June 7-8, 1984

June 7-8, 1984

We took the long train ride back up the length of Italy from Naples to Venice (Venezia). Venice is an archipelago city built on 118 sandbars out in the Adriatic Sea. As a result it is barely above sea level and is crisscrossed with water canals. The largest is the Grand Canal crossed by the ornate Rialto Bridge. The city was built offshore for protection from marauding barbarians. Venice was a rich and powerful trading state in the Middle Ages. Lots of gondolas and boats ply the many canals. We chose instead to hoof it around the relatively small town.

The centerpiece of Venice is St Marks Square with its unusual and opulent Basilica. The church was built in 1064 AD. The floor is warped and uneven from the regular flooding that occurs in this low-lying city. Inside are also four bronze horses that were taken when the Venetians sacked Constantinople. We climbed to the roof of St Marks for a view of the square below.

Next-door is the Doge’s Palace, home of Venice’s rulers. The palace is connected to the adjoining prison by a small walkway called the Bridge of Sighs because it was the last outside view for convicted criminals. Also in St Marks Square is the reconstructed Campanile or bell tower. We got a great view of the neighboring islets in the archipelago from the top.