Piazza Venezia is a great place for tourists in Rome. Piazza Venezia - the tourist center of Rome
I decided to remember one of our very first trips back in 2008. Two full days in Venice. As usual, I will break everything into several parts, I don’t know yet by how many. I do not set myself to describe the whole of Venice, these will simply be notes about the places where we managed to walk in two days. In this part - arrival and walk from Piazzale Roma to the hotel in the Canareggio area near the Scalzi bridge.
This trip, like all subsequent ones with Ryanair, was born spontaneously. We are free people, in the sense that we are able to organize a vacation at the right time. Looking through some long winter evenings interesting offers on the website of the airline Ryanair (Ryanair), Maria came across interesting option flight from Finnish Tampere to Venice in May 2008. And it was not a direct flight, but with one change anywhere, but in London, while the price there and back is just over 100 euros per person.
This was our first flight with Ryanair and it made such an impression that we have flown many times since. On that website airlines Ryanair Now a separate section is devoted to it, which is called "Ryanair Airline (Ryanair) - Airports and Flights". About the airport in Tampere, about London Stansted Airport, about how we used the time between flights in London and about the airport in Treviso, where you fly with Ryanair, I already wrote on the site earlier. Now it's time to remember how we spent two pleasant days in Venice.
The bus from Treviso Airport, however, like all other buses, arrives in Venice at Piazza Roma or Piazzale Roma. This is a large square, the main purpose of which is precisely to receive and distribute travelers, and the area around it can hardly be classified as the most beautiful or most interesting in Venice.
It may be of interest to those who have been in Venice for a long time or not for the first time, then you can take a walk here to see something atypical, different from the standard views from postcards.
We lingered at Piazzale Roma only in order to orient ourselves with the direction to our hotel on the map and navigator. It seems that we didn’t manage to orient ourselves very well, judging by the sequence of photographs taken, we circled a little. We arrived early, the time indicated on the photographs is Russian, i.e. for 2008 the difference is two hours.
This time we flew to Venice, but being big fans of traveling around Europe by car, we always consider this option. Venice is a car-free city, so during the holidays a car is not needed here, and parking is expensive.
The largest parking lot in Venice is just on Piazzale Roma - the covered multi-level parking "Autorimessa comunale". The parking lot is equipped with an automated license plate recognition system and CCTV cameras and operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. There are more than two thousand parking spaces and either two hundred or three hundred places for motorcycles. Parking for cars up to 2.20 m high is allowed.
Parking rates depend on the width of the car, as well as the type of payment and are in the range of €23 -29 per day. There is an opportunity to save some money. On the websites of communities of car travelers, it is recommended to be based in the mainland of Venice - Mestre, where leaving the car is much cheaper, and getting to the island by local bus.
Our hotel booked through booking.com was located in an area of Venice called Cannaregio. And if we visited Venice not in May 2008, but today, it would be easier to get to it by crossing the Grand Canal along the new bridge of the Constitution (Ponte della Costituzione), which shortens the path from Piazzale Roma to the railway station .
The Constitution Bridge was built just in 2008, but in its second half (September). The author of the project is the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, therefore the bridge is also known as the Calatrava Bridge.
This arch bridge with a large radius of curvature. The base of the bridge is made of reinforced concrete beams, local stone is used for the steps. The base of the bridge is made of tempered glass, the parapets are also made of glass. Lighting devices are hidden in the handrails, decorated with bronze. The length of the bridge is 79.7 m, the width is from 9.4 to 17.7 m, the height of the arch above the water is highest point- 7.04 m.
Despite its obvious need and usefulness, the bridge was initially not liked by either residents or specialists. Everyone considers it too modern for Venice and does not fit well into the existing environment. However, similar criticism has been Eiffel Tower in Paris and Foster's "cucumber" in London, today considered symbols of these cities.
We, on the navigator from Piazzale Roma, went to the Rio Novo canal (Rio Nono), which we crossed along one of the bridges (the second one from the Grand Canal). The Rio Novo canal has embankments and they are quite busy. Between Rio Novo and the next canal, a small, but with a long name, Rio de la Cazziola e de Ca "Rizzi, there is a city square, which is not often seen in Venice. This is the Papadopoli garden (Giardini Papadopoli), named after the former owner.
