Venice, Italy: Trip through history in a gondola!

The sun through the windows into a rainbow of color and form. Never had I see such glitter and glow in one place! This store was fantastic! From the tiniest of hand blown curios to large vases and bowls, this shop has something for everyone, and for everyone's pocket as well! I was enthralled with the selection here, for though a small store it had an amazing selection and amazing prices as well!

If you are looking for a bargain, pass by this shop; it is definitely priced on the high end of the scale, but I can assure you that the sheer beauty of the items on display when you return home will make you forget how truly pricey they really were.

I also would be remiss if I did not mention how helpful and kind the employees are in this shop. I was pleased with their helpful manner and the care they put into wrapping each individual piece so it would survive the trip home. Their customer service, if nothing else, will cause me to return to this shop when I next visit the city!

I am the first to admit I have developed a real appreciation and love for the fine art of Venetian glass, and visiting this shop only further cemented this love.

Within the walls of this small shop lie some of the most beautifully wrought examples of Venetian art in the area. All colors of the spectrum dance around the walls of this shop while sunlight plays on the fine glass displayed upon its shelves.

Once again I gave into the urge to purchase glass here. The choices were endless, fom the smallest of pieces to finely blown paper weights and glassware and finally to some of the most delicate and breathtaking examples of glassware I have ever seen! Even if I had had the budget or the inclination to purchase such pieces I would have been loathe to do so, in fear of them breaking while traveling throughout Italy. Although they do ship pieces and promise to pack them well, I still gave pause and settled for a much smaller piece, which I felt more comfortable carrying around.

The bottom line is this: a trip to Venice is not complete unless you view firsthand the beauty and artistry of blown glass and this shop is one that has example after example of such an art on display. It is well worth the visit and well worth the search (for some shops can be hard to locate in this city), but it is a hunt well worth the time.

Ciao!

While in Venice I decided to purchase some of the hand embroidered items after spying some of the local handiwork on a small child. I introduced myself to this little girls mother who was kind enough to explain that her daughter's dress was hand embroidered and that similar items were available in certain souvenier shops. She explained that in order to find a shop that sold high-quality items I needed to check out what was in the window if there was a lot of "kitschy plastic" and "touristy" stuff I was to keep on walking but if the items displayed were unique and seemed to be one of a kind items then to go in and start my search.

After using her guidelines I found a sweet little store not to far from the main marketplace which had blouses, aprons and cloths prominently displayed in the window. Entering I spied some table linens. Using the other advise my new found friend gave me, I looked at the underneath side and recognised the tell-tale signs of hand-embroidering, somewhat uneven stitching, threads tied off and underthreads criss crossing at times as colors changed. Feeling good about the price, I approached the propietor and made my purchase. When she took extra care to wrap my purchases in tissue several times and place them in a box for safe keeping I KNEW I had come to the right place!

I suggest using the afrementioned points to assure yourself of quality work and when it comes to price let your common sense be your guide, you know how much items mean to you now and what they wil mean to you in the future. Ciao!

Venice, Italy, to the newcomer seems to be a city in which time has stopped, with its fabulous influence by Michaelangelo, the awe-inspiring Byzantine architecture, and its remoteness from neighboring towns. For some reason, the mere thought that one must travel across even a small body of water to access this city gives it a flavor and ambience unique only to Venice. In fact, the ferry ride from the mainland to Venice only serves to set the stage for the wonderful step into Italy’s past, and what a fabulous past it is!

One of the most famous historical places, and perhaps the best known in Venice, is The DOGES PALACE. The DOGES PALACE has had its share of transformations, due in large part to numerous fires and sackings, and yet is today a monument of Gothic style, breathtaking in its historical beauty. Though the beauty is apparent, so is the turmoil this city has faced, as one cannot help but notice visible water lines clearly shown upon the granite and marble, mute testimonies to the great surges of water which to this day threaten to undermine the foundation of the city. Built originally for the Doge, the seat of government, other purposes throughout the years have surfaced. From various government usages to prisons and even for use as private apartments for the Doges, this palace has had a long and varied history.

