
V-Nice Venice
With its iconic scenery, this overflowing city simply cannot be fully described by words – which is just as well, because I’m in the queue for airport security and I wrote this rather hurriedly in the cafe.



Venice is not actually an island. It is a group of 118 small islands interlinked by 400 bridges. Some might describe Venice as a ‘sinking ship’; not only is it literally sinking at a rate of 2 millimetres per year, but it’s population has halved in the last 50 years, from 120,000 to 60,000. Such de-population is due to the extortionate cost of maintaining a home in Venice, as well as its slow descent into the sea
Yet, Venice is more than just a ‘sinking ship’: it is home to Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, the first public Casino, and an eerie masquerade tradition. It boasts 450 palaces, 350 gondolas, 170 bell towers and 177 canals, as well as the birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo, the composer Antoni Vivaldi and the playwright Giacomo Casanova.


The city’s masquerade tradition is part of what makes Venice’s history so eerie and mysterious. Although masks were worn mostly in the Carnival of Venice (probably a more elegant version of Notting Hill’s), they were also used to climb the social ladder. Masks would allow Venetians to interact with one another beyond the bounds of social class and status, with romantic, or criminal, aims.
Some masks, such as the Bauta, became regulated by the Venetian government. The Bauta has a square chin, tilted upwards, to allow its wearer to talk, drink and eat whilst preserving their anonymity. It became obligatory to wear the Bauta at important political decision-making events , hence the mask became crucial for democracy; by concealing identity, free and equal votes and referendums could be held. In an even more forward-thinking fashion, it was illegal to bear weapons whilst wearing the mask.
Towards the end of the 18th century, as the Venetian Republic began to fall under the pressure of Napoleon, the wearing of masks became severely restricted, possibly due to fears of espionage.
Other masks include the Medico Della Peste – the Plague Doctor Mask:

Its piercing beak and macabre features were designed by a French Physician, Charles de Lorme, whilst treating patients suffering from the Plague. The beak would sometimes be filled with herbs or lavender to wash away the stench of illness and disease.



Other famous sights in Venice include Saint Mark’s Basilica, once known as the Church of Gold. It’s opulent design, ornate mosaics and golden decoration has been used as a symbol of Venice’s wealth and power, powerful since the 16th and 17th centuries when Venice held unprecedented success in trade and the maritime world.
Note the horses in the Basilica; four of these horses preside over the Piazza San Marco. These horses are such incredible symbols of Venice’s wealth and power that, in 1379, the Genoese (Genoa) stated that there could be no peace between Genoa and Venice until these horses had been restrained and defeated. When Napoleon conquered Venice in the 18th century, he removed these horses and shipped them to Paris.
Have to get to the boarding gate now to go home from Vienna, so I shall cut it short there and leave you with these photos. Besides, Venice is best described by its views and truly incredible scenery:








