Wonders of the great Serene City

LA SERENISSIMA: A familiar canal-side sight in Venice. PICTURE / JOAN STREET

Over the past few years we have had the good fortune to visit several of the world's great cities, and this year we repeated visits to two of our favourites, Barcelona and Venice. Quite different in structure and character, they both have much to offer for an entertaining, informative and enjoyable week. When we spent four days in Venice in 2014, we walked ourselves into a daily state of near collapse to see as much as possible of the city's sights. Walking, we were told, is quicker and offers the opportunity to delve more deeply into the hidden recesses of La Serenissima, an affectionate Italian term for this beautiful place. However, with a combination of heat and constant crowds, unavoidable in the chief tourist areas, it can also be very wearing. In July, therefore, we tried a new tack, using the 'vaporetti' (water buses) for transport to various areas and striking inland from their stops. It worked like a charm, the vaporetti giving us the chance to relax for a while, literally taking the weight off our feet, and providing a gentle, cooling breeze on deck. We saw the city from a wider-angled lens. My guide book had suggested a leisurely hour's journey down the Grand Canal, from the first stop at Piazzale Roma, the bus station, to one near St Mark's Square, the area which is understandably beloved of tourists, with the virtually indescribable magnificence of the Basilica and the splendours of the Doges' Palace. As we had gaped in amazement at these edifices two years ago, we decided to give them a miss. It is possible that we are the only visitors to have spent a week in Venice without once having ventured into St Mark's Square!
The slow journey on the canal, however, with the vaporetti zig-zagging from one bank to the other for the various stops, certainly lived up to expectations, offering us an unimpeded view of of some splendid buildings along its whole length. Many of the three or four storey 'palazzi' have been refurbished, some housing exceptional collections of art, some business headquarters, some luxury hotels. Every so often we would see one in need of some TLC - shutters closed, paint peeling off, colour faded, the threshold of the door soggy and crumbling with the effect of water lapping against it for centuries.
Instead of St Mark's, we searched out quieter locations, and it was surprising how often we could stroll along a quiet alley by a small waterway, without having to constantly side-step the approaching throng. I had read that, of the six districts of this compact city, Cannaregio was the least frequented by tourists, despite its having some fine attractions. It was - and it had! We visited the Jewish Quarter, with a guided tour of its three synagogues, its museum and a fascinating account of the history of the Jews in Venice. We then wandered on to the church of Madonna dell' Orto, in the neighbourhood where the painter Tintoretto had lived. Several of his paintings graced the walls of the church and his tomb is there. We also saw Bellini's famous Madonna with Child. Unfortunately it was only a photograph as the original was stolen for the third time in 1993. Soon after, as we sipped a drink at a secluded cafe, I realised we were close to the Gesuiti church, yet another highlight in our guide book. On entering, we stopped dead, staggered by the beautiful and unusual pillars, all covered in swirling patterns of green and white marble. The book states, more eloquently than I can, that the pillars were 'carved ... like great folds of fabric ... the church is clothed in damask'. There was also an extraordinary painting by Titian, described by a respected art historian as 'the first successful nocturne in the history of art'. Readers of Donna Leon's novels, based on Venice, may be interested to hear that one morning I followed my map to San Giacomo dell' Orio, Inspector Brunetti's local church. Small, intimate, cosy and welcoming - it was obvious why the Inspector would feel at home there.
There are, we were told, 490 churches in Venice. We visited 20, each having its own special character which enabled it to stand out from the rest. The subject matter of religious paintings holds little appeal for me, yet I could appreciate the skill and dedication applied by these artists. Close to our apartment was San Pantalon, which I visited on our last morning, with no other person there. The ceiling, measuring at least 30 by 15 metres, is one enormous painting, comprising 40 scenes. It took the artist, Fumiani, 24 years to complete it, and then (so the story goes) he fell to his death from the scaffolding. What moved me most about all these churches was the beauty of the architecture, the grandeur of the pillars, the graceful curves of the arches and domes , all constructed hundreds of years ago without any of the advantages of modern technology. What a remarkable achievement!
We are now in beautiful Northumberland where family spoil us but the weather doesn't!
¦ mjstreet@xtra.co.nz