Monday, June 8, 2009

Venice...of Decadence and Redemption




Today I was inspired to write about a different kind of beauty pertaining to Venice; the breathtakingly splendid beauty of its Churches and Cathedrals.


Throughout history, this great city where blissful pleasures of the senses were either decadent or sublime, laid the foundation of great spiritual sanctuaries where people turned to find peace, forgiveness or direction. All that you see and breathe in Venice is historical- a constant and abundant reminder of a time when La Serenissima was the heart and center of Europe.


I remember being about ten years old and walking the ‘calle’ of Venice with my uncle when I asked him why there were so many churches in Venice- literally one at every corner or so. I remember his wink and his answer as though it were yesterday:

Venice was once a place where sinners found their ‘paradise’ and so, churches were built in consequence...so many sinners- so many churches.”


I was intrigued by that resonse and never quite understood it until I began studying Venice's history.


Sometimes the magnetic power of extreme beauty can pull man either way, resulting in a struggle. Ultimately though, I believe that in every soul is the goal for inner peace, harmony and love for all…


Rather than posting about the obvious grand Cathedrals that many of you already know about, here are some pictures of Venice’s earliest churches.


Venice’s oldest Church: San Giacomo di Rialto (San Giacometto) in the San Polo sector- built in 421




Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta also built in the 5th century and, Santa Fosca, which was built in the 11th century. The two are connected by a portico. They’re in Torcello.














Have a wonderfully peaceful day. Many blessings:)


-

9 comments:

Mirella Patzer said...

I loved Venice when I went there. In fact, my relatives on my father's side are from the Veneto area (about 1 hour away). I love reading anything and everything about Italy, especially the Veneto. This was a wonderful post.

ceecee said...

I really enjoy your posts on Venice, Ms. Lucy. I am so puzzled as to why your pictures don't always show up. Ah, well - your descriptions themselves are always worth the visit!
Catherine

Tea said...

The pictures are just wonderful. When I think of Venice, I think of water, romance and beauty.

Ingrid Mida said...

Your uncle was a wise man! And you have inherited his wisdom. Your comment about beauty and the soul really spoke to me today.

Lucy said...

Hi Mirella:) I'm glad you enjoyed this. Which part of the Veneto is your family from? What a small world:)

Hi Catherine! I'm so sad that you keep having difficulty seeing my photos...I don't know how I can fix this- I checked blogger help, but there's nothing to do..

Thank you for your comment Tea:)

Ingrid, Thanks so much for the kind words- my uncle really was a wonderful man. I'm glad the post meant something real to you; making the connection between beauty and the soul.

Thanks everyone:)

Kirsten Steen said...

Ms. Lucy, How I love your Venice posts! (I also frequently have trouble seeing the pictures but enjoy the posts anyway.) I just finished reading 'In the Company of the Courtesan' and am now missing the characters and the city! BTW, do you have a list of favorite history books on Venice? What should I start with?
Happy Monday to you!
Kirsten

Darlene said...

I just love these posts. I'd love to go to Venice one day. The pics of the old churches are great-those are exactly the ones I'd want to see if I visited.

Yvette Kelly said...

The pics look amazing.I would love to go to Venice one day.Wow!

sallymandy said...

Hi Ms Lucy. I agree with Ingrid. Thank you for your wise words. I loved reading about the churches--though I also have trouble seeing the photos sometimes. I did look up San Giacomo di Rialto on Flickr and enjoyed seeing it. It's just mind boggling to someone who grew up in the western U.S. to imagine living in a city with such old buildings on the streets. Have never been to Venice; but life's long! xo