Here, I compile all the history anecdotes that appear on my map. These are the sort of things that the tourists will read when they receive a notification. The anecdotes are organised in 3 main categories: the anecdotes that refer to specific elements of Venice’s topography ex a church, the ones that are about random facts about the city’s history, and finally nudges to visit certain artisan shops.
(This is the first iteration of the anecdotes, thanks to my interventions I was able to improve them)
Index:
- Topography anecdotes
- Random history facts about the city
- Artisans
- Works cited
Topography anecdotes:
Churches
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
This beautiful marble Church was built between 1481-89 as a home to a miracle-working image of the Virgin.
Praised for its use of costly and rare marbles, it is a noble example of the Venetian early renaissance style.
There was a Franciscan order of nuns living in the building opposite the right flank of the church. As a they were to live a cloistered life, they entered the church via a raised passageway over the street. The structure was removed following the dissolution of the convent in the early 18th century.
(Howard, 1989, pp 684-687)
Basiclica Santi Giovanni e Paolo
This 14th century gothic Basilica is also called San Zanipoli in Venetian dialect. It is the biggest church of the city and is the resting place of multiple doge and important figures from the from the XIII to the XVIII century.
The story of its creation is rather poetic. in 1234 Doge Jacopo Tiepolo dreamed of a marshy area full of beautiful flowers, flying doves and crowds of singing angels. In his vision he clearly heard the words “This is the venue I chose for my Preachers”.
The next day he convinced the Senate to donate to the Dominicans the place he had dreamed about, which is now the campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo. The basilica was erected and dedicated to those two Romanian martyrs of the V century.
Inside you will find grand monumental Sepulchres, at least 25 are dedicated to doges.
The great Venetian painters Giovanni and Gentile Bellini are resting there. Speaking of Bellinis, you will find Giovanni’s polyptych of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer, a beautifully executed painting.
(Stermole, 2014, pp351-364) (Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo)
San Francesco della Vigna
The church and convent were founded in 1254. The structure was originally gothic in style but was replaced in 1534 with the Renaissance church that you see today. Its façade was designed by famous architect Andrea Palladio.
Legend has it that the church was built where Saint Mark had stopped to rest after leaving Aquileia. An angel came to the saint and announced that to honour him a powerful city would be founded in this lagoon. The original Church was built to commemorate this event.
Inside, along with the handsomely decorated chapels, you will be presented with frescoes by Tiepolo and with a painting by Giovanni Bellini, Virgin and Child and Saints, 1507.
(Barcham, 1983, pp101-109) (Rearick, 1958-1959, pp122-123) (Schulz, 2003, pp11)
San Lorenzo:
This church was originally built in the 9th century but its current appearance dates back to the end of the 16thcentury. Its bare and unfinished façade give a certain industrial character, while the inside is a rich display of Baroque architecture.
Legend has it that the famous explorer Marco Polo was buried here. Inside, one can observe a unique double-sided altar, creating two separate naves. One side to host the public, the other accommodate the Benedictine monks from the nearby monastery.
The church was greatly damaged during the Napoleonic War. It was deconsecrated in 1810 and emptied except for the main altar. In 1865 it closed to the public but in the early 20th century archaeologists organised a series of excavations to find Marco Polo’s grave.
(Ocean Spance)
Santa Maria Formosa:
The origins of this church is located between history and fable as its creation predates any written records by 421 years. Indeed, it was erected by Saint Magnus in 639 following a vision of the Virgin who to him where the church should be built.
It was renovated various times throughout the years: in 864, 1106 following a fire and in 1492 as it was heavily decayed, which is where it was rebuilt in a Renaissance style.
This church contains the vail of Saint Marina who was from Egypt and lived in the 5th or the 7th century. Since there were no female monastic orders she dressed as a man to pursue a spiritual life. The relic seems to have made it to Venice from Constantinople in 1213.
You will also be able to admire Bartolomeo Vivarini’s (Madonna della Misericordia triptych). Completed in 1475.
(Steer: 2006) (Santa Maria Formosa)
*
Museums
Palazzo Grimani
This Renaissance style palace was dramatically modified in the 16th century to resemble a Roman home.
Indeed, the Patriarch Giovanni Grimani was an avid collector of ancient artifacts. The family owned a residence where numerous ancient sculptures from the ruins thermal baths were excavated during its construction.
An entire wing was designed to display Giovanni’s impressive collection. The rooms end with the most significant location of the palace, the Tribuna. It is believed to have been created to exhibit the most valuable statues of the collection.
