Thursday, October 30, 2008

Have The Holiday Of A Life Time In Venice - 15 Things To See

By Jillian Kammer

Venice is more than just another romantic place. It's more than a city filled with art treasures, and it doesn't just host a multitude of some fine architecture. Venice is all of this and much, much more.

One example among many different reasons to visit Venice is St. Mark's Basilica. The church is a known rival of Rome's St. Peter's and although it's not as large or grand, St. Mark's is still an amazing sight that is renowned as one of the finest of its kind.

You'll find the Campanile outside the Basilica di San Marco that served as its belltower. The place also served as a military lookout during perilous times to help keep Venice safe. Nowadays it offers more of an aesthetic purpose for those that find delight in awe inspiring sights.

The Piazza is what hosts the previously mentioned places, along with other sights such as St. Mark's Square. The Square is a great gathering spot along with a beautiful sight seeing experience. Housing a magnificent clock tower and providing access to the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Square ads plenty of grace and charm to Venice while providing silence from traffic and auto noise.

Best known for other things such as gondolas and the Grand Canal, Venice can be seen while boating down the main waterway or the secondary channels of the city.

The Rialto and other main bridges cross the Grand Canal and provide another spectacular sight whether moving up the Canal in a vaporetto or in a gondola. The vantage point from the Canal offers some of the best views in the city.

To find outstanding examples of Venetian architecture, access to the loggia of the Ca' d'Oro - the Golden House - is located on the Canal and a short Vaporetto ride can get you to the Palazzo Grassi.

In very different styles, you can find more examples another boat ride away, such as the Villas of Venice. Villa Pisani began in the early 1700s and the Versailles of Paris was used as the model. Palladio who is a world famous architect offers a large collection of his work at La Rotunda and Padova houses many other works form other artists such as the Villa Contarini- Camerini.

A short trip outside the main city offers several islands to explore. One island (Murano) displays the famous glass works of Venice's Artisans, who have been renowned for centuries in this art. Another island named Burano holds a museum dedicated to the Lace that craftsmen have provided the world for centuries can be found here.

A master renaissance painter named Tintoretto offers a large collection of his works displayed at the Scoula Grande di San Rocca. Near by, the Gallerie dell' Accademia offers plenty of other art masterpieces from renowned artists. Other Venice paintings, architecture and opera can be found in one spot at La Fenice.

The 2 weeks before lent is the best time to visit, as the Carnevale lets you become a theater performer. You'll be able to take a mask home for memories, and the experience will definitely last a lifetime.

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