A Wanderer in Venice

CHAPTER XXIX

ISLAND AFTERNOONS' ENTERTAINMENTS. II: S. LAZZARO AND CHIOGGIA 299

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR

THE GRAND CANAL FROM THE STEPS OF S. MARIA DELLA SALUTE Frontispiece

S. MARK'S FROM THE PIAZZA. THE MERCERIA CLOCK ON THE LEFT Facing page 10

THE CAMPANILE AND THE PIAZZA FROM COOK'S CORNER " 28

THE CORNER OF THE OLD LIBRARY AND THE DOGES' PALACE " 54

THE PONTE DI PAGLIA AND THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS, WITH A CORNER OF THE DOGES' PALACE AND THE PRISON " 66

THE DOGANA (WITH S. GIORGIO MAGGIORE JUST VISIBLE) " 88

DOORWAY OF S. MARIA DELLA SALUTE " 112

THE RIALTO BRIDGE FROM THE PALAZZO DEI DIECI SAVII " 126

THE RIO TORRESELLE AND BACK OF THE PALAZZO DARIO " 152

TRAGHETTO OF S. ZOBENIGO, GRAND CANAL " 198

THE GRAND CANAL, SHOWING S. MARIA DELLA SALUTE " 218

S. MARIA GLORIOSA DEI FRARI " 228

THE COLLEONI STATUE AND SS. GIOVANNI E PAOLO " 240

THE PALAZZO PESARO (ORFEI), CAMPO S. BENEDETTO " 276

THE ARMENIAN MONASTERY AND THE LAGOON " 300

VIEW FROM THE DOGANA AT NIGHT " 308

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN MONOTONE

ONE OF THE NOAH MOSAICS. In the Atrium of S. Mark's Facing page 18 From a Photograph by Naya.

THE PRESENTATION. From the Painting by Titian in the Accademia " 36 From a Photograph by Brogi.

BACCHUS AND ARIADNE. From the Painting by Tintoretto in the Doges' Palace " 48 From a Photograph by Naya.

S. CHRISTOPHER. From the Fresco by Titian in the Doges' Palace " 62 From a Photograph by Naya.

THE ADAM AND EVE CORNER OF THE DOGES' PALACE " 70 From a Photograph by Naya.

S. TRIFONIO AND THE BASILISK. From the Painting by Carpaccio at S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni " 76 From a Photograph by Anderson.

S. JEROME IN HIS CELL. From the Painting by Carpaccio at S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni " 82 From a Photograph by Anderson.

THE MARRIAGE AT CANA. From the Painting by Tintoretto in the Church of the Salute " 96 From a Photograph by Anderson.

VENICE WITH HERCULES AND CERES. From the Painting by Veronese in the Accademia " 102 From a Photograph by Naya.

S. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM WITH SAINTS. From the Painting by Piombo in the Church of S. Giov. Crisostomo " 116 From a Photograph by Naya.

THE DREAM OF S. URSULA. From the Painting by Carpaccio in the Accademia " 120 From a Photograph by Brogi.

THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST. From the Painting by Cima in the Church of S. Giovanni in Bragora " 136 From a Photograph by Anderson.

MADONNA AND SLEEPING CHILD. From the Painting by Giovanni Bellini in the Accademia " 144 From a Photograph by Naya.

VENUS, RULER OF THE WORLD. From the Painting by Giovanni Bellini in the Accademia " 158 From a Photograph by Anderson.

THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN. From the Painting by Titian in the Accademia " 164 From a Photograph by Brogi.

THE MIRACLE OF S. MARK. From the Painting by Tintoretto in the Accademia " 170 From a Photograph by Anderson.

THE FEAST IN THE HOUSE OF LEVI. From the Painting by Veronese in the Accademia " 176 From a Photograph by Naya.

THE DEPARTURE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND HIS MEETING WITH URSULA. From the Painting by Carpaccio in the Accademia " 182 From a Photograph by Naya.

S. GEORGE. From the Painting by Mantegna in the Accademia " 190 From a Photograph by Brogi.

MADONNA AND CHILD. From the Painting by Giovanni Bellini in the Accademia " 192 From a Photograph by Brogi.

MADONNA AND CHILD WITH SAINTS. From the Painting by Giovanni Bellini in the Church of S. Zaccaria " 208 From a Photograph by Naya.

S. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. From the Painting by Carpaccio at S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni " 212 From a Photograph by Anderson.

S. CHRISTOPHER, S. JEROME AND S. AUGUSTINE. From the painting by Giovanni Bellini in the Church of S. Giov. Crisostomo " 224 From a Photograph by Naya.

THE CRUCIFIXION (CENTRAL DETAIL). From the Painting by Tintoretto in the Scuola di S. Rocco " 236 From a Photograph by Anderson.

THE MADONNA OF THE PESARO FAMILY. From the Painting by Titian in the Church of the Frari " 246 From a Photograph by Naya.

THE MADONNA TRIPTYCH. By Giovanni Bellini in the Church of the Frari " 252 From a Photograph by Naya.

BARTOLOMMEO COLLEONI. From the Statue by Andrea Verrocchio " 256 From a Photograph by Brogi.

MADONNA WITH THE MAGDALEN AND S. CATHERINE. From the Painting by Giovanni Bellini in the Accademia " 260 From a Photograph by Brogi.

MADONNA AND SAINTS. From the Painting by Boccaccino in the Accademia " 266 From a Photograph.

THE PRESENTATION. From the Painting by Tintoretto in the Church of the Madonna dell'Orto " 282 From a Photograph by Anderson.

THE TEMPEST. From the Painting by Giorgione in the Giovanelli Palace " 288 From a Photograph by Naya.

ALTAR-PIECE. By Giorgione at Castel Franco " 296 From a Photograph by Naya.

A WANDERER IN VENICE

CHAPTER I. The Bride of the Adriatic

THE BRIDE OF THE ADRIATIC

The best approach to Venice--Chioggia--A first view--Another water approach--Padua and Fusina--The railway station--A complete transformation--A Venetian guide-book--A city of a dream.

I have no doubt whatever that, if the diversion can be arranged, the perfect way for the railway traveller to approach Venice for the first time is from Chioggia, in the afternoon.

Chioggia is at the end of a line from Rovigo, and it ought not to be difficult to get there either overnight or in the morning. If overnight, one would spend some very delightful hours in drifting about Chioggia itself, which is a kind of foretaste of Venice, although not like enough to her to impair the surprise. (But nothing can do that. Not all the books or photographs in the world, not Turner, nor Whistler, nor Clara Montalba, can so familiarize the stranger with the idea of Venice that the reality of Venice fails to be sudden and arresting. Venice is so peculiarly herself, so exotic and unbelievable, that so far from ever being ready for her, even her residents, returning, can never be fully prepared.)

But to resume--Chioggia is the end of all things. The train stops at the station because there is no future for it; the road to the steamer stops at the pier because otherwise it would run into the water. Standing there, looking north, one sees nothing but the still, land-locked lagoon with red and umber and orange-sailed fishing-boats, and tiny islands here and there. But only ten miles away, due north, is Venice. And a steamer leaves several times a day to take you there, gently and loiteringly, in the Venetian manner, in two hours, with pauses at odd little places en route. And that is the way to enter Venice, because not only do you approach her by sea, as is right, Venice being the bride of the sea not merely by poetical tradition but as a solemn and wonderful fact, but you see her from afar, and gradually more and more is disclosed, and your first near view, sudden and complete as you skirt the island of S. Giorgio Maggiore, has all the most desired ingredients: the Campanile of S. Marco, S. Marco's domes, the Doges' Palace, S. Theodore on one column and the Lion on the other, the Custom House, S. Maria della Salute, the blue Merceria clock, all the business of the Riva, and a gondola under your very prow.

That is why one should come to Venice from Chioggia.

The other sea approach is from Fusina, at the end of an electric-tram line from Padua. If the Chioggia scheme is too difficult, then the Fusina route should be taken, for it is simplicity itself. All that the traveller has to do is to leave the train at Padua overnight--and he will be very glad to do so, for that last five-hour lap from Milan to Venice is very trying, with all the disentanglement of registered luggage at the end of it before one can get to the hotel--and spend the next morning in exploring Padua's own riches: Giotto's frescoes in the Madonna dell'Arena; Mantegna's in the Eremitani; Donatello's altar in the church of Padua's own sweet Saint Anthony; and so forth; and then in the afternoon take the tram for Fusina. This approach is not so attractive as that from Chioggia, but it is more quiet and fitting than the rush over the viaduct in the train. One is behaving with more propriety than that, for one is doing what, until a few poor decades ago of scientific fuss, every visitor travelling to Venice had to do: one is embarked on the most romantic of voyages: one is crossing the sea to its Queen.

This way one enters Venice by her mercantile shipping gate, where there are chimneys and factories and a vast system of electric wires. Not that the scene is not beautiful; Venice can no more fail to be beautiful, whatever she does, than a Persian kitten can; yet it does not compare with the Chioggia adventure, which not only is perfect visually, but, though brief, is long enough to create a mood of repose for the anticipatory traveller such as Venice deserves.

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