Within the palace one finds many breathtaking examples of the art history of Venice. Some of the examples of beautiful architecture and history include the following:

THE COLLEGIUM--This is the hall where the highest authorities met. It contains an intricate, finely carved ceiling depicting neatly the Virtues and all their breathtaking beauty. The list is endless, with many other examples of beauty and artistic talents within the walls of this palace, obviously too many to list here, but suffice it to say, all who visit the palace leave filled with memories of the art and beauty within its walls.

THE GOLDEN STAIRCASE is one of my favorites, called so because of the beautiful gilded stucco ceiling, bas reliefs, frames, and frescoes, all which prove to be an awesome sight to behold. These elegant and fantastic examples of the art of the time of the Doge's. As it is with any fine piece of art, it must be seen to be fully appreciated.

THE GRAND CANAL is what most tourists comment upon when asked about Venice, and rightly so. It is, in fact, the main street of the city and is characteristic of the beauty within the city in its personality and flair. Despite the caricatures of Venice gondoliers we have all in our minds, a ride in a gondola, though not to be missed, is only one of many points of interest when one truly experiences the canals of Venice.

Of all the examples of palazzos beaten down by time and water, the PLAZA PESARO is perhaps the most beautiful yet tragic example of baroque art slowly disintegrating through the years. If the visitor looks closely at the columns and facades near the palazzo, one can easily see the water marks left by rising waters and imagine the heartbreaking stories each mark holds within. Though this is but a part of the wonderful history of Venice, there is more, much more, than can be written here. Even were I given unlimited words and space, Venice is a city that though beautiful in guidebooks becomes much more so when visited in person. It is a trip that is not to be missed when traveling, and one that should be repeated whenever in the area.

The marketplace is an area not to be missed, as although it is far from elegant and has not only fine art on display, but proof of the ravages of time and water, it is an experience one must see to fully appreciate the true personality of Venice. Visitors may observe, while seated in the marketplace enjoying a cold drink, many persons, from housewives doing their daily shopping to men talking animatedly on the corners, hands waving in true Italian style, to doe-eyed, dark-haired children chattering gaily as they skip along the streets in their colorful dress and typical shopkeepers happily displaying their wares hoping to make a sale. These shopkeepers were some of the friendliest I had ever encountered, welcoming us into their shops and chatting about everything from the weather to our visit in their fair city. It is all too easy to lose track of time while visiting the marketplace and in fact realize that instead of minutes passing, hours have gone by while they were sitting soaking in the atmosphere. The personalities of the people of Venice come out in the marketplace and the visitor cannot help but be swept up in the moment as well, perhaps if only for the merest of moments feeling as though they took a step back in time. It is a quiet moment not to be missed for its simply beauty and glimpse into the everyday life of Venice.

When visiting Italy, specifically the Venice area, I was very much interested in purchasing some Murano glassware. For those of you who aren't familiar with this glassware, it is produced by talented craftsmen on a small island near Venice. Breathtaking in its color variations and expertly blown shapes, Murano glassware is a wonderful piece of local craftsmanship to enjoy for years after your trip has ended.

The fact that it is made so close to Venice is both good and bad, as you can find many beautiful examples of this lost art in Venice to purchase, BUT you also can find examples of glassware originating from the the Czech Republic prominently displayed next to the Murano glass on store shelves. More times than not, you will need a guide or someone knowledgeable in the art of glassware to tell you the difference. Being extremely lucky the day I shopped, I had a guide who in fact DID know the difference in glassware and was all too happy to help me in my purchases.

My advise to shoppers going to this area with a specific interest in Murano glass would be to research the glassware before you leave, taking any information with you to refer back to, searching for a knowledgeable individual to help you in your search for authentic Murano glassware, and shopping around. Though the glassware is obviously one-of-a-kind, purchasing from the first merchant you find can be a risk, as you take the chance you may be overcharged and what's more is that you may find a more suitable piece in a shop farther up the street. Happy shopping--Ciao!