Transcript VENEZIA - Трећа београдска гимназија

VENICE
~ Venice is a city in northeastern Italy situated on a group of 118
small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located
in the Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline,
between the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is famous for the
beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. The city is
listed as a World Heritage Site, along with the lagoon. The name
derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region in
the 10th century BC. The city was the capital of the Republic of
Venice.
~ The Republic of Venice was a very important centre of commerce
(especially silk, grain and spice) and art in the 13th century up to
the end of the 17th century. It is also known for its several
important artistic movements, especially the Renaissance period.
Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and
operatic music, and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi.
~ The gondola is a traditional, flatbottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the
conditions of the Venetian lagoon. For centuries
gondolas were the chief means of transportation and
most common watercraft within Venice. In modern
times the iconic boats still have a role in public
transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over
the Grand Canal. They are also used in special rowing
races held among gondoliers. Their primary role today,
however, is to carry tourists on rides. Many gondolas
are lushly appointed with crushed velvet seats and
Persian rugs. Less well-known is the smaller sandolo.
~ Like any other city, Venice is divided into six areas (sestieri). These
are: Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Marco and Castello.
Each sestiere has its own house numbering system, each house has a unique
number in the district, from one to several thousand, generally numbered from
one corner of the area to another.
~ Venice is built on an archipelago of 118 islands formed by 176 canals in a
shallow lagoon, connected by 400 bridges. In the old centre, the canals serve
the function of roads, and almost every form of transport is on water or on
foot. Venice is Europe's largest urban car-free area. Venice is unique in Europe,
in having remained a sizable functioning city in the 21st century entirely
without motorcars or trucks.
~ The maze of canals threaded through the city requires the use of more than
400 bridges to permit the flow of foot traffic. In 2011, the city opened Ponte
della Costituzione, the fourth bridge across the Grand Canal, connecting
the Piazzale Roma bus terminal area with the Stazione Ferroviaria (train station),
the others being the original Ponte di Rialto, the Ponte dell'Accademia, and
the Ponte degli Scalzi.
~ Venice has a rich and diverse architectural style, the most famous of which is
the Gothic style. Venetian Gothic architecture is a term given to a Venetian building
style combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine, Ottoman and a lot
of Phoenician architecture influences. The style originated in 14th-century Venice,
where the confluence of Byzantine style from Constantinople met Arab influence
from Moorish Spain. The main examples of the style are the Doge's Palace and
the Ca' d'Oro in the city. The city also has several Renaissance
and Baroque buildings, including the Ca' Pesaro and the Ca' Rezzonico.
~ It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples
of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San
Marco. Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city's
cathedral since 1807.
~ Venetian cuisine is characterized by seafood, but
also includes garden products from the islands of
the lagoon, rice from the mainland and polenta.
Venice combines local traditions with influences
from other cultures. These include sarde in saor
(sardines marinated in order to preserve them for
long voyages), risi e bisi (rice, peas and ham), fegato
alla veneziana (Venetian-style liver), risotto with
cuttlefish, antipasti (appetizers) and prosecco (a
mildly sweet wine).
~ Venice is famous for bisàto (marinated eel), for
the golden, oval-shaped cookies called baicoli, and
for different types of sweets such as: pan del
pescatore (bread of the fisherman); cookies with
almonds and pistachio nuts; cookies with fried
Venetian cream or the bussolai (butter
biscuits and shortbread made in the shape of an "S"
or ring) from the island of Burano; the fregolotta (a
crumbly cake with almonds); milk pudding
called rosada; and cookies of yellow semolina
called zaléti.
~ Venice has long been a source of inspiration for authors, poets and playwrights as well as being at
the forefront of the technical developing of printing and publishing.
~ Two of the most famous Venetian writers were Marco Polo in the Middle Ages and later Giacomo
Casanova. Polo (1254–1324) was a merchant who voyaged to the Orient. His series of books, cowritten by Rustichello da Pisa, titled Il Milione provided important knowledge of the lands east of
Europe, from the Middle East, to China, Japan and Russia. Giacomo Casanova (1725–1798) was a
prolific writer and famous adventurer best remembered for his autobiography, Histoire De Ma
Vie (Story of My Life), which links his colourful lifestyle to the city of Venice.
~ Venice has also inspired writers from abroad, such as Shakespeare who set Othello and The
Merchant of Venice in the city and Thomas Mann who wrote the novel Death in Venice, published
in 1912. Venice is also linked to the technological aspects of writing. The city was the
location for one of Italy's earliest printing presses, established by Aldus Manutius (1449–
1515). From this beginning Venice developed as an important typographic center and even
as late as the 18th century was responsible for printing half of Italy's published books.
~ Venice is a major international centre for higher education.
The city hosts Ca' Foscari University of Venice founded in
1868, Iuav University of Venice founded in 1926 and Venice
International University an international research center
founded in 1995 located on the island of San Servolo.
~ The Carnival of Venice
~ The Venice Film.