|  Mesmerizing,
mystical and magical, Venice as unique as its ambience displays
a magnificent collection of amazing architecture. The captivating
Ca’ d’ Oro, is structured in the Gothic style showcasing
the Galleria Franchetti whose amazing collection
of tapestries, bronzes and paintings display the style of the 15th
and 16th centuries with many works by Titian. A panoramic view greets
the eye from the balconies on the first and second floors overlooking
the Grand Canal. Venetian depictions of St. Bartholomew
as a polytych along with Tuscan art, frescoes, with works by Tintoretto,
Titian, Carpaccio, Mantegna,
Vivarini, Signorelli and van
Eyck are displayed in profusion.
Venetian art as a brilliant vibrant collection portrays the artistic
penchant of its talented artists and artisans. The Gallerie
dell'Accademia illustrates Venetian art from the 14th century
to the 18th century with Paolo Veneziano’s
Madonna and Child with Two Donors, the Coronation of Mary and Carpaccio’s
altar piece Crucifixion and Apotheosis. Famous artists such as Giovanni
Bellini, Giorgione Lorenzo Lotto, Canaletto,
Guardi and Pietro Longhi bring
alive an array of landscapes, portraits and depictions with fine
detail and extravagant style.
 Venice
takes you on a guided tour of Palazzo Ducale, The
Doge’s palace with its Gothic architecture with pink
Veronese marble and white Istrian stone facing the canals and the
Piazzetta San Marco. Grand with state rooms, the
palace has innumerable corridors which lead to the Bridge
of Sighs leading out through the gloriously beautiful Gothic
Porta della Carta.
 Going
into the heart of Venice, the Ponte di Rialto leads
the way into the famous fruit and vegetable market with stalls selling
souvenirs for tourists. Pescaria though only 100 years old, has
the tradition that goes back to the year 1300, of selling fresh
fish. Venice’s oldest church, the Chiesa di San Giacomo
di Rialto was founded on the same day as Venice, on 25
March 421. As divine as Venice, its architecture is regarded as
a treasure trove displaying Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
built by the Franciscans with Bellini’s appealing sacristy
altar piece and Titian’s Assumption altar painting.
 Decorated
with infinite care, St Mark’s Basilica stands
majestic and splendid arrayed in precious plundered treasures with
an altar piece of gold, enamel and jewels with a 12th century marble
pavement and a sacred thorn from the Tesoro, of a thorn from the
crown worn by Christ. St Mark’s Square was
called by Napoleon as the finest drawing room in Europe with its
mystical aura of being covered by water during high tide.
San Marco’s bell tower overlooks a scenic panorama of the
canals, the bridges, the lagoon, and the islands and, in clear weather
- even the Alps. The bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore
offers another perspective of Venezia equally appealing and beautiful.
The Piazza San Marco also contributes a divine view of Venezia with
her colorful aura and marvelous architecture. The Palazzo Ducale
and San Marco can be enjoyed from Punta Dogana
at the end of the Canal Grande. The Loggia de Cavalli located in
San Marco’s Basilica leads to a flight of stairs to the museum
and a gallery with a great view of the interior of the church, with
the outer gallery with its famous pair of horses, looks into the
piazza.
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