Venice scenes, the Correr Museum and the Accademia, part 1

I heard the lumbering of these tourist carts this morning in the street below our apartment. The proprietors seemed to be going in and out of their apartment to refit the cart for the day.

 

 

 This orange-coated man is part of the tourist cart team.

 

We walked behind this man for awhile as we headed to St. Mark's Basilica. Then I found him cleaning the water off his boat and folding up the cover. 

A paper shop opposite the man with his boat.

St. Mark's was closed for a special event, so we headed for the nearby Correr Museum.

The ceiling and ballroom of the Correr Museum.

                    Very early bird's eye view of Venice from 1500 by Jacopo de’ Barbari. It is a woodcut printed from six blocks on six sheets of joined paper.

                  Fra' Mauro's World Map.

Colossal statue fragment. Imagine the cost of a pedicure...

This little boy is earnestly removing a thorn from his foot.

                                       Majolica plates.

                Statues above a ballroom in the Correr

At the Accademia: Portrait of a Gentleman by Lorenzo Lotto. It may have been a self-portrait. The artist was known for his psychological insight.

Antonio Canova was one of the best sculptors of the era.

Raindrops From Our Apartment

 I took these photos from my bedroom window. The apartment is on the second floor and overlooks a narrow street.

I loved seeing the rain on the lamp and the clothes line.

 These are of the pavement below my window.

Teatro La Fenice

 The other day in our wandering, we happened upon La Fenice, the Venetian Opera House. We were surprised that we were able to get tickets (all that was left was for the Royal Box, but we grabbed the opportunity) for the next night for the orchestra playing a Strauss program.

 

Our seats in the box

 

Some views from the box:

 

                        

The ceiling above and below. There was a clock in the ceiling!

 

The right side of the theater.

The orchestra was given 4 curtain calls.

Screen shots above of the program and below the poster.

Afterwards, we emerged from the theater into the rain. But it was beautiful.

 

Gondoliers and Shopping

 Gondoliers are everywhere. One we saw today was filled with college students, and the gondolier was singing to them. (Maybe their college song?)

 

                         Waiting for customers

The first day we were here, we bought some groceries. Today we went back to the Coop to restock.

In prison!

                     The prison of the Doge's Palace is connected to the Bridge of Sighs.

                         Stairs to the prisons.

                                            Prison corridor

                       Gates to the cells and corridors.
                 

                 Inside of cells with graffiti

                       I contemplate my fate.

                 More graffiti

                    The sign above says, "Capacita 2." So at least you'd have company.

                       The beds!

                    I wondered what this is. A chapel? Classroom?

                  The Bridge of Sighs as seen through a prison grate in one of the corridors.