Back Street Canals, Venice

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If I can give any advice to a person going to Venice it would be to wander away from the big canal and get lost. Yes, get lost... Because by finding your way around, you will discover so many wonderful things to see... The real Venice, the old Venice, the hidden Venice. I cannot imagine going to Venice and just riding the boat to the end, wandering with all the tourist back to the train station following the signs to show the way....Please, you must get away from the main thoroughfare and get away to where the people live. Bring your camera and you will find shots to bring home to remember!
Stop along the way and have a cappuccino at a small bar, walk and discover the many small bridges, the canals and the terraces of Venice. You can always get back to the crowds later, but you won't forget your walk....

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People are always saying "part of the charm of Venice is just wandering and getting lost." Well...I do agree with the wandering part but have a solution for the "getting lost" part. I found a downloadable walking tour of the Dorsoduro area of Venice. This is the area where most of the Venetians live so it is much less touristy than the other areas of Venice. The tour starts in the Campo outside the Church of San Pantaleone and gives you turn by turn directions. Not only does it guide you thru the Dorsoduro area but also gives you the history of some of the churches and artists. It also gives you the choice of whether to hear the history or continue on with the tour. The Dorsoduro area is so beautiful and quiet. It is not like the other parts of Venice. There are no touristy shops or stalls, there are no gondoliers offering the "best" tour in Venice, there are no huge crowds to fights your way thru. There are just the canals, the churches and the peace and quiet you would find in any private neighborhood. We were able to go into churches and be the only ones inside, we were able to walk down streets and be the only ones on it and we were able to stand in front of a gondola factory without having to "jockey for position" in order to get a good view or picture. If you are really interested in "seeing" Venice then I highly recommend taking your ipod (or MP3 player) with these tours downloaded and just take your time and enjoy yourself. Check out pocketvox.com for their tours. You'll love them.

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DORSODURO
Also known as San Barnabas bridge

Apparently there are other bridges in Venice called Ponte dei Pugni, but this is the only one with marble/ Istrian stone footprints, marking the places where the boxers stood. (Please see 2nd photo)
It spans the Rio San Barnaba

These bridges were built in the days before parapets were required.

The fights were common practice, and were sanctioned. It was seen as a way to allow the working classes to use their aggression on each other, rather than turning it against the state!
The fights took place between September and Christmas each year.

Neighbourhoods chose their champion fighters, to scrap for the honour of 'their patch' or arguments were settled between individuals, on similar bridges around Venice. There was a formal etiquette involved in offering the challenge and in initiating the fight.

The opponents would meet in the centre of the bridge to fight, they placed their feet on the foot prints as the starting position. the losers falling into the water below. Fighting involved Bare knuckles, or the use of steel tipped stiffened rush lances. These lances were banned in 1574, after a particularly gruesome battle, that had been arranged to co-incide with the visit to Venice of King Henry 3rd of France.

These fights were well attended by crowds lining the banks, cheering 'their man ' on, or shouting threats and abuse at the rival opponent and his supporters (a bit like today's soccer supporters!) so it's hardly surprising that after the fight had finished, it generally became a free for all, known as the frotta It wasn't unusual for multiple fatalities to occur - either by drowning in the canals or from the extent of their injuries.

The bridges were the site of many battles between the Castellini and Nicoletti.
The inhabitants of the area of Dorsoduro around the church of San Nicolo dei Mendicoli, which was considered the San Marco of the area, were known as Nicolotti, and those who had their HQ in Castello were identified as the Castellini.

The battles between the 2 neighbourhoods became so violent, that they were finally banned by law in 1705.

The fighters places on the bridge have now been taken over by tourists taking pics.

The time I visited, I think I was the only non local on the bridge trying to get a photo of the footprints - there was plenty of to-ing and fro-ing by locals hurrying across the bridge, with Christmas preparations in mind!

Vaporetto - CA' REZZONICO

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CASTELLO
I passed by this small bridge quite a few times, during my visit Christmas 2006, as it was near to my hotel. It is at the end of the Fondamente Osmarin.

I quite liked this bridge, particularly as, a few times in the evening, a gondola passed by, with an accordian player, and the gondolier was singing.

The Rio San Provolo is the canal that it straddles

Fondamente Osmarin is the place to go for hand made carnival masks. Ca de Sol (Castello 4960)and Renzo Marega (4968) are two of the shops that specialise in quality masks.

This area is between Plazza San Marco and the Greek (Greci )Church.

From P. San Marco, exit by the Piazzetta Leoni, cross the bridge, with its view of the Bridge of Sighs to your Right, continue through Campo SS Fillipo e Giacoma, and continue forward along Provolo, as the street curves to the left, you are nearly here!

From San Zaccaria Vaporetto stop, head up Calle S Zaccaria, through the campo in front of San Zaccaria -( I recommend stopping for a look around this church), Exit the campo by turning Left, then turn Right into Campo S Provolo, and You're very nearly at the bridge.

VAPORETTO - SAN ZACCARIA

Wait for the evening and then go walking around. We found that we mostly had the streets to ourselves. The magic of Venice just gets to you in completely different way when you´re all alone in a small alley that ends in pretty small bridge and the lights are reflecting in the water. There are various signs directing you to Rialto, Railway station etc. so you can always find your way back.

