Shot from the north side of the Basilica, St. Mark’s reveals its shabbier side. The magnificent Byzantine Dome (one of five) perched atop this crumbling facade is somehow a perfect metaphor for Venice. The overlay just makes it a bit more byzantine.
Myriad creepy details drew me to this scene: the unclear pedigree (sorry) of the scant selection of hanging meat, the butcher bent over hacking something apart, the the computer, printer and mouse resident in this medieval setting, and of course the blood dripping down the inside of the open drawer.
After days of opulent Venetian interiors, my eyes came to rest in the carved wood beams and warm tones of the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, locally known as San Zanipolo. Perhaps the relative modesty of the church is owing to the fact it is dedicated to John and Paul, not the Biblical Apostles of the same names, but two obscure martyrs of the Early Christian church in Rome.
The golden hour is meant for a quiet canal leading to one of Venice’s many leaning towers through a lovely Campo. I wanted this image to feel as if I took it in the past.
Looking across the Grand Canal to Giudecca, I saw the Church of the Redeemer (Redentore) glowing in the first light of day a hundred years ago.
The endless rooms of the Medicis’ “Offices” seem to lead the viewer back in time so far one might expect to see Lorenzo or Cosimo waiting at the end.