About the Venice and the East Walk in Venice
Rising up from the ashes of the declining Roman empire, Venice, during the Middle Ages, was able to transform itself from a collection of fishing villages into a powerful Republic. During this period, the city grew to be a force that controlled a large portion of the trade and commerce in the Mediterranean, making Venice a vital link between Europe and the East. This unique relationship, coupled with Venice's place as one of the richest cities in Europe and an epicenter of the arts, generated architectural and artistic styles heavily influenced by Byzantine and Islamic designs. Our walk will explore the city's distinct relationship with the East, and how it shaped the political, commercial, social and aesthetic development of Venice.
We begin the walk in Piazza San Marco, the most well known public space in the city and, historically, its social and political focal point. Basilica San Marco, built as the private church of the Doge, was created in the early 9th century after Venetian
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Rising up from the ashes of the declining Roman empire, Venice, during the Middle Ages, was able to transform itself from a collection of fishing villages into a powerful Republic. During this period, the city grew to be a force that controlled a large portion of the trade and commerce in the Mediterranean, making Venice a vital link between Europe and the East. This unique relationship, coupled with Venice's place as one of the richest cities in Europe and an epicenter of the arts, generated architectural and artistic styles heavily influenced by Byzantine and Islamic designs. Our walk will explore the city's distinct relationship with the East, and how it shaped the political, commercial, social and aesthetic development of Venice.
We begin the walk in Piazza San Marco, the most well known public space in the city and, historically, its social and political focal point. Basilica San Marco, built as the private church of the Doge, was created in the early 9th century after Venetian merchants plundered the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria – marking a symbolic turning point for a city that was beginning to dominate the Mediterranean. Through an analysis of the interior and exterior architecture and decorations, we will note Oriental motifs that we will see echoed throughout the city's religious and secular architecture. Time will also be spent dissecting the exterior of the Doge's Palace, with its distinctively Eastern-styled facade.
Exiting from the square, the duration of our walk takes in the surrounding sestiere and uses a handful of churches, palaces and public spaces that give evidence to the city's relationship with the East. Some of our talking points may include: Corte del Milion, the reported ancestral home of Marco Polo, merchant and explorer who introduced Europeans to the wonders of the Far East; the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, used to exemplify a typical trading center for visiting merchants; small clusters of Armenian homes and churches; and finally, the Grand Canal and the Rialto, which reinforce the theme of trade as cultural liaison. Architectural styles and building techniques will help us understand the depth of influence the East had on Venetian life. Our time ends in Piazza San Marco, coming full circle in our discussion of the dizzying rise of the Venetian Republic and the profound and lasting effects of its relationship with the East.
