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Venezia | A Bridge as Famous as the City

Posted on September 29, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

The Ponte Rialto is one of the most famous bridges in the world, and the oldest of 4 bridges in Venice that cross the Grand Canal. For those of you who don’t know, Venice is a lagoon city. It is basically a collection of 117 flat islands connected by water canals.

The islands are manmade structures. Wooden stakes were pushed into little patches of sand and dirt. The water and mud have kept these foundations from rotting over time. Bridges were built to connect the different islands, and thus Venice was founded. The Rialto sits on the biggest canal, appropriately named the Grand Canal.

The bridge’s history begins in 1181. Niccolò Barattieri built a pontoon bridge, or floating bridge, across the canal. The bridge was called Moneta. The more important the Rialto Market became, the more people that used the bridge. So in 1255, a wooden bridge was constructed in place of the pontoon.

The wooden bridge lasted for a while. However, the prosperity stopped during a revolt when it was partially burned in 1310. Trouble struck again when it collapsed under the weight of an audience watching a boat race. in 1444 It was rebuilt, but collapsed again in 1524. Enough was enough.

Antonio da Ponte created the design for the stone bridge that exists today. Architects who threw in their bid but were denied include Palladio, Vignola, and even Michelangelo. It was completed in 1591.Other contemporary architects believed the design to be flawed, but the bridge has defied critics and is one of Venice’s biggest tourist attractions today. It’s no surprise, though. The view from the bridge is undeniably amazing.

The Rialto | A Bridge as Famous as the City

Posted on September 29, 2018June 3, 2020 by Allora Studios in Travel Blog

La Storia (The History) of the Rialto

Venezia | This Astrological Clock is More Than Meets the Eye

Posted on September 22, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

I told you I would talk about St. Mark’s Clocktower! The Torre dell’Orologio is the clock tower that sits to the east of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice. It was constructed after a lot of its neighbors in the piazza, between 1496 to 1499.

The first two years were for the tower, which displaced a couple of buildings in order to be placed where it was. The clock tower was supposed to be a connector between the financial and commercial center of the city (the Rialto) and the religious and political center of the city (the Piazza di San Marco). It was also meant to be visible from the lagoon to show the wealth of the Venetian people.

From top to bottom, let’s talk about the decorative features of the tower. At the very top, there are 2 bronze statues. One old and one young, to show how time passes, strike the bell that is between them every hour. This duo is called “The Moors”.

Next is the Lion of Venice in front of a blue background with gold stars. It originally had a statue of Doge Agostino Barbarigo kneeling in front of the lion, but it was taken down by the French when they conquered the city.

Below that is the panel with the Madonna. There’s a blue and gold background with a statue of the Madonna (Virgin Mary) and child under an archway. To the left side is the current hour in Roman numerals. The left shows 5-minute intervals in Arabic numerals. On Epiphany and Ascension Day each year, 3 magi and an angel with a trumpet come out from the numeral doors to bow to the Madonna and go back into the tower.

Below the Madonna is the actual clock part of the tower. This is where the last two years of construction were spent. The clock face is blue with golden zodiac symbols corresponding with the Roman numerals. It was replaced and restored many times over its history.

For more information or to book a tour in advance, which is the only way to do so, click here!

Venezia | The Long History of Venice’s Most Iconic Square

Posted on September 15, 2018June 2, 2020 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

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So we’ve talked about the Campanile and the Basilica. But there’s one thing that we haven’t discussed that literally ties it all together. La Piazza.

The Piazza San Marco, or the Square of Saint Mark, is the most important spot in all of Venice. It is referred to as the political and religious center of the city.

The piazza is a backward L shaped, concrete square just north of the palace of the Doge. The larger portion, which stretches north from Saint Mark’s Basilica, is what is actually called La Piazza. The part that connects the square to the coast, stretching away from the west side of the basilica, is called La Piazzetta (translated to little square).

Originally, the Piazzetta was not concrete. It was a dock, and the campanile served as its lighthouse. The piazza was originally grass, not concrete, and there were many streams running along the sides of the contemporary buildings.

During Medieval times, the piazza began to look more like the one that stands today. It was expanded and decorated. The columns with the Lion of Venice and St. Theodore were placed in the Piazzetta.

During the Renaissance period, the clock tower was created to the east of the basilica, but we will discuss the history of that next week.

Today, the pavement is the same that was restored in 1890. This restoration tried to be as close to the same as it could to the pavement designs that were placed in 1723. Since Venice is such a flood hazard town, the piazza was created, in 1723, with flood prevention measurements including a lift for drainage systems to be placed in the pavement.

This system is not foolproof, however, because it is still possible, and during high tide and rainy seasons almost inevitable, that the town of Venice flood, and the poor piazza is no different than the rest of the town.

Venezia | The Church of Gold

Posted on September 8, 2018September 7, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

The Basilica di San Marco (Saint Mark’s Basilica) was originally ordered to be constructed in 828 when Venetian merchants allegedly stole relics of Mark the Evangelist and brought them to Venice. After the Doge (commonly translated to Duke) ordered the construction and it was completed, the church became a personal chapel to the Doge. It was probably a matter of convenience since the Doge’s palace is literally attached to the basilica.

In 976, the Doge at the time, Pietro IV Candiano, was forced into the basilica by a rebelling mob. They locked him in it and set it aflame, executing him. The basilica was restored in 978. That wasn’t the only time that this Italo-Byzantine church was restored, though. In 1106, it was the victim to another fire. This one destroyed a lot of the exterior mosaics.

Before the fire, however, the new design of the basilica was constructed. The shape has mostly been the same as long as it has been in existence, but the decoration has definitely changed. These changes happened between 1063 and 1117, but the exact dates are indefinite.

San Marco was used as a personal chapel for the line of Doges until around the 13th century when it became more of a public facility and housed many public functions and celebrations. In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte, the self-crowned King of Italy, declared that the responsibility of the basilica change from the nobility to the Patriarch of Venice, who was the local bishop.

Much like the Duomo in Milano, San Marco is the home to a great deal of ornate decoration on the exterior of the basilica. There are statues, sculptures, spires, and golden mosaics. Notice the Lion of St. Mark and the depictions of the Patron Saint that appear in many places on the exterior.

The basilica is often referred to as the “Chiesa d’Oro” or the Church of Gold. It’s not hard to see why it carries this name. The true marvel of gold, however, is inside the basilica. True to the over-the-top nature of financial rivalry that sets the tone for Italian churches, San Marco is decorated from ceiling to floor with golden mosaics. Even the eaves have gold in them.

(The front facade of the Basilica from left to right)

Unfortunately, since the basilica does not allow photography inside its glorious doors, I don’t have any interior pictures to show you. They are out there in the world, though; and they are worth taking a look.

Venice at night was so magical. How could I resist the temptation of photographing this glorious golden Goliath of a basilica that is so perfectly lit in the evening hours?

Scaffolding or not, this church is a beauty that is worth the seasickness I got to be able to see it. For more information on the Basilica di San Marco, please visit their website here. There are pictures of the interior that will seriously make your jaw drop!

Venezia | Bright and Sunny Venice

Posted on August 18, 2018February 19, 2024 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

Once the Rainy Venice became Sunny Venice, that’s when the fun really began for me. I had never seen such amazing color contrast! The pictures I was taking were amazing. So naturally, we went back to all the sites we had already seen. I snapped away at every sunny venice scene I saw.

The canals and small *piazzas* make for such great framing of the people of Venice and gondolas. Exploring a sunny Venice gave shot after shot of amazing content. Over two years after this trip, I still find myself going back to some of these pictures.

The Bridge of Sighs is a bridge which once led to the corrections facility of Venice. The name comes from the sighs that could be heard as the prisoner passes the windows to see one last look at the beautiful beautiful Venice canal.

We went back to Saint Mark’s Square and retraced our steps, but not before getting lost and ending up on the opposite side of the island. We circled around and around the tiny alleyways and across the canal bridges. Following the signs has always been how I navigate, but here, the locals may have played a trick on us, for we eventually discovered that there were signs pointing opposite directions for the same thing!

It wasn’t all bad though. The pictures I captured getting lost in Venice were some of the best of the entire trip! The blue skies and golds of St. Mark’s Basilica complimented each other so perfectly. Even St. Mark’s Tower became more of a site. It was all breathtaking, but it quickly became very hot outside, though. After a couple of hours wandering the streets and climbing many bridges, we decided it was time for a nap.

I knew that more amazing pictures were waiting to be captured. So we slept until sunset.

Venezia | An Introduction to Venice

Posted on August 11, 2018June 2, 2020 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

For our first time in Venice, we did not plan a long stay. The goal of the trip was to see as much of Italy as we could. So, naturally, a lot of sites and cities got left out this time.

Our boat ride from the train station in Venice to Hotel Elena, which is where my friend so kindly let us use his points to pay, was very rocky. Since my fiancée and I have virtually no sea-legs, we had a hard time.

I managed to take some pictures of what we were seeing, but it was due to rain any minute. The pictures I took reflected how I was feeling: sick from the waves, a little sad that the only day in Venice seemed like it was to rain all day, and a little too focused on getting to the hotel to put our heavy packs down for the day.

After a brief rest on a bench in the courtyard of our hotel, we set off on foot to see Venice!

There was a point that Amanda and I both recognized as the end of “off the path” Venice, where the top of a bridge gave us a clear look at the amount of tourism that Venice hosts per day. It’s a lot more than you could imagine.

We struggled through crowds and rainy weather for a couple hours. The pictures I took were… okay. I longed for the sun to come out and bring this city to its full glory. But I figured that we only had one day, and if the skies didn’t clear, this was what Venice would look like for me.

So we kept walking, and I kept snapping.

About the time we got to one of the world’s most famous bridges, Ponte Rialto, the rain had stopped. As we began to head back to the hotel, bright and sunny Venice came out to play.

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Tips and Tricks | Budgeting Food in Italia

Posted on July 28, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Milano, Roma, Tips and Tricks, Travel Blog, Venezia

One thing that I know everyone is looking to figure out is how my fiancée and I pay for our vacations. It seems like every few months we’re trekking out to explore more of the world.

So, I wanted to share with you how we paid for things in Milano! So, here’s everything from the planes we took, the trains we hopped, the places we stayed, and the things we ate!

Eating and Spending Money

So I’m going to let you in on how I budget money for my fiancée and I for daily spending. One thing we can’t live without is food and water. So, we cut down on our water spending by using Britta filter water bottles. No matter where we are in the world, the water is filtered and drinkable. Most countries in the world have perfectly potable water, but we like to stay cautious and prepared for any situation. They are not too expensive at Target and the replacement filters are affordable, too.

With water at our constant disposal, that means we get to splurge when we sit down to eat meals. We get sodas only when we eat, and occasionally Powerade, which is a product of Coca-Cola and available most places in the world.

It is important, which I learned the hard way, to replenish your electrolytes when possible. Water is great, but it is not the only thing you need. Buying in packs makes it an economic option as well. Even buying individually at a market instead of at a restaurant can save you 50%.

For food, we try to do street food during the day. Grab-n-Go food is easy and usually full of carbs, which are very helpful when you do the amount of walking and exploring we do on vacation. So, pizza by the slice and sandwiches were daily options for us in Italy.

To save money, don’t just eat at the first food stand you see near the main attractions though. Food prices are often hiked where tourism is prevalent. Going literally 2 or so streets over can save you a lot of money.

For dinners in Italy, we usually got plates of pasta. Since we were staying in an Airbnbs, hostels, and hotels, we had access to refrigerators that we could use to store our food and microwaves to reheat leftovers. We didn’t utilize this as much as a solo traveler might because it was just as easy for us to share a plate instead of keeping it for leftovers.

So here are some numbers for what I’ve noticed in my time in Italy.

Pizza by the slice can run you anywhere from a Euro and some change to 4 or 5 Euros. Sandwiches are about the same. They can be up to 8 Euros or so. Plates of pasta and risotto can be anywhere from 10 or so Euros to 25 or more. No meat means it will probably cost less money, and all of these prices are subject to how close they are to the tourist attractions. You will pay way more for a plate with meat at a restaurant that is on the corner of the Duomo di Milano than if you get a plate of Pasta Arrabbiata at the little restaurant down the street from your not centrally located Airbnb.

For budgeting and spending money, I try to budget about $50 per person per day. This usually covers the cost of food with a little extra for the set of playing cards with pictures of the city (which is what I collect) or the Roman helmet keychain that you just have to have.

Within that budget, I usually come out with extra for daily expenses, but that leaves you wiggle room for when seasickness causes you to not catch the first boat going to the train station in Venice and you miss your train to Rome and costs you about $200… (Sorry about that, Amanda).