Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
boast of their role in helping Byzantium quell a Greek rebellion - the mercenary equival-
ent of leaving behind a résumé.
BUCINTORO
Seven centuries before
Pimp My Ride
, there was the Bucintoro. The most lavish creation of the Arsenale, it was
the doge's official galley. There were four versions of the
Bucintoro
, the first of which was built in 1311.
However, the most extravagant was the fourth and last. Completed in 1727, the multistorey floating
palazzo
was
clad entirely in gold leaf and had seating for 90 - the main salon alone boasted 48 windows. And it required 168
oarsmen to manoeuvre. You can see a scale model in the Museo Storico Navale, plus a few original details
salvaged after Napoleonic troops burned it in 1798.
The Fondazione Bucintoro is now leading an effort to build a life-size recreation of the 1727
Bucintoro
for
an estimated €15 million. Underwritten by the Banco Nazionale del Lavoro in 2012, shares in the golden
hull will be sold in order to raise the necessary finance. Completion is expected in 2016.
Biennale Exhibition Spaces
Architecture and Art Biennale exhibitions
are mounted in the construction sheds of the Arsenale;
the Herculaean effort harkens back to earlier times. Unfortunately, the Arsenale is only ac-
cessible to the public during these events. Biennale shows do often offer peeks inside, in-
cluding the former
Corderia
(where ships' cables were made), the
Artiglierie
(gun workshop)
and the magnificent arcaded
Gaggiandre
. More creative repurposing lies ahead: ongoing
work to transform the entire Arsenale will create modern ship-maintenance areas, shops,
restaurants, exhibition spaces, a study centre and more.
