The Grand Canal
Charles VIII of France’s ambassador called it “The most beautiful street in the world”….. although he made the remark in 1495 it still holds true today.
The Grand Canal sweeps through the heart htof Venice. To travel down the Canal is to be transported back to the glory days of the city. ‘Palazzo’ built over hundreds of years line either side of the waterway. Gothic arches and carved windows, fluted columns and capitals, and excessive ornamentation catch the eye at every turn. Many palazzo still bear the names of the once great families that inhabited them – it’s like reading a Who’s Who of Italian nobility. The final stretch of the Canal has to be the most breathtaking. The glorious Baroque church of Santa Maria della Salute dominating the right bank. And in the midst of such splendour, ordinary life goes on. ‘Vaporetti’ laden with tourists pass every 10 minutes. Rust buckets, motors groaning. Water taxis – highly polished, wooden gloss gleaming. Cargo boats piled high with cardboard boxes, trolleys, ropes and taurpalins. A tiny blue and white craft, low in the water – the ‘polizia locale’. And then there’s the creme-da-la-creme – the gonolas. Brocade and tassles, gold, gilt, glitz. The stuff of romance.
During the day the Canal is a swirl of activity, a kaleidoscope of ever changing shapes, colour and noise. At night the canal takes on a different hue – softer, quieter, almost seductive. It’s possible to catch a glimpse into murano chandlier lit interiors, wooden beams reflecting a warm light and hinting at sumptious decors. Gondoliers row silently, gliding slowly, a tiny light shinging at the prow, their warning cries of ‘Oe’, ‘Premi’ and ‘Stai’ echoing off dark walls and alerting others to their presence. It’s almost a fariytale world.
Practical.
The Grand Canal is best seen a gondola or a vaporetto.
Vaporetto. There are several lines that travel the Grand Canal – the best from a tourist point of view is the no. 1 which stops at every stop, so goes slowly enough to take it all in and take photos. The journey down the entire length of the Canal from San Zaccaria to the station takes about 40 minutes. Tickets can be bought at some landing stages and at shops and tobacconists displaying the ACTV sign. Tickets vary in price depending on length of validity. A one hour ticket costs Euro 6.50 (same price even if you go only one stop) and a 72 hour ticket costs Euro 33. (Can also be used to visit islands in the lagoon, the Lido etc.)
Gondola. Euro 80 for 30 minutes seemed to be the going rate. Rates are charged per gondola so if you share it’s cheaper. (Max. 6 people per gondola – water taxis charge per person, not per boat and have additional charges for luggage etc).
Is it worth it?
The Gondola ride was one of the highlights of my stay in Venice. To simply sit in one of those beautiful hand-crafted vessels is to feel like royalty. To ride in gondola is to take part in the tradition of and share in the mythology of Venice.
A gondola ride offers an entirely different perspective on the city. Sure you can chug down the Grand Canal on a vaporetto, but then you’re crammed in with all and sundry, luggage wielding tourists, mums with pushchairs and business men with brief cases – all pushing to get on and off, all with somewhere to go, and something to do. On a gondola all you hear is the sound of the oar sliding in and out of the water, and an occasional remark from the gondolier. On the smaller canals you’re sometimes alone, encased by the high walls of ancient palazzos, a dark, silent almost sinister world. A gondola is low in the water and offers glimpses into narrow alleyways, passages that end abruptly at the water’s edge, calling to mind lover’s secret trysts, intrigue and romance. Passing under bridges, brings into play an interchange of light and dark, shadow and colour, muted sounds and echos. It’s an intimate experience, something to remember.
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