Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
its initial construction in AD 888, and Galileo Galilei found it handy for testing his tele-
scope in 1609. Critics called Bartolomeo Bon's 16th-century tower redesign ungainly, but
when this version suddenly collapsed in 1902, Venetians rebuilt the tower as it was, brick
by brick.
Visitors head to the tower top for 360- degree lagoon views and close encounters with
the Marangona, the booming bronze bell that could be heard in the Arsenale shipyards
(bring earplugs on the hour). Sansovino's classical marble loggia at the base of the Cam-
panile is decidedly secular, showcasing bronzes of pagan dieties Minerva, Apollo and
Mercury, plus Peace.
PALAZZO CONTARINI DEL BOVOLO
( Calle Contarini del Bovolo 4299; entry to open courtyard free; Sant'Angelo)
F
No need to wait for San
Marco sunsets to inspire a snog: this romantic Renaissance 15th-century
palazzo
with an
external spiral
bovolo
(snail-shell) stairwell is closed for restoration, but its shady court-
yard offers stirring views and privacy.
PALACE
CHIESA DI SAN MOISÈ
( 041 528 58 40; Campo di San Moisè; 9.30am-12.30pm Mon-Sat; San Marco)
F
Icing flourishes
of carved-stone ornament across the 1660s facade make this church appear positively lick-
able, although 19th-century architecture critic John Ruskin found its wedding-cake ap-
pearance indigestible. From an engineering perspective, Ruskin had a point: several
statues had to be removed in the 19th century to prevent the facade from collapsing under
their combined weight.
The remaining statuary by Flemish sculptor Heinrich Meyring (aka Merengo in Italian)
includes scant devotional works but a sycophantic number of tributes to church patrons.
Among the scene-stealing works inside are Tintoretto's
Washing of the Feet
, in the chapel
to the left of the altar, and Palma il Giovane's
The Supper
, on the right side of the chapel.
CHURCH
MUSEO DELLA MUSICA
MAP
MUSEUM
GOOGLE MAP
( 041 241 18 40;
http://www.interpretiveneziani.com/en/museo-della-musica.php
;
Campo San Maurizio 2761;
10am-7pm; Santa Maria del Giglio)
F
Housed in the restored neoclassical Chiesa di San
Maurizio, this collection of rare 17th- to 19th-century instruments is accompanied by in-
formative panels on the life and times of Venice's Antonio Vivaldi. To hear these instru-
