Venice, embroidered on islands in the lagoon and meandering around the canals, is simply magical. Its historical prominence and architectural beauty can be so dazzling that it is blinding to the areas that surround it. But the magic doesn't end just because you arrive in Mestre, although Marghera, with its refineries and chemical plants quickly bring you into the reality that is Italy. It was in the areas south of Venice (but past Marghera!), along the Venetian lagoon, the Adriatic, and Po Delta that we began our trip back to Venice.
Venice is not the only town or city in this area built along canals... at the southern tip of the Venetian lagoon, the fishing port of Chioggia is also crossed by canals. It has the charm of fishing villages, and gives you a sense of what parts of Venice were like before it became both politically prominent and wealth spread through the city. As in all Italian cities, there are more churches than seem to make economic sense (but that was never the impetus for church building --and they were certainly the economic stimulus packages of their time!).
One of the interesting churches is Church of St. Dominic which is built facing out into the lagoon. We wandered in (and were the only tourists), and the elderly caretaker of the church, once he realized that I understood some Italian, gave us a tour, pointing out all the significant paintings (and there were a few, including a Tintoretto and a Carpaccio). He took us to see the large, wooden crucifix above the altar from the sacristy so that we could see the expressions on Christ's face from different angles (from the left, the face appears in agony and from the right, the stillness of death). This crucifix is probably of Germanic origin and little is known about it --which gives rise to great legends of which there are two with a common outcome. One legend is that of a shipwreck in transit from the Marche, and the other is of the sacking of Constantinople in 1453 when all religious objects were thrown into the sea to prevent desecration at the hands of the Turks. In both stories, the crucifix was found floating in the sea at Chioggia. (He also told us that Marco Polo was born in Chioggia --a fact I cannot seem to find any reference to!)
But what is found in the sea today around Chioggia --and farmed there as well-- is fish and shellfish. There is a large fishing fleet, the restaurants serve all kinds of fish, and there is a fabulous fish market!
As you know, we are able to take these trips to Venice as David is working on the project to build the gates to prevent flooding (more on the flooding coming!). Chioggia, being at the southern tip of the lagoon is one of the construction sites and there is work being done within the town as well. And, all construction projects have signage--
It might be all about the food in France, but remember the Italians brought cuisine to France!
Heading south from Chioggia, you enter the Delta del Po. This constantly changing "land of water" is where the Adige, Reno, the Po drain into the Adriatic. It is a land of marshes, canals, islands, land and marine farming --and human settlement since the time of the Etruscans. This is a transformed area where rivers have been dredged, re-routed, and drained. And the consequences are apparent --islands are now in the midst of fields, ports with navigable waterways are now trees and wetlands. Ravenna, once home to the Caesar Augustus' port for the Empire's eastern fleet in the 1st century, and capital of the Western Empire in the early 5th century, is silted in and not until recently has the access to the Adriatic been reclaimed.
The Abbazia di Pomposa -Abbey of Pomposa- was founded in the 6th century by the Benedictines. It was most prominent from the 10th to the 12th centuries, and one of the monks at that time, Guido d'Arezzo (see, Guido is really an Italian name, not just another Italian everyman like Joe the Plumber!), was the inventor of modern musical notation. He developed it because singers were having difficulty remembering the Gregorian chants. Innovation was not the order of the day, and his fellow Benedictines (the same order that founded the cathedral at Vezelay --see September posts!) were not terribly receptive to his new ideas, forcing him to leave Pomposa for Arezzo. However, Pope John XIX heard of these new ideas and invited Guido to Rome; the Pope was thrilled that he could learn to read liturgical music without a teacher (perhaps the beginning of singing in the shower!). Guido eventually returned to Pomposa for a short time --this time he was asked to stay by his fellow Benedictines! (Guido was really French! He was born near Paris and entered the Benedictine order at St. Maur des Fosses (the abbey was in the bend of the river Marne, east of Paris) --but he died an Italian!).
The abbey was built on an island, but this area is now farm land due to the silt deposits of the Po. The church and campanile (bell tower) date back to the 10th-12th century; the campanile is in a Romanesque style with its window openings increasing as it gets taller (David noted that this lightens the load). The church is in the Byzantine style with a narthex (a portico or vestibule at the end of the church through which you enter) and has fantastic 14th century frescoes and mosaic floors.
The frescoes in the pictures above are representative of both side walls of the church --the top are stories from the Old Testament (here, Adam and Eve), the next row, from the New Testament (The Annunciation), and the bottom from the Apocalypse. The nave has Christ the Redeemer and the rear wall, the Last Judgment.
The Last Judgment tends to be inside Italian churches and frequently as you turn your back to the altar on your way out. The French Gothic churches often have the Last Judgment over one of the doors into the church...does it keep you in or keep you out??
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