Venice Vaporetto Map

I have been asked few times the best place to find a Waterbus - Vaporetto map, I have blogged before here about the vaporetti, prices and new numbers but here is a map, if you click you will get an PDF Hi Res map and info taken from ACTV! Or you can buy a printable Tourist Version from our friend Nan of Living Venice here

SEASONAL LINES Seasonal lines are largely dedicated to tourists and are activated on particular occasions, such as during the Venice Carnival or in the spring and summer to facilitate the mobility of large numbers of visitors. These seasonal lines provide rapid, direct backup to the city centre lines down the Canal Grande and Giudecca Canal. Line 5 on the other hand directly links the island of Murano with Piazza San Marco and the city centre of Venice, taking an external route.

CITY CENTER LINES These are the lines which crisscross the "heart" of the city, exploiting the two largest inner canals, the Canal Grande, probably the world's most famous canal, and ....the Giudecca Canal, large and deep enough to allow even the arrival of cruise ships. The city centre lines connect a number of access points such as Tronchetto, Piazzale Roma and the railway station with the Venice of shops, monuments and museums, passing through the San Marco Basin as far as Lido di Venezia, famous for the beauty of its beaches and its nature reserves.

CIRCULAR LINES These lines with a roughly circular route connect the perimeter of the city touching points of great cultural and commercial interest throughout the area. With the circular lines, you can easily reach the islands of Lido and Murano (famous for its glass products), passing through or starting from the railway station, Piazzale Roma and near Piazza San Marco. With the circular, you can also get off and reach Venice City Hospital after a short walk along a route free from architectural barriers.

LAGOON LINES These lines connect Venice with the most important islands in the lagoon, both in the north lagoon (Mazzorbo, Burano, Torcello, Sant’Erasmo) and the south lagoon. The lagoon lines also link transport nodes on the mainland and in Venice province with the city centre. You can in fact reach Venice directly from Punta Sabbioni, Treporti and Chioggia. The lagoon lines also include the ferry-boat line no. 17 connecting Lido di Venezia and the Tronchetto terminal and the bus line no. 11 linking Lido di Venezia with the island of Pellestrina. The San Lazzaro - Lido Casinò section of line no. 20 is seasonal, to verify availability contact the Hellovenezia Call Center (+39)-041-2424.

TERMINAL LINES The terminal lines are a group of rapid lines with few stops which rapidly connect Venice with the mainland terminals managed by companies in the ACTV group. They consist largely of the Alilaguna group of lines and the line 16.

Roasted Radicchio

Radicchio is an Italian salad plant related to chicory. The distinctive plant grows in a rich maroon color with white veins and has a peppery flavor that adds a textural bite to salads. It is typical of the area around  Venice. There are few varieties.

Radicchio is sometimes grilled or roasted, making a pleasant counterpoint to other grilled vegetables. It is growing in popularity and can be found in most produce sections. Radicchio has been in cultivation in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years and is used in a variety of Mediterranean dishes.

Radicchio resembles lettuce most in appearance, although it is not in the lettuce family. It forms tight heads of leaves furled around a central core and grows low to the ground. Radicchio makes a startling splash of colour in the garden, and its natural bitterness makes it less subject to depredation by garden pests.

Ingredients

1. 3 large heads of radicchio (about 3/4 pound each), cored and each cut into 8 wedges
2. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 500°. Lay the radicchio wedges on a large rimmed baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crisp around the edges and just tender. Serve at once.

Regata Befana 2012

VENICE, ITALY - JANUARY 06: Two of the participants sail under Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal ahead of the 34th Befana Regatta on January 6, 2012 in Venice, Italy. In Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on the feast of the Epiphany on January 6 in a similar way to Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus.

Images from Venice event  and around the world about Epiphany

• Guardian
• MSNC
• MSNBC Today
• FM News Chicago
• Bulgarian News
• Huffington Post

Sior Roba in foggy Venice

VENICE, ITALY - JANUARY 05: The face of the statue of Rioba is seen as thick fog shrouds Campo de Mori and the all the city on January 5, 2012 in Venice, Italy. Venice woke up this morning under a heavy blanket of fog adding to the atmosphere of the city. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

Befana or Ephiphany in Venice

The Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated January 6 with a national holiday in Italy, and the tradition of La Befana are a big part of Italian Christmas celebrations. Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. The traditional Christmas holiday season in Italy lasts through Epiphany. On Venice’s Grand Canal, at 11 c'clock men dressed as old witches – ‘befane’ in Italian – race towards the Rialto Bridge, standing up as they row Venetian style. This event takes place every year in January in celebration of Epiphany.