Its unique structure creates an incomparable atmosphere bathed antiquity and light.
(Ferrara, 2021, pp25-48)
Fondazione Querini Stampalia
Mensions of the Querini family being established here at Santa Maria Formosa date back to the 13th century. While some parts of the palace are dedicated to conveying a fastuous and refined Venetian home, the ground floor was restored by the famous 20th century architect Carlo Scarpa from 1959 to 1963.
The element water is central to his architectural design as it flows inside the palace from the gated entrance to the canal and is present in the garden thanks to an elegant basin structure. This artistic choice no doubt alludes to Venice’s fusional relationship with water.
While admiring the marks of Venetian culture, you can also delve into the contemporary exhibitions that frequently take place in the museum.
(Fondazione Querini Stampalia)
The Scuola Grande di San Marco
The Scuola Grande di San Marco was founded in 1260 as the Scuola dei Battuti, where members met in a modest room. Throughout the years it grew in wealth and influence, so much so that in 1437 it was renamed after the patron saint of the city, Saint Mark.
In 1485 a fire started destroyed the scuola and all its embellishments. An altar candle had set a curtain on fire and the flames burned all night long. Artists Gentile and Giovanni Bellini were hired to collaborate on the sculptural adornment of the façade, while Pietro Lombardo was the architect.
If you go in, you will be met with a large vestibule flanked by grand Corinthian columns decorated with graceful tiles.
This Hall was considered as one of the most remarkable achievements of the Venetian Renaissance. Indeed, it attracted visitors such as European experts and scholars whom came to admire the works of Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, Giovanni Mansueti, Paris Bordone, and Jacopo Palma il Vecchio.
The scuola was turned into a military hospital by the Austrians in the 19th century and today it hosts the city hospital.
(Scuola Grande Di San Marco)
Scuole Grandi of Venice:
The Scuole Grandi were religious confraternities for the laity. They appeared as early as the 13th century and undertook charitable actions. They were greatly influential and had a significant role in the development of music, art and history.
(Scuola Grande Di San Marco)
Equestrian Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni (Not a museum, a monument):
Search for the man on the horse. If you have, you will notice that It is a Renaissance-style equestrian monument sculpture made out of bronze (formerly gilded) where the statue sits on a marble and Istrian pedestal. It celebrates the warlord from Bergamo Bartolomeo Colleoni who died in 1475. He left his inheritance to the city of Venice in exchange for a monument in Saint Marc’s Square. However, it was decided by the Senate to place the equestrian statue where you see it now. It was completed in 1496 by Alessandro Leopardi after Andrea Verrochia had initiated the sculpture before his death in 1481.
Colleoni was a mighty warrior who proved times and times again that he did not fear death. His quarrels with the Duke of Milan Galeazzo Maria Sforza lead to the latter challenging him to a direct battle, which had to be prevented by the Pope himself. In his old age, he even conveyed through letters that he would rather die on a horse than be poisoned by his enemy Sforza’s spies.
(Samuels Welch, 1990, 105-106) (Arte. It, 2012) (Arstor, 2006)
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Legends
Mermaid story at the sotoportego dei Preti:
Here used to live a fisherman named Orio. One day, he rescued a beautiful mermaid called Melusina and they both fell passionately in love with each other. He soon proposed to her and she accepted on condition that they never meet on the Saturdays preceding the wedding.
Orio fails to respect her wishes and on the third Saturday went to their usual meeting place. No one but a giant snake was waiting for him there. The poor monster turned out to be the mermaid struck by a curse. She was bound to transform into a snake every Saturday until she was wed.
Fortunately, Orio’s love for her was stronger than the curse and they become husband and wife. They had three children and lived happily until Melusina died of an incurable disease.
The fisherman was devasted but nonetheless continued to support his family. He soon started noticing that the house was always in order and spotless clean when he came home from his long days out at sea. One day he came home earlier to investigate and found a snake. Worried for the safety of his children he instinctively killed the animal. As the house became more and more messy, he realised that he had killed his beloved Melusina.
The red brick heart placed in the underpass commemorates the tragic but never ending love story between the fisherman and the mermaid.
It is whispered that couples who touch the heart brick together will be granted eternal love.
(Fei, 2002)
Door carvings: The beggar who carved the story of the Levantine (Scuola Grande di San Marco)
The perspective games that you can see on the façade of the Scuola di San Marco (The renaissance style building with polished yellow marble, arches and niches) were created Cesco Pizzigani who was a very talented Venetian stonemason.
