Venice - Venecio

Venice (Italian Venice, / ve'nɛtstsja /) is a city in Veneto (northeast Italy).

Understand

Venice lies on an archipelago in the middle of a lagoon, as can be clearly seen in the side satellite photo (the city is a brown spot on the blue background of the lagoon). Such an unusual condition made it famous worldwide.

La Lagoon of Venice is located on the northern shore of the Adriatic Sea, part of the Mediterranean, and contains approx. 180 islets, of which only 6 are larger than 1 km². The town is built on a set of very close and very small islets (over 100), but further buildings are on slightly more remote islands.

Part of the municipality of Venice is also a number of areas on firm ground, especially the large district Master, the industrial port Marghera and the airport dedicated to Marco Polo. Since 1846 Mestre has been connected to Venice by a railway bridge, which was widened in 1933 with the addition of a motorway.

Although Venice is particularly famous for its unique location in the lagoon, remember that it also has several historical sights.

History

Birth of a new city

The lagoon in which Venice was to be born arose only after the end of the last ice age, between 6000 and 1000 BC, when the sea level rose and submerged a strip of coastal plain.

Under Rome the most important cities near the lagoon were Clodia (today It's raining), on the south bank, and Altinum (1 on the map), on the north shore; other important coastal towns near the lagoon, but outside it, were Hadria (south of Clodia) and Aquileja (northeast). Venice (i.e. Venice) was the name of the region.

During the last decades of the Roman Empire, and during the following centuries, many inhabitants of the region fled to the lagoon, either temporarily or stably. A traditional story states that the bishop of Padua, who came with other characters, the 25 of March of year 421 blessed in the area of ​​present-day Venice the church of St. James (San Giacomo, 2 on the map). Until the 18th century, Venice's birthday was celebrated on March 25.

Although the traditional story is not reliable (St. James was probably built only in the 12th century), it is true that during the early Middle Ages the inhabitants of Altinum, Aquileja, Padua and environs fled to the lagoon islands for fear especially of the Huns (452) and the Longobards (568 and later). In 631 the bishop of Altinum officially moved to the island Torcello (3 on the map).

Gradually more residents arrived in the lagoon. The entire lagoon and the adjacent coast at that time remained officially under the Byzantine Empire (actually half independent), while the Longobards conquered the rest of the region. The Duke (doge in the local dialect, Esperantoized as "doge") moved in 752 to the island Malamocco (4 on the map).

Around 775 a new episcopal see arose on the islet of Olivolo (today San Pietro in Castello, 5 on the map), and soon (812) also the duke left Malamoccoand came to the heart of the present city (Rialto). There the dukes built the Ducal Palace, or Doge's Palace (Doge's Palace, 6 on the map), completed only after 150 years, and in the chapel of that palace they brought in 828 the body of St. Mark, the evangelist.

Immediately afterwards, work began on building an impressive new basilica, close by, to house St. Mark's body.

Middle Ages

Venice became an important "maritime republic" and ruled trade with the eastern Mediterranean. It conquered several places along the Adriatic coast, in Greece, and so on

(...)

Climate

The climate of Venice is the climate of the Pada Plain, but milder due to the influence of the sea.

In winter, the temperature only rarely drops below zero; in summer it reaches 25 ° -28 ° C during the day, sometimes even 30 ° C, but rarely more.

Rainfall is almost abundant in all months (a little more in April / May and November). In normal years, there are 5 to 9 rainy days each month.

High water

Venice sometimes experiences a special condition called "high water" (high water), which is the combination of tide and adverse wind.

In fact, tides are small in the Adriatic, compared to the tides of the oceans. But, when the tide is higher than usual and additionally the wind pushes seawater towards the city or heavy rains bring an additional contribution, the overall impact can cause flooding. With water high at 1.2m, approx. 25% of the city is flooded. In November 2019, as in November 1966, high water exceeded the rare level of 1.8m, flooding almost the whole of Venice.

The high water depends on the tide, so it can last only a few hours, but can return after a break of a few more hours.

Access

Aliri avie

The old airport of Venice (Giovanni Nicelli or Venice-Lido) is in the northern part of the island of Lido and no longer operates for commercial flights.

The new airport is named after Marco Polo (Marco Polo or Venice-Card) and is 13km from the city. In 2019, more than 11 million passengers passed through the airport.

Website is: VeneziaAirport.it, available in Italian, English and Chinese.

There are frequent buses between Venice and Marco Polo Airport (ACTV line 5 and ATVO line 35; both cost € 8 and the journey time is approx. 20 / 25min). It is also possible to travel by boat directly from Venice to the airport and again (ALILAGUNA Orange), but the cost (approx. 15 €) and the duration (just over 1h) are greater. From 2024, as planned, the airport will also have its own railway station.

There are direct flight connections between Marco Polo Airport and all major cities throughout western and central Europe and with several cities in Eastern Europe and other continents.

Another airport is in the direction of Treviso, approx. 20km away from Venice (airport Antonio Canova or Treviso-Sant'Angelo or Venice-Treviso). It is used mainly by cheap airlines. Its website is: TrevisoAirport.it, available in Italian, English ....

