After another wonderful, comfortable, and convivial train trip north, we arrived in Venice.
I am seeing Venice for the first time. Of course I had pictures in my head of canals, gondolas, buildings rising from the water. But I was unprepared for the sounds, smells, and brightness of the city.
There are many, many people here during the day at least. On our evening walk home, it seems that many of these people have gone home for the day or weekend. This is going to help me to get a better sense of the city.
We spent our afternoon getting oriented just a little bit. Our hotel is near the Jewish ghetto— the place where all other ghettos followed. Our guide gave us an an orientation of the vaporetto— during rush hour. And we walk around a night. Just the barest taste of the city, really. It’s beguiling.
We had an early evening lecture about the history of Venice, the whole 1400 years of it as a republic. I hadn’t know much history and the most striking points were:
* Venice was always a republic. It never had a monarchy
* Venice elected doges by using an absolutely incorruptible method that alternatived between random selection and lengthy discussion. Doges moved into the palace and could not leave the city. Lifetime appointments usually elected late in life and serving about 5-7 years.
* Venice aligned more with Eastern Christianity than Western
* Attention on the Atlantic and new world, as well as Napolean, ended things for the republic of Venice
* Casinos, tourism, and Casanova helped Venice to survive
* Only 55,000 people live here. Tourism still helps Venice to survive!