Tragically, in the early 1500s Cesco’s wife became ill and he was forced to sell his workshop in order to pay for her care. She died and he lost everything.
He was left a beggar outside the school he had helped to build.
To pass the time, the stonemason with an old nail practiced his old craft on the sides of the doorway. He carved the shapes of the ships that he could observe not far away.
He never thought that he would one day witness a haunting scene.
A young man (the Levant referred to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia) suffered from being half Venetian and half levantine as he was not always accepted by either communities. Blaming his mother for his torment, he regularly beat her.
One night, his rage took over his body forcing him to stab his mother violently and rip out her hear from her chest.
Horrified of what he had done he fled with the heart in his hands. On the bridge in front of San Marco school he stumbled, fell and lost his mother’s heart.
He heard a voice: “My son, are you hurt?”.
Tortured by terror and guilt the levantine threw himself into the waves in front of the nearby cemetery of San Michele. We can still hear his cries while he keeps on searching for his mother’s heart.
Cesco the Stonemason, was witness to the entire scene, he carved the levantine among the profiles of the ships and made his tragic story eternal.
(Fei, 2002)
The Red Stone into which evil has sunk (Sotoportego della Corte Nova):
On the floor of this intricately decorated underpass lays an unusual red stone. It is believed that in 1630 a woman named Giovanna who lived in this district had a vision of the Madonna. She told her that to avoid the plague a painting representing her image together with Saints Rocco, Sebastian, and Justina must be produced. Once painted, it was to be exhibited in this underpass. Miraculously, the Castello district was spared by the black death, which soon disappeared along with the Madonna’s painting. However, a red stone appeared on the pavement, which is thought to have absorbed the plague.
Some Venetians avoid stepping on the stone because it is considered a bearer of misfortune but others think it as a bringer of money and love.
(Fei, 2002)
*
City elements
A)
The equivalent of a square here in Venice is a Campo, which is the word for field in Italian. Thus, campis were named this way because they used to be covered in grass and not pavement.
Corti and Campielli are smaller than Campi.
B)
When you see that there is a “Rio terrà” sign it means that road was originally a canal.
C)
When you see that there is a “Ramo” sign it refers to the little angle of a way that allows two roads to communicate.
D)
When you see that there is a “Piscine” sign it refers to the little lakes with stagnating rain water that were spread across the city. They were later buried.
E)
The Sottopertego is a covered passage for public use to pass under private houses. They are everywhere in Venice.
(Tassini, 1863, pp22)
Random history facts about the city:
Party tradition:
Venice has always had a very strong party tradition, especially in the 18th century during the Republic’s decline. The extravagant parties were widely described by travellers, poets and artists. During its decline, having excessive parties was a way to trick Venetians into an illusion of glory and later to attract the first tourists.
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp11)
Carnival 1:
The Carnival is mentioned in documents as far as the 10th century under the reign of doge Vital Florier. It is probably their contact with the orient that gave the Venetians this taste for fastuous parties.
It lasted 6 months! It was a combination of a pagan feast and the religious cult. Venetians could enjoy theatre performances, games, street shows and private performances.
In parallel a counter carnival was happening. Religion organised procession and acts of penitence to incite Venetians to repent instead of indulging in debauchery. However, their attempts were not greatly successful.
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp17)
Carnival 2:
Throughout the carnival, masks were extremely important as during the festivities people from any social class became equals and partied together. It promoted social equality and transgression as people did not have to worry about their reputation and, thus, act more freely. The most popular disguise (which allowed for the most anonymity), was constituted of the lavara (a white mask), a black hat and, finally, a tabarro (a traditional black cape). The rest of the face was covered by a black silk vail.
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp18)
18th century occupations:
In Venice there were shops and people with occupations, much like today. In 1747 Santi Giovanni e Paolo you had tailors, spice shops, a fruit merchant, a chicken seller, blacksmiths, a mirror maker, and even Music teacher called Girolamo Bassani.
The Beginning of Venice:
The first conquerors of the territory were the Venetes, which originated from the black sea and, which gave their name to the region.
Then came the Romans followed by the Byzantines, which heavily influenced the Venetians. After freeing themselves from Constantinople, The Venetians put in place the Republique of the Serenissima.
(Bertolazzi, 2006, pp22)
Strategically located:
Venice was founded in the 5th century and it became a maritime power in the 9th century. Its position was highly strategic as it was within reach of the Byzantine Empire and traders from the Near East.
