. You grab it, they sell it from the tail... Rick: By the tail. Allesandro: By the tail and you eat it,
just you want, they are fantastic... These are fantastic. Rick: Oh, that's an explosion of taste! But don't forget, according to
Allesandro, you only eat "cicchetti"
so you can have more of the main course....wine. Because of its former
wealth, Venice is a city of palaces.
The most lavish face the Grand Canal.
Enjoying the views from a vaporetto is the best way to really
appreciate the front doors of this historic
chorus line of mansions, most from the 14th
and 15th centuries. Palaces like these are
reminders that Venetian merchants amassed lots of capital.
With clever alliances and aggressive
trade policies, for Venice, the eastern
Mediterranean was a virtual free-trade zone. As Venetian nobles traded
their way into fabulous wealth,
they built luxurious palaces like this one which has been
owned by the Pisani family for nearly 400 years.
Their counterparts on the mainland had to
fortify their places with heavy stone and tall towers.
But, with their natural lagoon
defenses, Venetian palazzos could be sumptuous
rather than fortified. A palace served all the
family's needs -- import/export warehouse at water
level, business offices above that, and plush living quarters
above that -- all under one roof. The goods -- in the case
of this family: furs, salt, cotton, and coffee -- came
off ships through this loading dock. Today many former palazzos
survive as hotels. While there are a number
of luxurious hotels in town, my favorites are the
smaller, family-run ones -- which combine
historic character, a warm and friendly welcome and
plenty of travel tips. At this hotel,
I'm splurging to enjoy that prince for a day
feeling in the lounge, a bedroom with all the
comforts, and a terrace with a view
of the Grand Canal. Venice is a great place
to fall in love, enjoy a honeymoon...or a special anniversary. Visiting here,
many feel that they're experiencing beauty, people,
and even life itself at a more intense level. The Grand Canal cuts
Venice in half and has only four bridges.
The grandest of these is the Rialto.
With a huge span and foundations stretching about 200
yards on either side, it was an engineering
marvel back in the 1500s. Originally,
Venice had two major centers of power -- one at San Marco
and one here at Rialto. Rialto, which left the
politics to San Marco, has long been the commercial
district of Venice. To cross the Grand
Canal where there's no bridge handy,
save time and energy by hopping a "traghetto" -- one of the
ferry gondolas, which shuttle pedestrians back
and forth at strategic locations.
It's customary to stand. Can't afford a private gondola?
You could take two round-trips on this for the cost of an
ice cream cone. Among the many palaces
you'll see lining the Grand Canal,
only one looks modern: the former mansion of Peggy Guggenheim.
In 1948, the American-born heiress
retired here in Venice. She made her mark as a
friend, patron -- and lover -- of modern artists.
Today the palazzo houses the Peggy Guggenheim
Collection, filled with groundbreaking
20th-century masterpieces. Visiting, you can imagine
it as Peggy's retirement dream home -- with the
heiress and her Picassos greeting guests in the entryway. With astonishing
foresight, she assembled a Who's Who of her
generation's greatest art. Her dining room,
with its original table, is still decorated with
masterpieces by Brancusi, Braque, and others. She married the painter, Max Ernst.
And she supported young artists,
helping turn a struggling Jackson Pollock -- with his Abstract
Expressionism -- into a celebrity. By the time she retired,
Peggy had become a celebrity herself.
Every morning, she could sit here on her terrace,
sipping coffee, taking in the Grand Canal,
living the Venetian dream. This city also has several
palaces now functioning as art galleries packed
with old Venetian masterpieces. But I particularly enjoy
seeing art in the setting for which it was designed...
that's in situ -- like at the Chiesa dei Frari. The "Church of the
Friars" was built by the Franciscan order and the art that
decorates it feels warmed by the spirit of
St. Francis. The Franciscans, inspired by
St. Francis, were non-materialists -- part
of a reform movement that spread across Europe
in the early 1200s. They were all about
simplicity, poverty, and obedience -- with an emphasis on the
humanity of Jesus. The long lofty nave
flooded with light was ideal for large gatherings
to hear sermons. Originally simple and
spacious, over time, it was embellished with
chapels, added by wealthy groups or
families who hired leading artists to
leave their mark. In Donatello's wood carving of
St. John the Baptist, the prophet of the desert -- dressed in animal skins and
almost anorexic from his diet of bugs 'n' honey --
announces the coming of the Messiah.
Donatello was a Florentine working here in Venice at the
dawn of the Renaissance. Adjacent, Giovanni Bellini's
"Madonna and Saints" was painted by the
father of the Venetian Renaissance in a softer,
more Venetian style. Renaissance humanism
demanded Madonnas and saints that were
accessible and human. Here, Bellini places them
in a physical setting so beautiful it creates its
own mood of serene holiness. Over the high altar,
glowing red and gold like a stained glass window,
Titian's "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" sets
the tone of exuberant beauty found in this church.
Titian's complex composition draws you
upward -- from man on earth to triumphant Mary,
and on up as she rises to join God in heaven. While the Frari has great
art "in situ" -- for me, the entire city is art
"in situ." And perhaps the best way to
appreciate that is gliding through its picturesque
canals on a gondola. Venice's sleek and
graceful gondolas are a symbol of the city.
From the start, boats were the way to get
around among the island communities of the lagoon.
To navigate over shifting sand bars,
the boats were flat bottomed and the captains stood up to see.
Today's boats still come with
gondoliers standing up and no rudder, or keel.
They're built with a slight curve so that
a single oar on the side propels them
in a straight line. The art of the gondola
survives in the quiet back canals.
In this shop the workmen -- who needed to be good with
wood -- were traditionally from Italy's mountains.
That's why they maintain a refreshing alpine-feel in this delightful
little corner of Venice. Nearby, in an artisans
workshop, visitors are welcome to observe
as he provides for the city's 400 gondoliers.
Working with traditional tools, graceful oars
are carefully planed to be true and properly balanced.
And each walnut "forcula" -- the stylized
oarlock -- is like a sculpture, hand crafted, one of a
kind and honoring the city's heritage. A gondola ride is a
traditional must for romantics. Gondolas are moored everywhere.
Wait till early evening,
when the crowds are gone and the light is right.
Find a gondolier whose personality you enjoy, settle on a price,
and hop in. On a gondola,
you glide through your own private Venice -- far from the
hub-bub of modern tourism. Lonely bridges,
canals without sidewalks, and reflections of
once-upon-a-time grandeur. This is just one more
way to yield to the enchanting wonders of
this most serene city. I'm Rick Steves
surrendering to the timeless charms of Venice. Life is good.
Be thankful...and keep on travelin'. "Ciao."