Best places to watch the race: Rialto but you must get there quite early, Riva del Vin or just around Rialto Mercato.

Venice Carnival 2012 - What to do and where to go?

When you think of Venice, what do you think of first? Certainly, the canals and Venice gondolas come to mind quickly, but almost as quickly you’ll get images of people in gorgeous and elaborate costumes – complete with ornate masks – as they celebrate Carnevale each year. While Carnevale (Carnival in English) is a holiday which is recognized throughout Italy, Venice is the most famous city in Italy for its Carnevale festivities. So, if you want to see Carnevale in Venice, keep reading – you’ll need a few tips before you dive in. I wrote about the history of carnival here before.

- Bring yourn own costumes or hire them. Anyway, be a mask or a historic costume. A brillian place for Masks and Costumes is Ca del Sol - The only problem is that t will be so hard to cross San Marco. Lots of people are trying to photograph with you and you hear mostly: "Una foto per favore..." - Most action happens around San Marco and it is a good idea to stay not far from it - Attend a ball if you can afford it The Ballo del Doge by Antonia Sautter is the place to be...and be seen! - Get lost and discover the real Venice... This can be done anytime but it is particularly true around Carnival Time - Eat lots of Frittole and Galani - Attend a costumed dinner - Pray for good weather - Attend a Venice Carnival Photography Workshop ;-)  this year I will host one with my colleague Guillem Lopez! - Learn the programme

Ibernisti Swim on New Year's Day

Hundreds of people gather at Lido di Venezia to celebrate the New Year. Following a Viennese waltz, the ibernisti swimmers take a dip in the sea before celebrating on a typical combination of wine, lentils and sausage.

Happy New Year! 2012 that is.

VENICE, ITALY - DECEMBER 31:  Fireworks display are seen in St. Mark's Square during New Year's Eve street party on December 31, 2011 in Venice, Italy.  Official figures say that around seventy thousand people gathered in St. Mark Square for this year's street celebrations.

Santo Stefano Celebration in Venice

Gondoliers dressed in 16th century costumes ferry people performing a Nativity scene from St Mark's to the Island of San Giorgio.

The event, in its first year, replicates the ancient tradition when the Doge of Venice used to travel to the Island of San Giorgio on Boxing Day to celebrate the relics of Santo Stefano.

Venice Carnival 2012

I know we are not even at Christmas but I just realised yesterday, that Carnival is getting closer and closer. For 2012 will be between the 4th of February and 21st February 2012. The main events will start from the 11th of February. Few tips on what to do are here Even Federico mentioned Carnival yesterday during a very nice book presentation so here we are to talk about Carnival. I know there are many versions about the origins of Carnival, the one that I like best is the following.

The oldest document pertaining to the use of masks in Venice dates back to 2nd May 1268. In the document it is written that it was forbidden for masqueraders to practice the game of the "eggs". From the early 14th century onwards, new laws started to be promulgated, with the aim of stopping the relentless moral decline of the Venetian people of the day. This restrictive carnival legislation started with a decree on 22nd February 1339 prohibiting masqueraders from going around the city at night. A decree that helps us understand just how libertine the Venetians of the day were, is that of the 24th January 1458 which forbade men from entering convents dressed as women to commit "multas inhonestates"! In a similar vein, the decree of 3rd February 1603 is interesting in that it attempted to restore morality in the convents.

Masqueraders were banned from entering the nuns’ parlous – it had been the convention to sit in the parlous and talk to the nuns. Frequently, decrees were promulgated prohibiting masqueraders from carrying arms or any instrument which could cause harm, or other decrees which forbade masqueraders from entering churches. This obligation was extended to the townsfolk who were not allowed to enter churches wearing "indecent attire". 1608 was an important year, the 13th August to be precise, when a decree from the council of 10 was issued declaring that the wearing of the mask throughout the year posed a serious threat to the Republic. To avoid the terrible consequences of this immoral behavior, every citizen, nobleman and foreigner alike, was obliged to only wear a mask during the days of carnival and at official banquets.

The penalties inflicted for breaking this law were heavy – for a man this meant two years in jail, 18 months’ service to the Republic galley-rowing (with ankles fettered) and not only that, a 500 lire fine to the Council of 10. As for women, they were whipped from St Mark’s all the way to Rialto, then held to public ridicule between the two columns in St Mark’s. They were banned from entering the territory of the Venetian Republic for 4 years and had to pay the 500 lire fine to the Council of 10. 50 years after the decree of 1608, the Council of 10 published a proclamation on the 15th January reaffirming the ban on wearing masks and bearing arms.

