The boys on a bridge

A view down one of the 45 small rivers

Our historian

If you look at the water line, you can see a foundation of white stone or pietra d'Istria. This allows the bricks to stay high and dry because the stones are water proof, unlike the bricks. Many of the posts you see historically have been painted in bright colors and patterns. These were the equivalent to a family's coat of arms.

As Venice fell, her desire for decadence grew. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Venice lived off the wealth accumulated through the earlier centuries of trading power. With gambling and prostitution, Venice was the Vegas of East and West. At one point, Venus had as many as 20,000 prostitutes. Venice was the city of masks. Every night a masked ball was held in the style of Carnival. Your reputation for anonymity was important for the visiting nobility from England and France. With a mask, you could do things that were illegal back and home, but not in Venice. every class was equal with a mask. What happened in Venice, stayed in Venice.

 

A view of St. Mark's Basilica built in the 11th century, the third church on this spot, with its distinctly Eastern-style architecture and connection to Byzantium. The basilica is an eclectic mix of decorations collected from returning sea captains and their plunders. It is a kind of trophy chest of architecture. Pictures were not allowed inside. The interior glows with gold mosaics adorning all the ceilings and part of the walls. Venice was a great financial city, but it gained religious importance in 828 A.D. when the bones of the Apostle Mark were smuggled into town and buried in this basilica.

The Golden Alter piece in the basilica houses 250 blue-backed enamels with religious scenes which are all set in gold frames decorated with 15 large rubies, 300 emeralds, 1,500 pearls and additional sapphires, amethysts and topaz.