We continue our walking tour from Part-1
As you walk out of the Campanile di San Marco turn right. The beautiful building is the Sansovino’s library
Sansovino’s library
Designed by Jacopo Sansovino, this was built in the years 1537-1554 at the behest of the Procuratori di San Marco and was intended to house the Latin and Greek codices donated to the city by Cardinal Bessarion .
A little ahead you can see the two famous columns.
Columns of San Marco and San Theodoro
At the end of the Piazetta is the Molo , the quay facing the lagoon. It is marked by two large granite columns carrying symbols of the two patron saints of Venice. The first is Saint Theodore, who was the patron of the city before St Mark, holding a spear and with a crocodile to represent the dragon which he was said to have slain. The second column has a creature representing a winged lion which is the symbol of St Mark.
Turn right and you see the old Mint.
The Mint (Palazzo della Zecca)
This was designed by Jacopo Sansovino in the period 1536-1545 as part of the re-organization of St. Mark’s Square ordered by Doge Andrea Gritti. Built from solid blocks of Istrian marble, it served as mint. Since the mint had ovens with high temperature and posed a risk of fire, little wood was used in construction. Even after the fall of the Venetian Republic the building continued to function as a mint up until 1870. Now it houses the reading-rooms of the Biblioteca Marciana.
Up ahead are the Kaffeehaus and Royal gardens
Kaffeehaus
This elegant neoclassical structure, designed by Lorenzo Santi, was to be the central feature in the Napoleonic Royal Gardens. However, it was actually built during the time of Austrian rule from 1815-1817. Nowadays it houses one of the information centres of the APT (Tourist Information Agency).
Royal Garden (Giardinetti Reali)
In the period of Napoleonic rule (1806- 1814), the old Terranova granaries on this site were demolished to make way for these gardens, which were originally reserved to the palace. Now open to the public, they have facilities for picnickers or those who simply want to sit and rest.
Across the lagoon you can see the Dogna da Mar.
Dogana da Mar or Punta della Dogana
St. Mark’s Basin, i.e. the stretch of sea between the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Square on one side and San Giorgio Maggiore and Isola della Giudecca on the other, was once one of the busiest and most important ports in the whole of Europe. Thanks to many international treaties, all merchant shipping heading to and from Europe used to pass through Venice.
If you feel like having a quick drink or snack head for the Harry’s Bar
Harry’s Bar
Now an Italian national landmark it opened in 1931 by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani. Harry’s Bar has long been frequented by people like Ernest Hemingway, Guglielmo Marconi, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Peggy Guggenheim, and Woody Allen. Harry’s Bar is credited with creation of cocktails- Bellini and raw meat or fish appetizer-Carpaccio. For teetotalers they also serve tea and coffee. The adjacent restaurant serves excellent pizzas.
We have now move back towards the two columns and keep moving on the Riva Degli Schiavoni
Riva Degli Schiavoni
The Riva Degli Schiavoni is a lovely and lively but often overcrowded promenade that sits on the waterfront at St. Mark’s Basin in Venice. It was originally built in the ninth century from dredged silt and was named for the Slavic men who brought cargo to Venice from across the Adriatic Sea. Today it is crowded with stalls selling paintings and other Venetian souvenirs.
Ponte della Paglia
The Ponte della Paglia’s name refers to boats filled with straw that passed by here during the time when horses and donkeys were still part of everyday life in Venice. The centre of the bridge offers an excellent view of the famous Bridge of Sighs. There’s an interesting white bas-relief on the side of the bridge, called ‘Madonna of the Gondoliers’. It is always crowded with people who are happy taking snap of the more famous bridge of sighs.
Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)
Designed by Antonio Contino it was built at the beginning of the seventeenth century. It connected the Old Prison and interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace to the New Prison, which was situated directly across the river. There are a few theories as to how the bridge got its name. The first one involves the prisoners that walked across the bridge on their way to the executioner. The prisoners would “sigh” as they crossed the bridge, probably catching their last glimpse of the outside world, many believed. Another story says that if a couple kisses under the bridge while drifting below on a gondola at sunset, they will enjoy eternal love. Thus, the “sighs” are said to come from lovers who are overwhelmed by the romance of the whole scene.
We continue exploring the area in final part of the series Part 3
