Our day started with a quick boat trip to Torcello – this was a very important center in the middle of the first millennium CE (it’s even been called the mother settlement from which Venice sprang). Today, the permanent population is in the teens, but it’s still a popular spot for tourists, both locals and those coming from far away.
Devil’s Bridge and Church TowerDevil’s Bridge (no handrails, no walls!)
Our main goal today was to visit the piazza, which houses both a “normal” church (Church of Santa Fosca) and a cathedral (Baslica of Santa Maria Assunta) – in most cities, the two are in separate parts of town.
Church of Santa Fosca (Martyr’s Church) – unusually, it is linked to the adjacent Cathedral by a porch instead of being elsewhere in town.The stone lions are actually originals, unlike many of the ones in Venice. Napoleon had them torn down throughout Venice, but Torcellio was a backwater and they were spared.15th century meeting room for lay people, not a church. It housed a mutual aid society.This is the bapistry. People did not get baptized into the church until they were young adults. The circle is a symbol, of course.
The cathedral was the highlight of the visit. Photography is not permitted, but our guide (Susan Steer, one of the founders of Venice in Peril which helps fund the restoration and conservation of the cathedral) quoted her grandmother’s advice to us: “If you can’t be good, be discreet”, and I chose to interpret that as permission to ignore the prohibition. :-) I was not alone.
Conserved walls – you can see the Crucifixion and Saint Cristopher to the right
Above the altarIn the apseInside the CathedralThe End of Days, including the Crucifixion, the Last Trump (possibly not actually shown here), the Revival of the Dead, the Final Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
We left the piazza and walked back to our boat.
Hemingway Drank Here!Atop the Devil’s BridgeNear a Torcello tavernAt the portA final look at theBaslica of Santa Maria Assunta and its tower (built as separate structures for safety)
Once back in Burano, we had time for a walk, exploration, and shopping before lunch.
Imagine what these houses would look like on a sunny day!Enjoying BuranoA little faded, but still niceColor-matched storm shutters, too!Murano Glass and Gold Leaf EngravingBurano CemeteryPisa isn’t the only Italian city with a leaning tower!A small shrine and sitting area on the street in Burano
After lunch, we boarded a ship to Murano for a glass-blowing demonstration at Ferro & Lazzarini.
Queuing up for the glass-blowing demonstrationEven non-negotiable tips are OKHeating the glassReadying the decorationsIncorporating the decorationsReheatingShapingHeating the glass againOpening up the bottleAnd a horse for an encoreFinished products
After the demonstration, we had the chance to walk through their showroom and admire the products for sale (prices from 20 to 20,000 Euro…with a special 20% discount for us!). Some pieces were practical (cups, including Kiddush cups); some were over-the-top; all were beautiful. Photography was not permitted, and this time, I obeyed.
Note the lack of a shopping bag!
As soon as we returned from Murano, the ship sailed for Chioggia at the other end of the lagoon. We’re supposed to arrive during dinner and we’re staying there overnight.
Vicenza is a small town about an hour away from Venice by road; it is famous as the home of Andrea Palladio, who has been called the “father of American Architecture” – not that he ever visited America, but because the Palladian style greatly influenced American architects, including Thomas Jefferson. Monticello, the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, and the White House are all built in Palladian style, featuring strong symmetry and arches surrounded by windows.
Vicenza has nearly two dozen of Palladio’s buildings, including the Teatro Olimpico (the first purpose-built permanent indoor theatre in Europe).
Vicenza Castle TowerGaribaldiThis is a partially finished building by Palladio. They ran out of money and the two families who had commissioned it stopped being friends.The two figures represent the rivers of VicenzaCa d’oro – the Golden HouseTeatro OlimpicoStage at the Teatro OlimpicoTeatro Olimpico in LegoPalladioChiesa di San Lorenzo (not Palladian!)Villa della Rotunda
We returned to the ship and sailed to Burano, a small island near the northern end of the Lagoon, where we’re docked for the night. We took a short walk to Martina Vidal Lace where we saw one of their life-long lacemakers at work (she was in her 80s), and then had an opportunity to shop. Credit card receipts were generated.
The famous painted houses of BuranoIn the garden of the lace shopOn Burano