It was further prohibited to enter holy places wearing a mask and it was expressly forbidden to wear religious clothes with a mask. In the same decree the use of drums was banned before midday, and even dancing of any description was prohibited outside of the carnival period. Seeing that many Venetian nobles used to go gambling wearing a mask to avoid their creditors, in 1703, masks were banned all year round from casinos.

Two different decrees (1699 and 1718) saw the prohibition of wearing a mask during Lent and other religious festivals which took place during carnival. In 1776, an act introduced to protect the by now forgotten "family honor", forbade all women from going to the theatre without a mask and cloak. After the fall of the Republic, the Austrian government forbade the use of masks for both private parties and elite parties (e.g., la Cavalchina della Fenice) . The Italo-Austrian government was more open but now it was the Venetians who were being diffident. Venice was no longer the city of carnival, but just a little imperial province without personal liberty. During the second Austrian government it was once again permitted to wear masks.

Nowadays is one of the main events in Venice and thousands of people come to Venice.

....xe a!...

Today I was taking few pictures at S Maria della Salute, ahead of tomorrow big celebrations for the traditional feast.....  During the day I overheard many tourists mainly Italians asking to the local where was the Basilica and the reply of the locals was all the time a vague without really pointing it or giving directions "Xe a" (It is there) I loved it!

Anyway the Festa della Salute is the least "touristy" of the Venetian festivities and evokes strong religious feelings among the city's inhabitants. The holiday is in memory of a bout of pestilence, which lasted for two years from 1630-31, and the subsequent vow by the Doge to obtain the intercession of the Virgin Mary, even today, thousands of inhabitants visit the main altar of the imposing Salute Church on November 21 to give thanks, and a strong symbolic tie remains between the city and the Virgin.

Christmas Holidays

NOALE, ITALY - DECEMBER 18: Participants dressed as Father Christmas take part in the Noale Sant Run on December 18, 2011 in Noale, Italy. Close to two thousand people participated in the third annual Noale Santa Run, one of the largest non competitive Santa Run in Italy.

Can a Muslim say happy Christmas to his friends? As a Muslim I get asked this question all the time during this period . Often I get even told off by some good doer Mullah acting for the Islamic Police!  As I have done for so many years now, once again, I extend these wishes from around the globe, to you all Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends

