After cappuccino at Gino's, we headed to the San Polo sestiere under more cloudy skies. The
Casa Goldoni was the birthplace of Carlo Goldoni, an 18th century playwright. He was
instrumental in the reform of the Commedia dell'Arte by writing plays for the artists to
perform rather than allowing them to follow their improvisational whims as before. His
house is now used as a museum (period costumes, a model theater, and marionettes) and as
an institute of dramatic studies.
Androne (Click on a picture to enlarge it)
Casa Goldoni Androne
Androne Doorways
Androne Protected Against Acque Alte
In traditional Venetian architecture, the ground floor of a palazzo was called
the androne and was built at water level to allow access to the boats of the canals.
Because androni often flooded during periods of aque alte (high waters),
the reception floor was above the androne and was called the piano nobile
or porteggo.
In her ghoulish short story, "The Bravest Rat in Venice," Patricia Highsmith,
author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, paints a memorably disgusting picture of children playing in
an androne flooded by the Rio San Polo.
Many palazzi have been subdivided and updated to include apartments at the androne level.
The doors to the canal have been protected against flooding and rats (see the photograph on the right).
We took a quick look at the Church of San Rocco before walking across the campo to the
scuola of the same name. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco has one of the most impressive interiors
I've ever seen. The walls and ceilings of the upper hall are covered with paintings illustrating
the Old and New Testaments, fifty by Tintoretto. It is truly a magnificent room, works of
art set off by gold gild trim, inspiring one to just sit and contemplate.
The Scuola, by the way, has nothing to do with a school. The term is derived from Latin
and means corporation, or guild. There have been many throughout Venetian history, a few
being designated as grand. The scuole were corporations that combined charitable and mutual
assistance among the members. Some were connected to professions. By joining together many of
the lower orders of society (merchants, artisans, state workers, doctors), the scuole
greatly influenced the affairs of the state. The patricians may have ruled the republic, but the
wealth of the members of the scuole gave the middle and lower classes a strong voice in
the society as a whole. Generally, the first floor of the scuola was designated for the
religious or charitable functions, while the second floor was used as meeting places. These
were often highly decorated halls, sometimes ostentatious but more often exquisitely beautiful.
The meeting halls and the exteriors of the buildings became symbols of the prosperity, influence
and civic status of the guilds.
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, on the Campo dei Frari, is one of the largest churches in
Venice. Its campanile is the second tallest in the city. Built by the Franciscans in the
15th century, it is distinctive for its brick and white marble exterior, and is the burial
site of Titian, Canova, and a few doges.
We had lunch at Trattoria San Toma nearby. We were seated on a leafy patio which, because
of the threat of rain, was covered by a canvas awning. At first we were the only customers,
but soon four Japanese ladies arrived. They had a lively conversation with the waiter who
seemed to know only one Japanese word, but he used it a lot. Soon a German family was seated
behind us and the waiter took their order in German. Then a French group came in and the
waiter spoke French as he served them. The sounds of various cultures accompanying the meal
made it one of our most enjoyable.
The rest of the day was spent just browsing around the area. We found a mask shop where
I bought a mask for a niece, witnessed a traffic jam in a canal near the Ponte Foscari,
visited more churches, watched the garbage barge collect the city's refuse, observed the
various boats used to deliver goods to shops on a daily basis, and saw the DHL man rushing
his express deliveries through the streets on a hand cart.
Venice is served entirely by
water. Every shop, every restaurant, every hotel receives its wares via boat. And every bit
of trash or refuse is removed by boat. Those who operate the many types of boats on the
canals work together to make the city run efficiently. Yet, they seldom get a second look
by the visitor.
Dinner tonight was at La Piscina, a modest restaurant connected to the Pensione Calcina, a hotel
best known for the fact that John Ruskin stayed there. When dining outside, one has a nice
view across the canal of the Giudecca.
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