The sights of Venice

On 18th May 2011, we continued to our journey to one of the most romantic cities in Italy - Venice. It is a city in Northern Italy. We left our hotel at 8am and we were expected to catch the water taxi/ferry at noon. There was a jam, and we arrived at the nick of time at 12.30pm. You should have seen the stress look ou our guide's face. We nearly couldn't board the ferry.

Here are some of the sights captured while we boarded the water taxi to Venice island. Venice is indeed a fabulous city of canals, gondolas and beautiful places errected on an archipelago of islands and it was indeed beautiful just savouring the sights and sounds of this place.

Reaching Venice soon - how exciting - Doge's Palace in Venice

Inside St Mark's Basilica

The cross

Cupola at the transept crossing

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest amongst us all?

Our meeting point at 5.30pm sharp

On the streets of Venice

Lovely Masks

The Campanile

St Mark's Campanile - on the right

St Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice. It is located at Piazza San Marco. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.

The tower is 98.6 metres (323 ft) tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark's Square, near the front of the basilica. It has a simple form, the bulk of which is a fluted brick square shaft, 12 metres (39 ft) wide on each side and 50 metres (160 ft) tall, above which is a loggia surrounding the belfry, housing five bells. The belfry is topped by a cube, alternate faces of which show the Lion of St. Mark and the female representation of Venice . The tower is capped by a pyramidal spire, at the top of which sits a golden weathervane in the form of the archangel Gabriel. The campanile reached its present form in 1514. The current tower was reconstructed in its present form in 1912 after the collapse of 1902.

St Theodore on the western column 

The Lion of St Mark on the eastern column

Piazza San Marco (often known in English as St Mark's Square), is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as "the Piazza".

Saint Mark's Basilica is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Bysantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace.

The Clock Tower in Venice is an early renaissance building on the north side of the Piazza San Marco at the entrance to the Merceria. It comprises a tower, which contains the clock, and lower buildings on each side.

On a terrace at the top of the tower are two great bronze figures, hinged at the waist, which strike the hours on a bell. One is old and the other young, to show the passing of time and, although said to represent shepherds  or giants. They are always known as "the Moors" because of the dark patina acquired by the bronze. The bell is also original and is signed by one Simeone who cast it at the Arsenal in 1497.

Below this level is the winged lion of Venice with the open book, before a blue background with gold stars. There was originally a statue of the Doge Agostino Barbarigo (Doge 1486-1501) kneeling before the lion, but in 1797, after the city had surrendered to Napoleon, this was removed by the French, who were purging the city of all symbols of the old regime.

Below again, is a semi-circular gallery with statues of the Virgin and Child seated, in gilt beaten copper. On either side are two large blue panels showing the time: the hour on the left in Roman numerals and the minutes (at 5 minute intervals) on the right in Arabic numerals.

Twice a year, at Epiphany (6 January) and on Ascension Day (the Thursday 40 days after Easter, counting both days) the three Magi, led by an angel with a trumpet, emerge from one of the doorways normally taken up by these numbers and pass in procession round the gallery, bowing to the Virgin and child, before disappearing through the other door.

St Mark's Basilica -the whole of the west facade with its great arches and marble decoration, the romanesque carvings round the central doorway and, above all, the four horses which preside over the whole piazza and are such potent symbols of the pride and power of Venice that the Genoese in 1379 said that there could be no peace between the two cities until these horses had been bridled and, four hundred years later, Napoleon, after he had conquered Venice, had them taken down and shipped to Paris.

Had to catch the ferry at 545pm

 Farewell Venice - had a lovely time