Once in this square stood the church of Santa Croce, which gave its name to the entire area. Now in the depths of the square you can see the monument to Pietro Paleocapa. He was an engineer CEO Department of Public Construction of Venice, Minister of Public Works and was noted during the struggle of Italy for unification and against the Austrians.
Canal Rio de la Cazziola e de Ca "Rizzi we cross a small bridge at the place where it flows into the Grand Canal and get to one of its embankments, called Santa Croce (S. Croce). This embankment, and even the embankment opposite - at railway station, that's probably all the places on the Grand Canal where you can walk.Sights are on both sides, but located on the opposite side is easier to see.
Let's start from our side. Here, above the other buildings of the Santa Croce quarter, the Church of San Simeone Piccolo stands out with its light green dome.
Its dome with the statue of the Savior is supported from the front by massive columns. The church in the form that we see appeared here at the beginning of the 18th century, thanks to the architect Giovanni Antonio Scalfarotto. This is the latest church built in Venice, and therefore it looks less shabby than other churches, but also therefore it cannot boast of a facade from the Paladio and paintings by Titian, Verenese or Tintoretto.
The entrance to the church of San Simeone Piccolo is completely free, and it is the closest to the railway. Venice station, so there are a lot of tourists here, both attending services and buying icons, candles or souvenirs. Inside there is an atmosphere of comfort and peace, many statues and old paintings, there are valuable religious relics. San Simeono Piccolo is the only Venetian church where services are conducted in Latin.
The name of the church of San Simeone Piccolo is very deceptive, it can hardly be called small, more likely it comes as a counterbalance to the name more old church San Simeone Grande located somewhere nearby.
Another notable building on the Santa Croce waterfront is the Palazzo Foscari Contarini. Situated between the church of San Simeone Piccolo and the Scalzi bridge, this well-preserved Renaissance palace was built in the 16th century. Since then, it has changed many owners, and since 1951 it has been owned by some state institution that maintains the palace.
The Venice railway station, located on the other side of the Grand Canal, is called Santa Lucia. Previously, on the site of today's station, there was the Church of Santa Lucia, where the relics of Saint Lucia, the patroness of the blind, were kept.
When did it appear in Italy? Railway she quickly reached Venice and it became necessary to build a station. The station became the terminus on the line linking Milan with Venice. To build Train Station the church had to be dismantled, and the relics of the saint were transferred to another church. But the Venice station inherited a beautiful name. The architecture of the station can hardly be considered in line with the rest of Venice.
Venice is popular with tourists, their number reaches sixty million a year, so trains come and go to the 16 platforms of the Santa Lucia station about every quarter of an hour. You can come to Venice by train from all major cities Italy - Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan. There are also international flights to European capitals - London, Paris, Madrid and even Moscow.
Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth
Near the Santa Lucia station is the Church of St. Mary of Nazareth, also known as Scalzi. The latter means "barefoot", as the monks of the Order of Barefoot Carmelites called themselves, who built the church in the 17th century. The arches of the chapels of the church were painted in 1743-44 by the famous fresco master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
Tiepolo was distinguished by his amazing ability to freedom in choosing a composition and arranging figures, striking specialists and spectators, boldly handling colors and directions of composition dynamics and emphasizing details. Unfortunately, in 1915, an Austrian bomb hit the church, destroying the roof and destroying the Tiepolo frescoes.
Also, the Church of St. Mary of Nazareth is known as the resting place of the last Doge of Venice, Lodovico Manin, in which the Republic fell at the feet of Napoleon.
Scalzi Bridge (Ponte degli Scalzi)
The path along the promenade of Santa Croce leads us to the Scalzi Bridge (Ponte degli Scalzi), thrown over the Grand Canal and connecting the areas of Santa Croce and Canareggio.
Scalzi, as we already know from what was written earlier, means "barefoot". Most likely, it got its name from the nearby church of the Barefoot Carmelite Order - St. Mary of Nazareth. However, there is another version, according to which many beggars lived in the area of the bridge, who walked barefoot all the time, since they could not afford shoes.
The modern bridge was put into operation in 1934 by the famous architect Eugenio Miozzi. Earlier, there was another Scalzi bridge on this site - an iron one, built in 1856, which was badly damaged by time and salt water. The first Scalzi Bridge, after its opening, was sharply criticized for being incompatible with the historical appearance of Venice (is it familiar, isn't it?) And for its small size, which did not allow ships to pass through the Grand Canal.
