Europe: 4. Venice- Romance and Music

     As the bright sunshine greeted us, we bid goodbye to Florence, which had mesmerised every one of us with sheer beauty and nostalgia. The roads, surroundings, and beautiful cars once again began to fill our minds with their magnificence. We crossed a number of tunnels, some short, some of them very long. The maintenance of the tunnels was thorough. Picturesque surroundings did not let us feel tired even as we travelled for nearly four hours. We had our lunch in an Indian restaurant in Mestre, a beautiful place on our way. Post lunch we reached Tronchetto, from where we boarded a ‘Vaporetto’, a steamer boat (water bus). We could see major settings during the half-an-hour ride, which took us to Venice island. Venice is built on more than 120 islands, separated by water canals. Portions of the city are linked by nearly 400 bridges. A city of canals and bridges, Venice is a part of the metropolitan area, which includes other cities too. A major centre of commerce during and after the Renaissance, Venice is also called queen of the Adriatic Sea. But the water canals and lagoons of Venice are under constant threat of floods due to their peculiar ecology.

     As we stepped out of the Vaporetto, Venezia (Venice) gave us a graceful welcome. The hustle and bustle of the place gave it the look of a fair. Out of the small and large shops, the most striking were those of masks worn during the Carnival of Venice. We crossed a few bridges and reached the ‘Bridge of Sighs’. It’s a corridor which links the ‘Doge’s Palace’ to the ‘New Prison’. Built in the Venetian style, the Doge’s Palace was the residence of ‘Doge’, the head of the former republic of Venice. During the initial phase, there were holding cells within the palace, but later more prisons were created, collectively called New Prison. During that era, the Bridge of Sighs used to be the last sight of Venice for the convicts before commencement of their imprisonment. The Bridge of Sighs has been featured in many movies as well as song albums. The bridge has many fascinating anecdotes to it too. Inspired by the interesting background and the architecture, a number of imitations of the Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs were made all over the world, including Oxford and Cambridge. Going further, after crossing a couple of more bridges, we took a right turn, came St. Mark square. It is the principal public square, dominated by St. Mark Basilica, Column of the Lion of Venice, Column of Theodore, and Bell tower. St. Mark Basilica is the former political and religious centre of the Republic of Venice, and is attached to the Doge’s Palace. Although the architecture is Italian, it is different from the Roman style. While the arches display a Roman impact, the domes tell about Islamic influence. Together they make a beautiful combination called the Venetian (Gothic) style. The bell tower (St. Mark’s Campanile) stands out majestically. Just like the Bridge of Sighs, the Campanile also inspired the designs of various towers worldwide. The columns are again a marvellous piece of art. Going further ahead, we saw a long arcade lined by shops and restaurants at ground level, with offices above. Each restaurant had laid tables in the designated open space and each one had its own small live band- a violin, a piano, a saxophone, a clarinet, and a cello; wow, enough to hold me. I have been intermittently listening to Jazz or Western classical music since class 12 and like it. I could listen to three bands, each one playing a different piece, and all were equally mellow. A couple of pieces sounded familiar. Although I did not know the details of the composition or the composer, I got completely absorbed by the soothing melody. Apart from being known for beautiful architectural settings, Venice has been an eminent place for instrumental music for a long time. Known for operatic music, Venice is the birthplace of many great composers like Vivaldi.

     Having witnessed architecture and music, it was now time to explore the Romanza di Venezia (Romance of Venice). Venice still maintains the traditional set-up of the Gondola- elegant body painted in shimmering black, golden artwork, rich upholstery, and the iconic metal hood! Gondolas have been a favourite worldwide, and can be seen in umpteen movies, songs, and many other art forms. Our Gondolier helped us board the Gondola. We were already inside a narrow lane when we heard someone singing a song. It was the Gondolier who was following us, singing a Venetian song to the people seated in his Gondola. The Gondolier continued his singing, which made our ride livelier. All along the way, we saw shops and homes on both sides, all of them reflecting beautiful Venetian patterns of doors, windows, and colours. People sat and relaxed in their homes, some of them gladly waving at us. The skill of the Gondolier was evident when he promptly bent to negotiate some of the bridges we crossed, which were at much less height than others. The entire ride was calm. The waters were peaceful. The quietness was peculiar and tranquil; the only sound played was that of the splashing of water created by the oar.

     Again, the constraint of time upset me. There was so much to see inside the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark Basilica, but could not be explored. However, I managed to have a glimpse of some of the narrow lanes, lined by small outlets, reminding me of the lively markets of Chaandni Chowk, Ameena Baagh, and Chaar Meenaar. Various glassware shops displayed beautifully made Venetian glass products, for which Venice is eminent. Our tour manager took us to a shop for the much-awaited topping of the day. Every evening he used to take us promptly to a unique eating outlet and offer coffee or delicious toppings. Today, it was ‘Italian Gelato ice cream’, and was a delight, especially after a mesmerising Gondola ride.

     As we boarded our coach, I took my pen and notebook to scribble down the memories of the day. It was a day with diverse affairs. Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs narrated a fascinating history, St. Mark Basilica displayed majestic architecture, the bands took me on an opulent tour of music, and the Gondola ride was a serene finale.

(Padua- 26 Apr, 2024)

(cont.)

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