(UNESCO)
Most Stable Republic in History:
Venice was the most stable Republic in history as it survived 1100 (Mille cent) years.
(Bertolazzi, 2006, pp28)
Commerce and Industry:
Until the 18th century, Venetian industry primarily focused on the manufacturing of salt, glass, wool, and the sale of timber and iron ore, which came from the mines of Styria and Carinthia. These merchandises were traded to the Byzantine Empire and to the Muslim Orient for luxury goods.
Spices were one of these important commodities as there was a very high demand in Europe for them. Not only they improved the taste of food, but they also used as ingredients to create the modern day equivalent of alcoholic beverages.
(Zorzi, 1999, pp190)
Goods from Egypt, Asia Minor and the Far East:
Goods that the Republic brought back fromEgypt, Asia Minor and Far East:
- Gems
- Mineral dyes
- Peacock feathers
- Spices
- Textiles (silks, cottons, brocades)
(UNESCO)
Slavery:
Slave trade was common in Venice during the Middle ages and in the 16th century. Slaves mainly came from Russia and Turkey and sold in Venice to the Muslims and sometimes also to Venetians that would use them as domestic workers and farmhands.
(Zorzi, 1999, pp190)
Gentile Bellini Anecdote:
The foreign market was so fascinated by Venetian art that Sultan Mehmed II, a frightful conqueror, invited the famous artist Gentile Bellini to visit his court. He proceeded to present poor Bellini with a man’s severed head in order to show him exactly how he wanted him to portray the decapitation of John the Baptist. the terrified artist accepted his farewell gift of a chain and bid them goodbye.
(Zorzi, 1999, pp198)
Interesting facts about language:
Did you know that half of the spoken vocabulary in Greece is pure Venetian? Indeed, Venice occupied parts of Greece for centuries. It controlled many of the Aegan islands, including Crete, parts of Euboea and had trading settlements and lookout points on the Greek mainland.
(Zorzi, 1999, pp201)
Power in Trade:
After having been occupied by the Byzantine empire Venice became an autonomous political unit in the 8thcentury.
(González De Lara, 2008, pp251-252)
The Doge:
The Doge, who was the head of Venice, used to behave like a dictator but in 1032 his role shifted and became more of a magistrate who was elected and appointed to the position for life.
(González De Lara, 2008, pp251-252)
Venice’s marriage to the sea:
Venice has always had a fusional relationship with the sea. The Doge’s marriage to the sea perfectly symbolises this bond. The ceremony (‘Sposalizio del Mare’ in Venetian) was established in the early Middle Ages. The Doge was to sail out into the Adriatic sea, followed by a procession of boats and pray. In the 12thcentury the rite evolved and the Doge started throwing a ring into the water to represent Venice’s marriage to the sea.
(UNESCO)
Architecture of the house:
In Venice, you will notice that architecture greatly focuses on outward appearance. Fine looks were so important that grand facades facing the canal highly contrast with the more ordinary sides of the buildings. Indeed, the most important door of a building is the one that opens to the canal as it is where the grandeur is meant to be seen.
The Venetians strongly followed the Renaissance belief that outward beauty is a sign of inward virtue.
(Muir, 1979, pp18)
The Early Venetian home:
Known as casa-fondaco, the early palaces served as both the workplace (warehouse) and the home of the merchant nobility.
Usually, the ground floor was structured like a gallery, which opened to a main entrance hall, used for unloading and loading merchandise. Smaller rooms, used for storage, flanked the gallery.
An external staircase would take you to the first floor/the piano-nobile (noble floor). This floor also displayed a main hall, which was originally used as a display are for goods but it later became a way for the family to display their wealth with rich decoration and to entertain guests. The side wings were used for administrative purposes. The next floors were reserved for family and servant lodging.
(Muir, 1979)
Venice number of islands, canals, bridges:
Venice is made of 118 islands, has 150 canals, and 436 bridges. Impressive, right?
Sestieri:
Venice is divided in 6 zones called Sestieri. They include:
- Cannaregio
- Castello
- San Marco
- Dorsoduro
- San Polo
- Santa Croce
Here you are in Castello, which was named that way because allegedly there used to be a castle located on the extreme tip of it. It is the Only district that does not face the Grand Canal.
Bridges:
The bridges used to be made out of wood, they were later replaced by stone and arched bridges.