Since then, more than one thousand tourists and local residents, barefoot and shod, walked across the Scalzi bridge from Santa Croce to Canareggio and vice versa, admiring the views of the Grand Canal. Among them on May 12, 2008 were two modest travelers from Russia. The goal of our first walk in Venice - the Florida Hotel is located near the Scalzi Bridge, but I will write about it and other walks of this day in the next article.
Piazza Venezia is located in the central part of Rome. It was named after the palace of the same name. It was located near the foot of the Capitol in a certain distance from the Roman Forum. This is important transport point since the days of the Roman Republic. From it it is most convenient to embark on a hike through the city streets.
History of occurrence
In the fifteenth century, the architect Francesco del Borgo created in Rome magnificent palace. Initially, it was the residence of Pope Paul II, after which the Venetian embassy in Rome was located here. Later, the building became the residence of Austrian diplomats and their families. In the twentieth century, the castle was occupied by Mussolini. Once upon a time there was an ancient roman building, chosen by the Evangelist Mark at the hour of his visit to Rome. This saint is the patron saint of Venice, which is why the Venetians love the palace so much. Modern look formed in 1885. At that time, the square was decorated with a monument to Victor Emmanuel II. In 2009, excavations were underway - preparations for the construction of the metro, during which the ruins of Athenaeum, which belonged to Emperor Hadrian, were found.
Architecture
A monument to the first Italian king, Victor Emmanuel II, rises above Venice Square. The northern slope of Palatine Hill was ideal for its location. In order to erect a monument, more than one medieval quarter had to be demolished. The construction process lasted from 1885 to 1911. When did the first one end? World War, the composition was supplemented with a part dedicated to the unknown soldier. The work began to be called "The Altar of the Fatherland". The final formation of the monumental composition was completed in 1935. On Piazza Venezia there is a house in which Napoleon's mother, Lutetia, lived in the nineteenth century. She really liked to watch the seething life in Rome. She remained here to live, even when Napoleon was defeated. The western side of the square is decorated with the Palace of Venice. Entering this room, you become a visitor to the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Chere Museum. In the latter, you can admire the wax figures and the interior of Mussolini's office. Almost close to the Palace of Venice stands the church of San Marco. It is dated to the fourth century. More than once it was rebuilt and reconstructed. Many changes were made in the eighteenth century, it was then that its architectural style changed.
Neighborhood
Near Piazza Venezia there are a lot of different attractions. For example, Trajan's Forum. It was created in the year 106-113 by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus at the expense of state subsidies (the war with the Dacians helped to accumulate funds). The length of the forum is three hundred meters, the width is one hundred and eighty-five. During the construction process, the top of the Quirinal hill was cut off. Trajan's Column rises at the level of forty meters. Its top was decorated with a statue of Trajan, which, unfortunately, has been lost. In 1587, the statue of St. Peter was replaced. Inside the monument there is a hall with an urn in which the imperial ashes are kept. A market of the same name operates in a brick building. The Curia once housed the Roman Senate. It was built back in the time of Caesar and, more than once, was the seat of fire.
Note to the tourist
Beautiful square with a beautiful flower garden in the middle. Marble benches will always give you a rest and conveniently eat ice cream. On Piazza Venezia, horses and carts are waiting for you. This place is crowded at any time of the year. Especially many tourists tend to get here with the onset of winter, because in December this place turns into a fairy tale. The tall spruce is decorated with ribbons, balls and garlands, the rumble of cars and the clatter of hooves can be heard.
Already in this name, Piazza Venezia, the glory of the Eternal City and the beauty of the “Queen of the Adriatic” merge together. The square is considered the heart of the capital of Italy, one of its the most beautiful places. And for tourists, Piazza Venezia is the beginning of a journey through the magnificent and amazing Rome, because many excursions start from here.
What to see in Piazza Venezia
No one can ignore the monument in honor of Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king new Italy. It is called (in guidebooks) majestic and magnificent. And the inhabitants of Rome themselves joke about this attraction, it is called both the “open piano”, and the “cake”, and the “typewriter”. But all the humorous nicknames by no means take away from the monument its significance and a unique opportunity for tourists. Anyone who climbs higher up the stairs, shining with the dazzling whiteness of marble, will be amazed by the unique view that opens from observation deck. In front of him, as if in the palm of your hand, the central part of Rome will stretch.
