Venice Continua

On the first we got up late and decided to head to the Cannareggio district in the northwest area of the main islands.  That is where the Ghetto is located, the original Ghetto.  The Jews, Ebraici, were required to live.   The name Ghetto comes from the name for the foundries, ghetti, were located.  The "streets" are a bit narrower, if that's possible, than other areas in Venice.  We eventually left the crowds by the train station behind and found the main square in the Ghetto Novo, which was actually the oldest part.  It's still the center of Jewish life in Venice.  Kosher stores and restaurants and memorials to those who were herded off in 1943 and 1944 to concentration camps.  There is a stronghouse in the square manned by Italian military for security purposes.  No place is safe from religious whack-jobs, I suppose.  There's one large restaurant with a doorbell that is specially constructed to avoid requiring labor to operate on the Sabbath for the Orthodox members of the faith.  

Ponte Tre Arche

Memorial wall in Campo del Ghetto Novo

Memorial on restaurant in Campo del Ghetto Novo

Teatro Italia isn't what it seems.

The theater has been converted to an upscale grocery store. 

Photos aren't permitted but I had to capture how they have retained the old site

We then headed south towards the Rialto Bridge to return to the San Marco district.

On January 2nd as we wandered through the city we came upon a beautiful church, Santa Maria Miracoli.  This church has been restored by an American organization.  It is constructed almost completely of marble, inside and outside.

On the 3rd we headed for one of the main churches in Venice, the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo.  This was the home church of the Dominican order and has 23 doges buried in it.  They're all in sarcophagi on the walls and elaborately done.  Most of the tombs in the floor are Dominicans.  There's even a couple Dominican that have been canonized stored in alters with glass fronts.  Talk about creepy.  Naturally there are other relics too but the complete bodies are not too common.  

This is the monument of Bartolomeo Colleoni who left a large sum of money to Venice to erect a monument to him on Piazza San Marco, however no statues were permitted so rather than forego the money the city decide to put one here.

Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo- Burial site of 23 Doges

Dead Doges.  These were the first planted here

Doges are buried on the walls rather than the floor.  That way no one can dance on their tombs

View from the front of the sanctuary to the rear of the basilica

View from the front of the sanctuary to the rear of the basilica

Dominican saint. I don't recall who.

Not many words today.  Uploading photos took most of the time I had.  

Tomorrow I'll take the time to upload the photos from our trip to the Doges Palace.  Adding descriptions will probably take 2 days total for the blog.

Ciao for now.