Venice Landmarks

More photos have arrived from our Italian photographers, Opus and Roscoe. They captured the 2008 Carnival gang at three of Venice's most prominent landmarks.


At the Rialto Bridge ready to do some shopping.
Photo by Opus & Roscoe

The Rialto Bridge is the true heart of Venice. The current structure was built in just three years, between 1588 and 1591, as a permanent replacement for the boat bridge and three wooden bridges that had spanned the Grand Canal at various times since the 12th Century. The Rialto Bridge's 24-foot arch was designed to allow passage of galleys, and the massive structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge more than 400 years later.


In front of St. Mark's Basilica.
Photo by Opus & Roscoe

St. Mark's Basilica, the cathedral of Venice, is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. The cathedral site on St. Mark's Square and was originally the "chapel" of the Venetian rulers, and not the city's cathedral. Since 1807 it has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. For the opulent design and its status as a symbol of Venetial wealth and power, from the 11th century the building was known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro, church of gold.


Checking out the Bridge of Sighs
Photo by Opus & Roscoe

Antonio Contino's bridge over the Rio di Palazzo was erected in the year 1600 to connect the Doge's prisons with the inquisitor's rooms in the main palace. The name "Bridge of Sighs" was inspired by the sighs of condemned prisoners as they were led through it to the executioner.

I cannot wait until next year for Carnival in Venice so I am planning on a trip in the fall. Mark your calendar as all are invited to join me.

A big thank you to your photographers. They have said that you may feel free to borrow the photos if you would like. Don't forget to credit the photographers.