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I DONT WANT TO BE RUDE, BUT IM GONNA TELL YOU TO GET LOST !!
GETTING LOST IN THE BACK STREETS OR IN THIS CASE CANALS OF VENICE IS A REAL MUST DO...STICK THE GUIDE BOOK AND MAP IN YOUR POCKET AND TAKE A WALK..JUST GO WHERE THE MOOD TAKES YOU AND I BET YOU WILL HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME GETTING OFF THE BEATEN TRACK AND GETTING A TASTE OF THE REAL VENICE.. PLUS YOU GET TO LEAVE ALL THE CROWDS BEHIND..IF ONLY FOR A WHILE.
ITS IN THESE LITTLE BACK STREETS WHERE YOU WILL FIND THE BEST LITTLE RESTAURANTS..AND THAT PERFECT SPOT TO SIT AND WATCH THE RESIDENTS OF VENICE GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES..AND MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR CAMERA BECAUSE AROUND EVERY CORNER YOU WILL COME ACROSS THAT PERFECT PICTURE MOMENT.
SO WHEN IN VENICE TAKE A BREAK FROM THE MAIN SITES AND GET LOST..
IT'LL BE ONE OF THE FEW TIMES IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID..

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Palazzo Mastelli (House of the Camel) sometimes also called Palazzo del Cammello, Campo dei Mori, Cannaregio. On the other side of the canal from the church Madonna dell'Orto.

http://www.venice-sights.co.uk/campo-dei-mori.htm

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In the small and very busy streets of the Mercuries of Venice, between the St.Marco and the Rialto Bridge you can see a relief of St.George and the Dragon. These narrow streets are famous for being a busy shopping area, but as I am not that much into shopping my head was looking up instead of into the shops. And it is fascinating what you will find by doing so. I was really happy to spot this relief of Saint George and the Dagon on the Campo San Zulian. This is certainly not the only "St.George and the Dragon" to be found in Venice, but this one of the two that I 'bumped' into.

Another well known relief of St.George and the Dragon can be found at the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. My second find however was at San Toma (see third photo). This relief of Saint George and the Dragon was taken (if I remember correctly) directly after getting off from the Vaparetto at San Toma.

St.George and the Dragon is a famous legend that tells of a terrible dragon that demanded human offerings from the town of Selene as its price for not destroying the town. The day that the King's daughter was to be sacrificed, St.George comes riding by. He promises to kill the dragon if the town's heathen inhabitants convert to Christianity.

The legend of Saint George and the Dragon is famous and is widespread through the whole of Europe so I keep my eyes open these days if I can spot signs of this old legend in the places that I visit. You can read more about the legend of Saint George on this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_and_the_Dragon

The "Ponte Chiodo" (Nail Bridge) is unique as it is the only bridge in Venice that has no parapet. The name of the bridge comes from the surname of the noble family which owned the bridge in the past.

The bridge leads to a dead end, so the chances of having to cross this bridge are rather slim, unless of course you made reservations at one of Venice’s rather well known B&B called "3749 Ponte Chiodo", which is located on the other side of the bridge.

The most logical explanation that this little bridge it is still without a railing, unlike all the other bridges in Venice, is that it doesn’t lead to a public street but ends up a house. An interesting fact is that all the first Venetian bridges were without a parapet, but the railings have been added over time. I can guess why, as I probably would be one of the first to stumble over my feet and take an unwanted dive into the water if there were no railings. So I didn't take any risks at this bridge, and only admired it from a distance ;-)

Although this little bridge is not that hard to find, it is easily overlooked when exploring the district of Cannaregio. The bridge spans over the little "Rio San Felice" Canal, at the point where it merges into Canale della Misericordia. To get here is easy: walk south along "Canale della Misericordia", and then cross the first bridge that leads eastward. Head on 50 m and there it is. (Thanks Ingrid for giving me tips and directions to this unique little bridge!).

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Walking from Campo Santa maria Formosa by the bell tower of the church of the same name, and then by the canal to the north, having the canal on the left side, leads to Ponte del Paradiso, and the street called Calle del Paradiso. Above the entrance to the street there is Arco del Paradiso – Gothic arch built of Istrian stone, surmounted by a triangular spire decorated with statues of the Virgin of Mercy and Madonna. Madonna holds her mantle wide open to protect a devout couple kneeling in prayer. The sculpted arms on each side of this scene are those of the famous Venetian families Foscari and Mocenigo. Members of both families had been Doges of Venice. On the canal side there is Foscari coat of arms and a single kneeling figure at the feet of Virgin. The arch probably commemorates the marriage of the daughter of Michele Foscari – Pellegrina Foscari and Alvise Mocenigo in 1491. The arch would therefore date from the end of the 15th century, though its style is closer to works of the late 14th century, which is one of the many evidences of the conservativeness of Venetians, slow to embrace the new Renaissance style, common in other parts of Italy. Anyway, according to the tourist info sign the arch is dated to 14th century.

Due to damages of Arco del Paradiso caused by the centuries long exposure to the open air, the restoration and conservation works had been undertaken and completed in 1993 and 1994. The restored and protected arch is now on its original place.