63. Venezia

A trip to Venice is always on my wish list – especially in a year of the biannual Biennale Art Festival.
I am lucky and there is an opening for a few days in one of the flats which are managed by my old-time friends in Vienna. Gabi is invited and so off we go.

We can stay in a nice flat at Palazzo Analdi in the Salizada San Pantalone. It is not on Canale Grande but it does have a small private quay for Gondolas. Moreover it’s just a 10 minute walk from the train station Santa Lucia and from the bus station at Piazzale Roma. The flat is one floor below the “belle etage” but it is quite comfortable and we enjoy our opulent breakfasts in the living room.

Being in Venice to me means being a lot on the water of the Laguna. I just have to top up my Venice Card which makes it affordable as I only have to pay the price of the locals. We have luck with the weather and the rides on the Vaporetto are fun. The picture in the middle is actually taken “on shore”, sitting in one of my favorite Cafes on Zattere Quay opposite of Guideca Island.

Next morning is church day. I am not a churchgoer but being in Venice without visiting some would be a shame. The first one is Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari on Campo dei Frari. I know it well because on the campo there is another flat which my friends rent out. It is actually a Basilica and famous for the Assunta [the assumption of Mary], a painting by Tiziano. Taking pictures is strictly forbidden, but with keen eyes you might detect it at the end of the middle nave. It is quite an impressive church, the size of which is difficult to realize because it is rather closed in.

One of my great favorites is the next one. The Chiesa San Giacomo dall’ Orio is not easy to find and doesn’t look much from the outside. But the feeling and the energy inside is incredible. It’s also one of the oldest churches of Venice which are still standing. Only few of them have their original timber structure under the roof. In most old churches they have been destroyed by fire. The crucifix in the middle is also quite famous, being created by Bellini. And the impressive pillar of green marble is – as it is claimed – a present to the Venetians by Constantinople. To me, most impressive is the serenity and timeless atmosphere of the place.

The square outside, the Campo San Giacomo dell’ Orio is another treasure of Venice. I could sit there among the locals and the kinds playing ball for hours. There are occasional tourists because the church is in the travel guides but most of the time it is tranquil and very relaxing. Hard to imagine that less than 10 minutes walking distance the “trails” to Rialto and san Marco are clogged with people.

After being “inland” for a time, we are back on the water. I think I will never tire of travelling by vaporreto. I remember being in Venice when my sons were small kids and we had this deal. Halve a day looking at things and have a day riding on the waves. Today we are en route to the Island of San Servolo. It is also one of the Geheimtipps [insider tip]. It is situates half way between San Marco and the Lido but not on a main route. You have to be well informed to find the place from where the boat is leaving once every hour.

In the old days San Servolo used to be an asylum for the handicapped which the Venetians wanted to be out of the way. It was closed in the 20th century and was vacant for many years. However, it was revitalized and houses now a small international university. The nice thing about the Biennale, the art exhibit, is the fact that it has spread out over the years. When it started some 100 years ago, it was more or less designed for the great colonial powers which built their own pavilions at the Giardini.
Nowadays every country wants to be present. The result being that during the Biennale many interesting places in Venice are open, or even renovated for this occasion, which normally are closed.
They are housing the “Eventi Collaterali”! This year Cuba, Syria and some independent artists are exhibiting on San Servolo. But we are also going there because it is such a nice and layback place.

Cuba was no knockout but Syria was interesting. Simple objects, but with a strong message. Amazing to think that people in Syria still have the stamina to produce art. We had fun strolling thru the sculpture gardens and enjoying the park.

The next day was art day. One of these places which are only open for the art exhibit is the Palazzo Falier. The back entrance is hard to find [as it was only for the domestic servants] but the front and the interior is quite spectacular. It is one of the most prominent palazzo on the Canale Grande whit a very nice view. It must have been nice sitting there, drinking your Ristretto and watching the traffic on the Canale. ;-)

The reason for visiting this place was not only the splendor of the palazzo. For both Gabi and I the painter Sean Scully is one of our favorites. Of course, he has exhibited in the main venues of Biennale before, but never with such a broad selection. Visiting the Biennale for quite a long time I have noticed over the years that who is chosen to exhibit in the Giardini or the Arsenale is becoming more and more a matter of political rather than art.

My reaction – and the reaction of quite some people I know – is to spend more times with visiting the Eventi Colaterali. Anyway Scully for me was worth it to find the back entrance of this fine palazzo.

Another venue off the beaten track – also it is in the vicinity of Rialto – is the Palazzo Bembo. Not so spectacular as the Falier but it always houses interesting artwork. It was bought or rented by some Dutch art foundation and exhibits now all year round.

The next stop was Palazzo Fortuny, a very dark and hidden place. The owner was a fervent admirer when it was still inhabited. But it is also open all year and they have interesting shows. Unfortunately they were very strict about not taking pictures. But the place is located in another quite area near the Teatro Felice, the Venice opera house, and we had a nice walk.

On the way back we stopped at Rialto. Not the bridge but near the market, where there is a nice square with the famous one-handed clock and where there are also some nice restaurants. Especially near the back on the edge of the Canale Grande. Passing the square we watched a street artist producing incredibly bid soap bubbles and with some luck I was able to catch this incredible picture.

Last not least we made it to the heart of the Biennale or rather the second heart. With the Gardini being not able to house new pavilions the Arsenale was renovate as the second major venue. It used to be the ship yard for the Venetian navy and it is a nice location for artwork, especially when it is voluminous. We restricted ourselves to the Arsenale, because both major venues take normally a full day due to being so extensive.

Having only three days at our disposal, we had to skip one. It was a good decision based on my experience that the Arsenale does not always show great art but it is always funny and often original.
Just look at the Chinese dragon and the Nordic angel airships.

Or the Gateway to . . . The funny sculptures in the middle were from some Arab state and the guy on the left is from a Baltic state. On the way back we passed another interesting church located at the tail fin of Venezia, but it was closed. If you look at Venice from above it has the shape of a fish: The area around the Port and the Railway Station being the head and the Southern tip toward the Lido being the tail. Arrivederci Venezia!