Inside the monument there are two museums: the Risorgimento, dedicated to the liberation struggle of the Italians in the middle of the 19th century, and the banners of the navy.
Behind the eclectic monument rises the austere building of the Palace of Venice, which gave the square its name. Him amazing story, replete with events and unique facts:
- the construction of the structure began in the 15th century and elements of the Colosseum, its beams and stones were used for the construction of the palace, due to the financial difficulties of the then government;
- the arrangement of windows is subject to a strange and asymmetrical algorithm, which is based on the unwillingness to let evil spirits penetrate inside;
- the construction was started by the Cardinal of Venice, Pietro Barbo, who later became Pope Paul II;
- it housed the government of Venice, later was the residence of Benito Mussolini, and earlier, according to legend, this place was the building where the holy apostle Mark spent the night.
The Church of San Marco, ancient and filled with historical relics, is surrounded by palace walls. It is worth going into it to admire the mosaic of the aspis and the adjacent square with the statue of Lucrezia when visiting Piazza Venezia. You also need to see the house where Napoleon's mother, Madame Laetitia Bonaparte, lived. The Church of Santa Maria di Loreto is also located on the square. Here, the mosaic of the hand of Paolo Rosetti, a master of the 16th century, is of interest.
Venice Square is always crowded and lively, it is occupied by tourists who are ready to walk along the most interesting places Rome, on it you can find a secluded shop and eat a huge portion of ice cream. She is fabulously transformed on the eve of the New Year. A giant Christmas tree is set up here, sparkling with lights and fantasy garlands. From here, the main arteries of Rome diverge, leading to the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums and a cluster of shops - this is where the main shopping street begins,.
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One of the most grandiose squares in Rome is Venice Square (piazza Venezia), where six significant Roman streets intersect - via del Corso, via Nazionale, via Cesare Battisti, via del Plebescito, via del Teatro Marcello, via Nazionale. From here, the streets of Roman shopping diverge, leading to a direct road to the colorful Roman quarter of Trastevere and to St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. The majestic street of the Imperial Forums (via dei Fori Imperiali) also originates here, along which you can go straight to the Colosseum.
Therefore, Piazza Venezia is the almost perfect geometric center of Rome and the pulsating heart of the Eternal City.
History, myths and curious facts
Piazza Venezia was formed in the middle of the 15th century immediately after the construction of the eponymous Palazzo Venezia, the residence of the Venetian Cardinal Petro Barbo, who soon became Pope under the name Paul II. They built the palace of Venice from travertine taken from the quarries of the Colosseum and the theater of Marcel: during the Middle Ages, this ancient monuments did not attach any importance - cows were grazed at the Roman Forums, and the Colosseum turned into a huge quarry of building materials for Roman churches and palaces.
A lover of holidays and carnivals, Pope Paul II decided to move the venue of the Roman Carnival from the Testaccio area to Piazza Venezia and Via del Corso. The main event of the carnival was a wild horse race called "corsa dei Barberi". Horses without riders, spurred by hot pitch, ran down Corso all the way to Piazza Venezia. At the end of Corso were stretched huge red canvases, bumping into which, the horse had to stop.
Horse racing was incredibly popular with the Roman people until King Victor Emmanuel II in 1874, after the death of a teenager who accidentally fell under the hooves of a horse, decided to cancel this public entertainment.
modern square
At about the same time, after the death of King Victor Emmanuel, Venice Square radically changed its appearance - the construction of the Vittoriano monument (Altar of the Fatherland) began and some of the houses in the square adjacent to the Capitol Hill had to be demolished. And the square itself should be moved closer to via del Corso.
In the corner of the square, not far from the church of San Marco, there is a female bust. This is the famous Roman "talking" statue of Madame Lucretia. Talking statues in papal Rome were called sculptures, to which it was possible to anonymously attach leaflets criticizing the authorities, satirical pamphlets on a political topic, and any expression of public discontent. Open criticism of the authorities in these times was strictly persecuted and very often led to prison and execution, so the Roman people invented this way of expressing their discontent. Pamphlets were often pasted at night so that no one could catch their author.
