The Venice you crave: it’s in the details
There’s more to Venice than St. Mark’s, the Bridge of Sighs, and a gondola ride… especially this time of year
If you’ve been to Venice, then of course you’ve seen St. Mark’s Square, the Ponte di Rialto, and the Bridge of Sighs. And maybe all of those from a gondola. Truth be told, if you’re in Venice for an afternoon, those sights may be all you’ll have time for. However, if you stay for a week or longer during the post-Carnivale months of March and April, you’ll have time to venture deep into the corridors and walkways of Venice and notice details like these…
An unlit candle waiting for nightfall on a round table outside a quiet café.
A lone magenta glove dropped on the steps of a bridge in Campo Sant’Angelo.
A woman cleaning her windowsill with the scratchy sweeps of a whiskbroom.
A cocoa-brown poodle posing happily for its owner’s camera.
A row of uncomfortable, wood-and-steel chairs lined up behind the pews in St. Zaccaria church.
The warmth rising from votives burning inside Santa Maria Della Salute.
The staccato shouts of middle school students playing out-of-doors, just beyond a brick wall you cannot see behind.
Faded confetti from carnivale hiding in the crevices of stone walkways.
Orange, lavender and smoky-gray marzipan fish glistening in a store brimming with sweets.
A troop of ten-year-olds skateboarding in Campo Santa Margherita at nine o’clock on a Saturday night.
An overturned green plastic flower box waiting for warmer temperatures.
So, by all means, see the magnificent and popular sights of Venice. They are, indeed, too wondrous to miss. But also train your eyes and ears to take in the details. Venture away from the city center to see the beautiful things that quietly linger in the most humble of places.
Thanks for reading about the details of Venice! Clap up this post (and share it, too!), so others will find it, and by all means, feel free to leave a comment or simply share about the beautiful details you’ve taken notice of in your travels.
Here are two other Venice posts I’ve written recently on Athena Talks:
