We began with a tour of the Doges Palace. It is raining and the tide is high. They have put out raised walkways because the water from the lagoon is splashing on to the streets. The doges palace is a complex of government offices and three rooms in which the doge would live. There are frescos by Titan, Tinteretto and Veronese. Including the largest canvas in the world a painting by Tinteretto which is in the Senate chambers. I domt think it is called the senate but that was as close as i could come to the description. The doge was an elected position and all the nobels, 2000 of them, were charged with the governing of the city.
Because it is Sunday we must wait until tomorrow to see St. Marks church. It was originally the chapel of the doge and housed the relics of St Mark because the men who rescued them preferred to give them to the doge rather than the church. They came in handy at one point when the pope thought he would excommunicate the entire city and the doge used his considerable political power and the relics to persuade the pope to lift the ban.
We walked across the bridge of sighs. The guide explained that the covering is all advertising for the commercial sponsors of the restoration of portions of the city. Seems to me they are the replacement for the rich noblemen who insisted that they be portrayed in the buildings they built or sponsored. The good thing about our sponsors is that their pictures won't stay up the completion of the restoration.
The guide told us that the city is built on thousands of pillions. The church across from the hotel has over one million pillions supporting it. As she said a forest of trees under the water.
After the tour, friend seven and I struck out on a shopping and touring expedition. We wandered around a nimbler of new streets and ducked into lots of fun shops. When we were finally to hungry to go any further we dropped off our purchases and went to a cafe to eat and people watch.
Tonight we forage in the rooms for dinner.
Nor and I are definitely going to have to come back here!
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