Visit San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy

Visit San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice Italy San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the nicest buildings at the city of canals; it stands in a perfect place at the end of the Canal Grande opposite San Marco. The tiny island was endowed to the Benedictine order by Giovanni Murassini in 982. The monastery was built in 1223 then rebuilt 200 years later. Cosimo Medici lived here in exile at this time, the original church of the monastery was established in the 10th century, the recent building was designed by Palladio in 1565, his creation was finished by Andrea Paliari after his death. The inner space is characteristic of the economy of pure architectural forms and ornament, its peculiarity is the dome on the cross shaped base and the long stretching choir. On the west wall the tomb of Galilee’s friend Doge Leonardo Dona can be found. The group of statues and the main altar is the creation of Jadalama Campanya, part of the paintings were done by Tintoretto. The Older brean of the monastery was designed by Palladio, the newer by Langhine. The belfry was built by Bernardo Beratti in 1774. Although the lift over that takes us up to 60 meters and it is not the Piazzetta spreading in front of us many think the view from here is nicer than from the San Marco campanile. In the brain of morning sunshine we can see the greenish oily smooth reflection with the patches of romantic islands, a distant mist in the background. To the east the open waters of the Adriatic appear blue, beyond Venice’s tiled roofs, the Cyprus trees of the burial island and the colorful houses in Murano and Burano. Since 1813 the two snow white light towers of Istrian stone have been guarding over the harbor. The Giudecca Canal is three times as wide as Canal Grande allowing such ocean liners to pass which would the cupola of the Saint Georges church seem like a dwarf. Giudecca Island protrudes into the south canal like a long spine which is why the locals call it spinaloonga. The name Giudecca could refer equally to both convicts as to a Jewish colony. There are few cities in the world with a such well documented history as Venice. However we hardly know anything about Giudecca, old etching show noble palaces and large renaissance ornamental gardens suitable for entertaining. Today these are overgrown parks. The attraction of the island is the La Stella church, designed by Palladio and the luxurious hotel Chiprianni. In the direction of Ponte Lungo we find boat repair work shops and the residential quarter of a local fisherman. The Gesuati baroque church is also known by the name Santa Maria del Rosario, this work of Massari was built in 1734 and is decorated with paintings and frescos by Tiepolo. In February temperatures decrease considerably but Italy boasts blue skies even then, carnival visitors right pass bare trees, only the evergreens of Jardini Publicci offer a fresh splash of color. The largest park of Venice was established by Napoleon in 1810 near the arsenal. Since 1104 the Arsenal has been a famous and infamous builder and repairer of ships. In Venice’s hay day more than 16,000 people worked here on the 32 hectare territory. The hall located between the park and the arsenal is the location of Venice Pionale. The arsenal itself is presently in possession of the army and as such cannot be visited except for their open house on November 4th. The gem people take their pleasure when the sea was warm in May, dolls and masks begin at midnight burning ever to midday when they made up fresh adventures for the tomorrow do you say? Was a lady such a lady cheek so round and lips so red on her neck is small face buoyant like a bell flower on its bed? The poet Robert Browning spent his last years in the Rezzonico Palace and he also died here. Perhaps we would not resent it for the museum of the Venetian carnival was also set up here. The carnival, maskval and masquerade has a history of several centuries but it has really been considered a tourist attraction since 1980. The week before Shrove Tuesday an enormous amount of domestic and foreign guests join the carnival in Venice. In this period the city overflows with pleasure seeking people wearing masks and costumes. Numerous theatrical and musical events take place on the streets and squares too. The frivolity finishes with a palatial ball at Piazza San Marco. In order to decrease crowdedness, the city council pronounced the whole period before lent carnival as of 1988. Therefore it is easier for the guests to find hotel rooms and the activities are also easier to join. At this time even the city seems to put on a disguise, the ground on the streets and squares also get a different image. Incoming people are all in costume and they look fine in their wonderful fancy clothing, like walking on a stage where there is a mask flowers just being performed. Ezra Pound rest into the cemetery of San Michele expressed the common experience of all visitors to Venice “and the beauty of this thy Venice has thou shown into me until as its loveliness become in to me a theme of tears”.