72h in ITALY: Trip to VENICE (in the morning)

Our "72h in Italy trip" began with the visit to Venice, the "Queen of the Mediterranean" as they call it. From all the excursions we had planned during these three days, this is the one I was eagerly waiting for.

The day started early. Around 7am we arrived at the port of Punta Sabioni, and after 45min our little boat came. If I remember correctly at 8:30 we stepped on the soil of Venice...

Nas "72h casa u Italiji" put je zapoceo posetom Veneciji, iliti "kraljici Mediterana" kako je neki nazivaju. Od svih izleta koje smo planirali tokom ova tri dana, ovaj sam sa nestrpljenjem iscekivala. 

Dan je poceo rano. Vec oko 7h smo stigli u luku Punta Sabioni odakle smo se nakon 45min ukrcali na brodic. Ako se dobro secam vec oko 8:30 smo zagazili na tlo Venecije...

Our morning started here, at the dock. From there we went for a walk and after some hundred meters ran into the first canal. Venice has 177 canals, dividing the whole city into 118 different islands.

Nase jutro je zapocelo ovde, na doku. Odatle smo krenuli u setnju i vec nakon nekih sto metara naisli na prvi kanal. Venecija ima 177 kanala, koji dele citav grad na 118 razlicitih ostrva.

The first well-known building we saw was The Doge's Palace (In Italian- Palazzo Ducale) which is now a museum. Built in the Gothic style, it was the residence of the former Dukes of the Venetian Republic, the so-called Doges. One part of it was once a prison which famous Casanova escaped from during a masquerade ball (this information I remembered with ease, lol).

Prva poznata gradjevina na koju smo naisli je Duzdeva palata (na italijanskom Palazzo Ducale) koja je danas muzej. Izgradjena u gotickom stilu, sluzila je kao rezidencija vojvoda nekadasnje Mletacke republike, takozvanih duzdeva. Nekada je u njenom delu bio i zatvor iz kojeg je i cuveni Kazanova pobegao tokom jednog od brojnih maskenbala (inace informacija koju sam najlakse zapamtila, haha). 

Just around the corner of Doge's Palace begins the prettiest part of Venice- St. Mark Square (Piazza San Marco). Grandiose, spacious, filled with beautiful buildings and decorations, and unbearably crowded with tourists during most of the day and year. Well luckily enough, we've had the chance to visit Venice in the early morning hours, to feel the true charm and absorb the beauty that is inevitably lost when you're surrounded by hundreds of people. Because then you have to focus on your wallets and purses, and not on the beauty around you. Speaking of that, "pickpockets" have developed the perfect business on the territory of Venice. At least five times during the day I heard that someone was robbed...

Odmah iza coska Duzdeve palate zapocinje najlepsi deo Venecije- Trg Svetog Marka (Piazza San Marco). Grandiozan, prostran, ispunjen predivnim gradjevinama i dekoracijama, i nesnosno krcat turistima tokom vecine dana i godine. E pa mi smo imali tu srecu da posetimo Veneciju u ranim jutarnjim casovima, da osetimo pravu draz i upijemo tu lepotu koja se neizostavno gubi kada ste okruzeni stotinama ljudi. Zato sto onda morate da se fokusirate na vase tasne i novcanike, a ne na lepotu oko vas. Inace "dzeparosi" su razvili savrsen biznis na teritoriji Venecije. Najmanje pet puta sam tokom dana cula da je neko pokraden...

Across Doge's palace is The National Library Marciana (Biblioteca Marciana). In front of this Renaissance building there are some cafes where you can sit and drink an espresso while soaking up the sun and enjoying the view. Of course this view you will generously pay...

Nasuprot Duzdevoj palati se nalazi Nacionalna biblioteka Marciana (Biblioteca Marciana). Ispred ove renesansne gradjevine se nalazi par kafica, gde mozete sesti i popiti espreso dok upijate sunce i uzivate u pogledu. Naravno ovaj pogled cete poprilicno platiti...

And then we reached the building that took my breath away with its magnificent look- St Mark's Basilica (Basilica San Marco). Venetian cathedral and the city's biggest church, built in the Byzantine style, whose facade is decorated with beautiful decorative frescoes. The upper part is extremely ornate, and what you notice first are four replicas of ancient horses (horses of St. Mark) and indispensable golden winged lion.

E onda smo stigli do gradjevine koja mi je oduzela dah svojom velicanstvenom pojavom- Bazilika Svetog Marka (Basilica San Marco). Venecijanska katedrala i najveca gradska crkva, sagradjena u vizantinskom stilu, cija je fasada ukrasena lepim dekorativnim freskama. U gornjem delu je izuzetno kitnjasta, a ono sto prvo primetite su replike cetiri anticka konja (konji Svetog Marka) i neizostavni krilati zlatni lav.

Opposite of the Basilica of St. Mark (and right next to the National library) is its bell tower called Campanile San Marco. The bell tower, due to its height of some 98m became one of the symbols of Venice.

Nasuprot Bazilike Svetog Marka (i odmah pored Nacionalne bibilioteke) se nalazi njen zvonik nazvan Campanila San Marco. Ovaj zvonik je zahvaljujuci svojoj visini od nekih 98m postao jedan od simbola Venecije.

What I found interesting is that you could see everywhere the winged lion "holding" the book. I found out that this book is not always open. Specifically when it's open it means the rise of the Venetian Republic, and by the logic closed book symbolizes the fall.

Ono sto je meni bilo zanimljivo je to sto ste svuda mogli videti krilatog lava kako "drzi" knjigu. Saznala sam da ova knjiga nije svuda otvorena. Naime kada je otvorena ona oznacava uspon Mletacke republike, dok zatvorena po logici simbolise pad.

On the other end of St. Mark Square is Procuratie Vecchie consisting of three connected buildings. There is also the Astronomical Clock, which is called the Clock of St. Mark. This is one of the first astronomical clocks that are built on European soil.

Na drugom kraju Trga Svetog Marka je Procuratie Vecchie koja se sastoji od tri povezane zgrade. Tu je i Astronomski sat, koji zovu i Sat Svetog Marka. Ovo je jedan od prvih astronomskih satova koji se podignuti na tlu Evrope.

And when we were done with all the main attractions of Venice located on St. Mark's Square, we found ourselves in the mysteriously attractive streets intersected by the canals, filled with gondolas and cheerful gondoliers. Since the gondola is perfect for romantic moments and couples, I decided to get lost in these streets that are full of shops. And after about an hour I reached the bridge Ponte di Rialto, but it was already the noon, so that's a story for another post...;)

I kada smo zavrsili sa svim glavnim znamenitostima Venecije na Trgu Svetog Marka, zasli smo u misteriozno privlacne ulicice ispresecane kanalima koji su nacickani gondolama i veselim gondolijerima. S obzirom da su gondole savrsene za romanticne trenutke i parove, ja odlucih da se izgubim u ovim ulicicama koje su pune radnjica. I nakon nekih sat vremena stigoh do mosta "Ponte di Rialto", ali vec je bilo podne, pa je to prica za drugi post...;)