Afrikaans Geseënde Kersfees en 'n gelukkige nuwe jaar Albanian Gëzuar Krishtlindjet e Vitin e Ri Arabic ???? ??????? ??????? ???????? ???? ????? ??????? Azeri Tezze iliniz yahsi olsun Basque Zorionak eta urte berri on Breton Nedeleg laouen ha bloavezh mat Bulgarian ??????? ??????! ???????? ???? ?????? Byelorussian ? ????? ????? i ???????i Catalan Bon Nadal i feliç any nou Chinese (Cantonese) ???????? Chinese (Mandarin) ???????? [????????] Comanche Tsaa Nu?u?sukatu?? Waa Himaru? Cornish Nadelik lowen ha blydhen nowydh da Croatian Sretan Božic i uspješna Nova godina Czech Veselé vánoce a š?astný nový rok Danish Glædelig jul og godt nytår Dutch Prettige Kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuw jaar Esperanto Bonan Kristnaskon kaj feli?an novan jaron Estonian Häid Jõule ja õnnelikku uut aastat Faroese Gledhilig Jol og eydnurikt nyggjar Finnish Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta Flemish Zalig kerstfeest en gelukkig Nieuwjaar Frisian Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier French Joyeux Noël et bonne année Gaelic (Irish) Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit Gaelic (Manx) Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa Gaelic (Scottish) Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr Galician Bo Nadal e próspero aninovo German Frohe Weihnachten und ein frohes neues Jahr Greek ???? ???????????? ??? ??????????? ?? ??? ???? Greenlandic Juullimi ukiortaasamilu pilluaritsi Hausa Barka da Kirsimatikuma barka da sabuwar shekara Hebrew ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? Hungarian Kellemes karácsonyt és boldog új évet Icelandic Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár Ilocano - Naimbag a Pascua ken Naragsac nga Baro nga Tawen! Indonesian Selamat hari Natal Italian Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo Japanese ?????????????????? Jèrriais Bouan Noué et Bouanne Année Judeo-Spanish / Ladino Noel alegre i felis anyo muevo Kazakh ??????????? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ?????? Kirghiz ??????????? ???????? ???? ??????? ????? ?????? Korean ?? ????? ?? ? ?? ???? Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kirîsmes u ser sala we pîroz be Kurdish (Sorani) Kirîsmes u salî nwêtan lê pîroz bê Latin Natale hilare et annum faustum Latvian priec?gus Ziemassv?tkus un laim?gu Jauno gadu Low Saxon - Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar Maltese Il-Milied u s-sena t-tabja Maori Meri Kirihimete Ka puta a Matariki, ka rere a Whanui, ko te tohu o te tau Monogasque - Festusu Natale e Bona ana noeva Manx Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa Norwegian God jul og godt nyttår (Bokmål) God jol og godt nyttår (Nynorsk) Oriya Sukhamaya christmass ebang khusibhara naba barsa Persian/Farsi ????? ???????? ?? ????? Polish Weso?ych ?wi?t i szcz??liwego Nowego Roku Portuguese Feliz Natal e próspero ano novo Quenya Alassëa Hristomerendë! Alassëa Vinyarië! Romanian Cr?ciun fericit ?i un an nou fericit Russian ? ?????????? ????????? ? ? ??????????? ????? ????? Serbian (Orthodox) ??????? ?? ???? ? ?????? ???? ?????? Serbian (Non-Orthodox) ?????? ????? ? ?????? ???? ?????? Sicilian Bon Natali e filici annu novu Sindarin Mereth Veren e-Doled Eruion! Garo Idhrinn Eden Veren! Slavomacedonian ?????? ????? ? ???? ?????? Slovak Veselé vianoce a š?astný nový rok Slovenian Vesel Boži? in sre?no novo leto Somali Ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican Spanish ¡Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo! Swedish God jul och gott nytt år Tagalog Maligayang Pasko at manigong bagong taon Thai ??????????????? ??????????????? Turkish Yeni y?l?n?z? kutlar, sa?l?k ve ba?ar?lar dileriz Ukranian B??????? ?????? ? ? ????? ????? Urdu ???? ??? ????? ?? Uzbek Yangi Yil Bilan Vietnamese Chúc Giáng Sinh Vui V? và Chúc N?m M?i T?t Lành Welsh Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda Xhosa Siniqwenelela Ikrisimesi EmnandI Nonyaka Omtsha Ozele Iintsikelelo Zulu Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo

Large Cruise Ships in Venice

UPDATE 12/1/2012A new protest has been called for the 14th January at 3:30 pm details are here but will be from Le Zattere near the waterbus stop!

This evening saw a protest in St Mark's Basin against the super Cruises. In the picture a protester holds a flare while on the banner is written "BIG CRUISES YOU KILL ME"

Giorgio Orsoni Mayor of Venice few days ago said cruise ships could be transferred to Porto Marghera, on the mainland, in order to minimise their environmental and aesthetic impact on Venice.

Environmentalists and heritage groups have long pointed out that as cruise ships plough through the shallow Venetian lagoon, their powerful wake and undertow damages the fragile canal banks, wooden piles and mud banks on which the city rests.

There has been a huge increase in the number of cruise ships visiting 'La Serenissima', as Venice is known, from 200 in 2000 to 510 in 2007.

Last year 1.6 million tourists arrived in Venice by cruise ship, a more than fourfold increase since 1997.

Venice's cruise ship terminal was the 10th busiest in Europe but is now the fourth most popular.

Faith......

Tear down the Mosque, tear down the temple Tear down every thing in sight But don’t (tear down) break anyone’s heart Because God lives there

(Bulleh Shah)

Saffron Buns

This blog is about Venice and Photography not Scandinavia....but I think that due to the connection between St Lucy and Venice this recipe is a must!

The secret to making these mildly sweet pastries—based on a recipe given to us by Gunilla von Heland, a food editor in Stockholm—is to steep the saffron in hot milk before incorporating it.

 

MAKES 32 BUNS

INGREDIENTS

2 1?4-oz. packages active dry yeast 2 cups milk, heated to 115° 2 tsp. saffron, lightly crushed 3?4 cup plus 1 tsp. sugar 6 1?2 cups flour 3?4 tsp. kosher salt 3 eggs 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1?2" cubes, softened Canola oil, for greasing 64 raisins, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix together yeast, milk, saffron, and 1 tsp. sugar; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining sugar, along with the flour, salt, and 2 eggs. Mix on low speed until dough forms and gathers around the paddle. Replace paddle with dough hook and add butter; knead on medium-high speed until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a large bowl greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour.

2. Divide dough into 32 pieces and roll each piece into an 8"-long rope. Form each rope into an S shape and then roll each end into a tight spiral.  Place shaped dough pieces 2" apart on parchment paper–lined baking sheets; cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 400°. Uncover the dough pieces and place a raisin at the center of each of the spirals. Lightly beat remaining egg with 1 tbsp. water and brush each bun with egg mixture. Bake until buns are golden brown and cooked through, 16 minutes. Transfer buns to a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Saint Lucy in Venice

Saint Lucy (283–304), also known as Saint Lucia, was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is 13 December; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", she is the patron saint of those who are blind. Saint Lucy is one of the very few saints celebrated by members of the Lutheran Church among the Scandinavian peoples, who take part in Saint Lucy's Day celebrations that retain many elements of Germanic paganism. Saint Lucy is one of seven women, aside from the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. Hagiography tells us that Lucy was a Christian during the Diocletian persecution. She consecrated her virginity to God,refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. In another version, Lucy's would-be husband admired her eyes, so she tore them out and gave them to him, saying, "Now let me live to God".The oldest record of her story comes from the fifth-century accounts of saints' lives. By the 6th century, her story was widespread, so that she appears in the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I. At the opening of the 8th century Aldhelm included a brief account of her life among the virgins praised in De laude virginitatis, and in the following century the Venerable Bede included her in his Martyrology. In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a tray that she is holding. Until 1861 relics of Saint Lucy were venerated in a church dedicated to her in Venice; after its demolition, they were transferred to the church of San Geremia.

Her history is interesting but obviously full of legends as well, so I trather concentrate on the Relics.

The Relics

Sigebert (1030–1112), a monk of Gembloux, in his sermo de Sancta Lucia, chronicled that her body lay undisturbed in Sicily for 400 years, before Faroald II, Duke of Spoleto, captured the island and transferred the body to Corfinium in the Abruzzo, Italy. From there it was removed by the Emperor Otho I in 972 to Metz and deposited in the church of St. Vincent. It was from this shrine that an arm of the saint was taken to the monastery of Luitburg in the Diocese of Speyer - an incident celebrated by Sigebert himself in verse.

The subsequent history of the relics is not clear. On their capture of Constantinople in 1204, the French found some relics attributed to Saint Lucy in the city, and Enrico Dandolo, Doge of Venice, secured them for the monastery of St. George at Venice. In 1513 the Venetians presented to Louis XII of France the saint's head, which he deposited in the cathedral church of Bourges. Another account, however, states that the head was brought to Bourges from Rome where it had been transferred during the time when the relics rested in Corfinium. The remainder of the relics remain in Venice: they were transferred to the church of San Geremia when the church of Santa Lucia was demolished in the 19th century to make way for the new railway terminus. A century later, on 7 November 1981, thieves stole all her bones, except her head. Police recovered them five weeks later, on her feast day. Other parts of the corpse have found their way to Rome, Naples, Verona, Lisbon, Milan, as well as Germany and France.

Armenian Exhibition at Museo Correr

On Wednesday is going to open at the Museo Correr - Museo Archeologico an Exhibition about "Armenia: Signs of Civilization" . The Exhibition has been organised by Gabriella Uluhogian, Boghos Levon Zekiyan e Vartan Karapetian and will show about 200 exhibits including some very rare ones! The exhibition will mark the fifth centenary of the first book printed in the Armenian language. This exhibition will act as the official launch of the jubilee celebrations taking place in the Armenian capital Yerevan, a UNESCO World Book Capital for 2012. The history of the island and of the Mekhitarists order in Venice is really interesting.I am really looking forward to go to the Press Preview but for the time being here is a photograph from S Lazzaro degli Armeni, one of my favourite islands of the all lagoon not only for its beauty and tranquillity but for special moments shared in fascinating and interesting conversation with Padre Elia.

The Mascareta

The mascareta is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common water craft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over the Grand Canal. They are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held amongst gondoliers. It is similar to punting, except it uses an oar to propel it instead of a pole.

Solitude

Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul, for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss. Guru Nanak

Tribute to Lorenzo Lotto - The Hermitage Paintings At The Accademia Gallery

Switching alliances. After having been so passionate about Jacopo Robusti (Tintoretto) at the point that one of the reasons I choose my present house in Venice was due to being close to the Tintoretto's house and workshop I find myself deeply in love with Lorenzo Lotto. Traitor!

The Hermitage Paintings at Accademia Gallery on November 23, 2011 in Venice, Italy. The exhibition, which includes two very rare and previously unseen paintings, opens from the November 24 2011 to February 26, 2012 in Venice