Scuole:
Corporations with a religious background, on which the state had direct interference. They had a humanitarian purpose and were patrons of the arts. (see in my dissertation notes reseach saint Marks)
(Tassini, 1863, pp 15-22)
Artisans:
Schegge Art & Craft
Annalisa Angela Victor (family business)
You are close to Schegge Art & Craft! This a family owned business since (date) makes incredibly intricate handmade masks. Make sure to check it out!
Papier Machè Venezia
You are close to Papier Machè! If you walk in, you can see three dedicated artisans painting masks. They also offer a wide range of other products such as ceramics, papier maché objects, painted wooden panels and figurines. Make sure to check them out!
Scriba
You are close to Scriba! Their artisanal hand painted paper products (notebooks, pens, frames etc) have a very high quality in materials and manual work precision. Make sure to check them out!
Humi Lab
You are close to Humi Lab! There you can find unique design objects including Venetian traditional fabric prints, jewellery, various wooden objects and glass. Make sure to check them out!
Works cited:
Arte.it the map of art in Italy (2012) Monumento Equestre a Bartolomeo Colleoni. Available at: http://www.arte.it/guida-arte/venezia/da-vedere/monumento/monumento-equestre-a-bartolomeo-colleoni-1174(Accessed: August 7 2021)
Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo (undated) Available at: https://www.santigiovanniepaolo.it/en/main-home-english-2/?doing_wp_cron=1625145797.8959100246429443359375 (Accessed: 5 July 2021)
Barcham, W. (1983) ‘The Capella Sagrado in San Francesco della Vigna’, Artibus et Historiae, Vol. 4, No. 7, pp. 101-124.
Bertolazzi, A. (2006) “Au-Dessus De Venise” En vol sur la Sérénissime et la Vénitie. Vercelli: Editions White Star.
Ferrara, D. Bergamo Rossi, T. Favaretto, I, De Paoli, M. (2021) Domus Grimani. Venice: Marsilio.
Fondazione Querini Stampalia (undated) Museum. Available at: http://www.querinistampalia.org/eng/museum.php#/ (Accessed: 12 July 2021).
González De Lara, Y. (2008) ‘The secret of Venetian success: a public-order, reputation-based institution’, European Review of Economic History, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 247-285.
Howard, D. (1989) ‘The Church of the Miracoli in Venice and Pittoni’s St Jerome Altar-Piece’, The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 131, No. 1039, pp. 684-692.
Muir, E. (1979), ‘Images of Power: Art and Pageantry in Renaissance Venice’, The American Historical Review, Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 16-52.
No Author. (2006) ‘Equestrian Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni’, Artstor, 1. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.14499007 (Accessed: August 7 2021)
Ocean Space (undated) Chiesa Di San Lorenzo. Available at: https://www.ocean-space.org/about/church-san-lorenzo (Accessed: 15 July 2021)
Rearick, W. R. (1958-1959) ‘Battista Franco and the Grimani Family”, Saggi e Memorie di storia dell’arte, Vol. 2, pp. 105-139.
Samuels Welch, E. (1990) ‘The Court of Bartolomeo Colleoni: New Documents’, Arte Lombarda, No. 92/93 (1-2), pp. 105-106.
Santa Maria Formosa (undated) Available at: https://santamariaformosa.it/storia/ (Accessed: 15 July 2021)
Schulz, A. (2003) The Baoder-Giustiniani Chapel in San Francesco dell Vigna. Florence: Centro Di.
Scuola Grande Di San Marco (2021) Scuola Grande Do San Marco Presentation. Available at: https://www.scuolagrandesanmarco.it/en/introduction/scuola-grande-di-san-marco-presentation.html(Accessed: 15 July 2021).
Steer, S. (2006) ‘Tota pulchra, et formosa es Maria et macula originalis non est in te: The Congregation of Clergy at Santa Maria Formosa, Venice, and Their Altar of the Immaculate Conception’, Artibus et Historiae, pp. 111-123.
Stermole, K. (2014) ‘Politics, Monuments, and Venice’s Reclamation of Padua during the Cambrai War’, The Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 351-382.
Tassini, G. (1863) Curiosità Veneziane. Venice: Filippi Editore Venezia.
Toso Fei, A. (2002) Venetian Legends and Ghost Stories: A Guide to Places of Mystery in Venice. Venice: Neroargento.
UNESCO (no date) Silk Roads Programme, Venice. Available at: https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/content/venice (Accessed: May 10 2021)
Vircondelet, A. (2008) Venise un art de Vivre. Paris: Flammarion.
Zorzi, A. (1999) Venice 697-1797 A City, A Republic, An Empire. New York: The Overlook Press Peter Mayer Publisher, INC.