Esther's photos with the keyword: Venizia

I enjoyed lunch at this restaurant in Venice, Italy that overlooked the Rialto Bridge. AIMG_4507

Venice, Italy "Not all gondolas have cavalli, but almost all Venice-built ones do, and even some built elsewhere are adorned with these beautiful brass sculptures. Many gondoliers feel that a gondola without cavalli is "naked". Cavalli often take the horse, or "hippocampus" form, but some are cast as angels, sirens, and sea-creatures. They also come in different sizes and levels of detail. Small ones can weigh less than a pound, while the more impressive and showy ones can tip the scale at more than 30 pounds. And while all cavalli are not created equal, they are also not all finished the same either - there are highly polished cavalli, nickel-plated ones, and of course the gold-plated ones." www.gondolagreg.com/2010_03_01_archive.html AIMG_4537

The absence of roads in Venice, Italy means that goods are brought in by boat. Some of the canals are narrow and have low bridges so boat operators must duck as they pass under them. AIMG_4538

Venice, Italy AIMG_4528

A small bridge across one of the canals in Venice, Italy AIMG_4521

Venice, Italy "The profession of gondolier is controlled by a guild, which issues a limited number of licenses granted after periods of training and apprenticeship, and a major comprehensive exam which tests knowledge of Venetian history and landmarks, foreign language skills, and practical skills in handling the gondola typically necessary in the tight spaces of Venetian canals." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondolier This was an all male profession until August 2010 when Giorgia Boscolo became the first female gondolier in Venice's history. AIMG_4535

Houses in Venice, Italy are noted for their elegant facades facing the water. In this city without roads, guests usually entered by boat. The Gothic style was popular in the 13th to mid 15th centuries. Houses of this period are noted for their pointed arches, carved window heads and ornate capitals. AIMG_4522

Fish Market, Venice, Italy AIMG_4497

The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over the Grand Canal. They are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held amongst gondoliers. The gondola is propelled like punting, except an oar is used instead of a pole. Their primary role today, however, is to carry tourists on rides at fixed rates. . . . Gondolas are handmade using 8 different types of wood (fir, oak, cherry, walnut, elm, mahogany, larch and lime) and are composed of 280 pieces. The oars are made of beech wood. The left side of the gondola is made longer than the right side. This asymmetry causes the gondola to resist the tendency to turn toward the left at the forward stroke. It is a common misconception that the gondola is a paddled vessel when the correct term is rowed i.e. "I rowed my gondola to work". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondola AIMG_4510

Venice, Italy AIMG_4516

"San Giorgio Maggiore is a 16th century Benedictine church on the island of the same name in Venice, northern Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio and built between 1566 and 1610. The church is a basilica in the classical renaissance style and its brilliant white marble gleams above the blue water of the lagoon opposite the Piazzetta and forms the focal point of the view from every part of the Riva degli Schiavoni." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_San_Giorgio_Maggiore AIMG_4576

Venice, Italy AIMG_4731

The Doge's Palace (Italian: Palazzo Ducale) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice, northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice, opening as a museum in 1923. Today it is one of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge%27s_Palace,_Venice AIMG_4783

Venice, Italy has no roads in its city center which consists of 117 islands connected by over 400 bridges. Vaporetti are like floating buses and transport people throughout the city and to neighboring islands. AIMG_4460

Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, Italy, was built as offering for the city's deliverance from the 1630 plague which killed nearly a third of the inhabitants of Venice. The octogonal bascilica contains masterworks of Titian and Tintoretto as well as the works of other master painters and sculptors. This photograph was taken from a balcony in a passing cruise ship, which permitted a bird's eye view of the dome. AIMG_4449

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy was completed in the 1500's, although modifications had been ongoing since the 1100's. This dome gets its name from the golden mosaics inside the dome that depict the biblical story. AIMG_4477

This bridge connects the interiors of two buildings separated by a canal. Venice, Italy has no roads in its city center which consists of 117 islands connected by over 400 bridges. AIMG_4468

St Mark's Campanile (bell tower) in Venice, Italy houses five bells. The top of the belfry is alterantely decorated with Lion of St. Mark and the female representation of Venice. On the top of the spire is a golden weathervane of the archangel Gabriel. The campanile has existed in this form since 1514. It collapsed in 1902, taking with it the caretaker's cat, and was reconstructed in 1912. AIMG_4441