There are buses between Venice-Treviso Airport and the center of Venice (ATVO line 351, cost 12 €, duration 1h10), group taxis (GoOpti, available in 8 languages) and ordinary taxis. It is also possible to use a local bus to Treviso station (Treviso Airlink, € 2.50 or more, 15min), and from there train to Venice (Trenitalia, € 3.60, 32-40min).

Access by train

The station of Venice (Weather in Venezia Santa Lucia) is located at the northwest corner of the urban archipelago, connected to the mainland by a bridge.

There is also another railway station beyond the opposite end of the bridge, in the neighborhood Master (Venezia Mestre).

Venice is connected directly by fast trains especially with:

• Trieste
• Padua - Bologna - Florence - Rome - Naples
• Padua - Verona - Milan - Turin

For foreign connections, there are night trains from / to Paris and from / to Munich Vienna, day or evening trains from / to Zurich, from / to Geneva, from / to Vienna.

Access bus

Flixbus connects Venice with several cities in Italy and in the neighboring countries.

Access by car

Access by ship

Venice Lines and Atlas-Compass connects Venice by ship with several cities in Rome Istria (Slovenia / Croatia), from April to October. The journey continues along the city from 2h30 to approx. 5h.

Minoan Lines and Atek Lines connects Venice by ship to the west Greece (Corfu, Igumenica, Patras). The journey takes more than 24 hours. It is also possible to travel in winter, although there are more offerings in spring and summer.

Information is available for example at Direct Ferries, Direct Ferries (international website), Ferries.it, Minoan Lines , Anek Lines etc.

To be transported

To be transported on foot

Public transport

Transport by car

See

1 - St. Mark's Square (St. Mark's Square) with the basilica of the same name, dedicated in 1094 and since 1807 cathedral of Venice. Also famous is the church tower, the Bell Tower of St. Mark.

2 Palace of the doges (or Ducal Palace, Doge's Palace), since 814 seat of the doges that ruled Venice, burned several times, now has the appearance acquired during the 15th century. Very rich also in important paintings, it is today a museum.

3 - Rialto Bridge (Rialto Bridge), the most famous of the four bridges crossing the Grand Canal, built in 1591 (before the present bridge was a boat bridge since 1181 and a wooden bridge since c.1250).

4 - Basilica Santa Maria of the Health (Santa Maria della Salute), built in 1630 to thank St. Mary for the end of the plague in Venice.

5 - Basilica Saints John and Paul (Saints John and Paul, locally as well San Zanipolo), built between the 13th and 15th centuries and containing several famous paintings and tombs.

6 - Basilica Santa Maria Glorious of the Brothers (Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari), mostly built during the 14th and 15th centuries and containing among other things a famous painting by Titian on the Assumption of Mary.

7 - Ora Domo (Ca 'd'Oro), a Gothic palace built from 1421 to 1442.

8 - Correr Museum with sculptures by Canova and others, and famous paintings; it also contains the apartment used by the Empress "Sissi".

9 - Peggy Guggenheim Museum, with modern paintings.

10 - Basilica St. George the Great (San Giorgio Maggiore), built in the 10th century on an islet in front of St. Mark's Basilica, and rebuilt in the 16th century by Andrea Palladio.

Fari

Buy

Famous are the clothes produced according to a centuries-old tradition in the islet Murano. However, there are also shops offering non-local glassware: look for the coupon attesting that they were made in Venice if you want traditional glassware!

Stores

Eat

There are several local foods, some anciently influenced by Middle Eastern dishes.

Among them (with local names):

• sweet acid sardines (sardèe in saór), a snack containing fried sardines, onions, vinegar, oil, and often raisins and pine nuts, with a sweet-sour taste;
• risotto with gobies (rice risotto), rice with small fishes living in the lagoon, called "go" of the locals (gobies of the species Zosterisessor ophiocephalus);
• polenta with gray shrimp (points and skis), yellow polenta with large shrimps of the species Palaemon serratus;
• soft crabs (moeche or moleche), green crabs (Carcinus aestuarii) during the skin change (dumb), fried;
• crabs with eggs (coral masanete), also green crabs but hard, with heaps of eggs, found only around the end of the summer;
• liver in the Venetian style (Venetian liver), liver with chives, a dish originally from Venice, now known throughout Italy; it is often eaten with white polenta;
• cuttlefish with ink (know with black);
• fritole, sweet fried balls, eaten during the time of the carnival.

Drink

It is worth mentioning the alcohol spritz (in Esperanto one can perhaps say "sprico"), probably of Austrian origin and known throughout the region. It is a cocktail made with sparkling wine "Prosecco" (produced in Veneto and Friuli), mild bitterness, Selters water.

To live

In the city or nearby 1 host of Passport Service^(2020/12) (in Padua).

Campsites

Hostels

Hotels

Security

Esperanto

Local Esperantists

The local group of Esperantists is called "La Gondolo".

Its group website has unfortunately not been updated since 2004.

Some recent information is at the the website of the Italian Esperanto Federation.

Consulates

Visit further

Remarks

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