Looking from Piazza Venezia towards via del Corso, you will see a palace with a green shuttered balcony. This is the so-called Bonnaparte Palace, the favorite balcony of Napoleon's mother, Laetitia Bonaparte. Its shutters keep the Roman legend that Madame Bonaparte was extremely talkative and curious - sitting with a maid on the balcony, she loudly discussed the outfits of ladies passing by. Such frivolous behavior spoiled the reputation of the French ruler, and he ordered the mother's balcony to be closed with shutters.
Palace of Venice and District
There is the Cone Fountain in Piazza Venezia. Once this ancient fountain was found here during excavations, its original is now located in the Vatican Museums. During the renaissance, this fountain, moved to the Vatican, served the faithful and pilgrims arriving at St. Peter's Basilica. In the fountain, they washed their hands and face before entering the cathedral and turning to God.
The Palace of Venice at different times and eras has changed many owners. In addition to its original purpose - the Papal residence, it was the embassy of the Republic of Venice, later became Austrian property and was used as the embassy of Austria, and later of Austria-Hungary. And in 1916, finally returned to the property Italian state. Since 1929, the palace has housed the Fascist Party led by Benito Mussolini.
The balcony with the flag of Italy and the European Union in the palace of Venice is nothing more than the balcony of Mussolini's office, from where he solemnly declared war on France and Britain in 1940, addressing the crowded public.
Now inside the palace there is the Museum of the Lazio Region: here you can see paintings dedicated to the history of Italy from the Middle Ages to the 18th-19th centuries, furniture, sculptures, household items.
The museum is open every day except Monday from 8.30 to 19.30 (the box office closes at 18.30). Entrance ticket price: 5 euros. Entrance: Via del Plebiscito 18
Piazza Venezia is a square in the center of Rome, from where, even during the time of the Roman Republic, the road to the north of Italy began, which connected Rome and Rimini and was named after the censor Gaius Flaminius. It was he who initiated it. The square is named after the Palace of Venice, built in 1567 by Pope Paul 2, although then it was still just Pietro Barbo. This building housed the embassy of the Venetian Republic. Later, the building belonged to the Austrian emperor, and then Mussolini's government met here. Now the palace houses two museums: National Museum Palazzo Venezia (museum of decorative arts) and Museo Cere, where you can see wax figures and a recreated interior of Mussolini's last office.
The building is decorated with teeth in the form of a dovetail. The same tails can be seen on the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Another feature of the building is the asymmetrical windows. In those days, it was believed that through windows located at the same distance they could fly in evil spirits. The Basilica of San Marco is built into the building of the palace. Its main attraction is the apse mosaic (IX), where Christ is depicted in the Byzantine manner on a golden background, surrounded by the Evangelist Mark, Pope Mark and other saints, and at the entrance in a marble column there is a bowl for holy water with the remains of ancient writings.
Opposite the Palace of Venice stands a very similar building. This is the palace of the insurance company, built in 1906-1911. The attraction of the palace is the bas-relief of a winged lion, taken from the wall of the bastion in Padua.
Next to the Palace of Venice on the right hand is another interesting object- Palace of Bonaparte. This building got its name due to the fact that Bonaparte's mother settled here in the 19th century. In honor of this, an eagle remained on the facade, a symbol of imperial power and the title inscription of Bonaparte. Notable in this building is the shuttered balcony on the second floor. The shutters were closed on the orders of Napoleon, as he heard rumors that his mother and sisters spend a lot of time on the balcony, discussing passers-by. “You can’t change these idlers and gossips, so at least it won’t be visible that they stick out on the balcony all day, dishonoring my name!” Napoleon then said.
Opposite the Napoleon Palace stands the most grandiose snow-white building, which can be seen from many parts of the city. This is nothing more than the Vittoriano monument in honor of the first king of the united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. The construction of the building lasted from 1885 to 1935. Part of the monument is a twelve-meter bronze equestrian statue of the king. Below it is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the so-called "Altar of the Fatherland". There are two fountains in front of the building. The left symbolizes the Adriatic Sea, located east of Italy, which personifies the Venetian lion of St. Mark. The right fountain is dedicated Tyrrhenian Sea, washing the peninsula from the west, and its symbols are the she-wolf, the emblem of Rome, and the Parthenope siren, the symbol of Naples.
From the square I climbed the Capitoline Hill.
