Venice - a treasure hunt
Oct 19th, 2010, 04:57 PM
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Venice - a treasure hunt
I am obligated to Bert4545 for this treasure hunt. While Venice has "big ticket" sights - the Doge Palace and the Basillica spring to mind - there are lots of tiny things as well.
Here's a quiz about Venice. I've translated it from Venessia.com, with the owner's (Stefano Soffiato) permission. It's a bit harder than the one posted by Palenque in my Venice Trivia thread. You will have to go there to find most of the answers. There is no prize, only a smile of self-satisfaction.
References to street names are in Venetian, so 'Sotoportego e Corte Venier', but a reference to a 'sottoportico' is in Italian.
1. How many arches are there altogether on the Procuratie Vecchie and Nuove in St Mark's Square? [Stefano actually counted from the Zecca and round the Libreria Sansoviniana, but I will take the answer as the question is written. But there is still a catch! - at least I think so.]
2. On one of the columns of the Doges' Palace there is a very old piece of graffiti. What does it depict? [Obviously you'll have to go there to find out. Some help - it's on one of the columns along the Molo.]
3. There is only one street called a 'Via' in Venice. On it there is a church. What time does the church's clock show? [There are actually two churches, but one is no longer in use as a church, and it does not have a clock.]
4. There are two lamp standards (lampposts) in front of the Fenice Theatre. What peculiarity do they have? [I.e. what is special or different about them?]
5. Ponte della Verona, near to the Fenice. From the bridge can be seen an unusual sign that catches the eye. What does it say? [Again, you'll have to go there to find out. I don't expect that it is remarked upon in any guide-book.]
6. Sotoportego e Corte Venier dei Leoni near San Vio. On a wall within the sottoportico there is embedded a statue. What of? [There are actually two 'statues'. Stefano means the first one, which I would not call a statue. But don't let this stop you from looking for the second!]
7. In the middle of Salizada San Stae there is something that arouses our curiosity. It is on the first floor [in American, the second floor] of a house. What is it?
8. Campiello Albrizzi a San Polo. On a wall there is something strange for Venice. What is it? [Not unique, only unusual. Make a note of the inscription.]
9. Calle dei Sansoni a Rialto. At Number 963 there is something that is not square. What is it? [The answer to this can be found on the first itinerary on the venessia.com website.]
10. At the nearby number 456 there is something strange. The door is like a ... what? [This, too, is on the first itinerary.]
11. In Campo Santa Margherita there is the ex-Scuola dei Varoteri (School of the Tanners). There is something nearby that shows that here there was a rio that has been filled in. What is it? [There are lines of white marble inlaid into the stones showing the outline of the rio, but there is something more than that.]
12. Under the Ponte Duodo between Calle Larga XXII Marzo and Campo Santo Stefano there is something unusual ... what? [There are two bridges very close together. Only Ponte Duodo is named on the wall nearby. But it is the other bridge, Ponte Feltrina, north of Ponte Duodo, that you need to look beneath.]
13. San Nicolò dei Mendicoli. A column near the church. What is on top? And what is unusual about that statue?
14. Campo Ruga near San Pietro di Castello. There is a sottoportico. Go in. What have you just hit?
15. Calle Varisco near Fondamente Nove [not all that near]. What mistake was made in this street? [Stefano is referring to the western end of the street.]
Bert4545 (or is he Bert5454) is a walking talking guidebook to Venice, and I'm lucky to have shared some of his insights. I think you'd enjoy his treasure hunt, and it forces you to some of the more out of the way places.
Here's a quiz about Venice. I've translated it from Venessia.com, with the owner's (Stefano Soffiato) permission. It's a bit harder than the one posted by Palenque in my Venice Trivia thread. You will have to go there to find most of the answers. There is no prize, only a smile of self-satisfaction.
References to street names are in Venetian, so 'Sotoportego e Corte Venier', but a reference to a 'sottoportico' is in Italian.
1. How many arches are there altogether on the Procuratie Vecchie and Nuove in St Mark's Square? [Stefano actually counted from the Zecca and round the Libreria Sansoviniana, but I will take the answer as the question is written. But there is still a catch! - at least I think so.]
2. On one of the columns of the Doges' Palace there is a very old piece of graffiti. What does it depict? [Obviously you'll have to go there to find out. Some help - it's on one of the columns along the Molo.]
3. There is only one street called a 'Via' in Venice. On it there is a church. What time does the church's clock show? [There are actually two churches, but one is no longer in use as a church, and it does not have a clock.]
4. There are two lamp standards (lampposts) in front of the Fenice Theatre. What peculiarity do they have? [I.e. what is special or different about them?]
5. Ponte della Verona, near to the Fenice. From the bridge can be seen an unusual sign that catches the eye. What does it say? [Again, you'll have to go there to find out. I don't expect that it is remarked upon in any guide-book.]
6. Sotoportego e Corte Venier dei Leoni near San Vio. On a wall within the sottoportico there is embedded a statue. What of? [There are actually two 'statues'. Stefano means the first one, which I would not call a statue. But don't let this stop you from looking for the second!]
7. In the middle of Salizada San Stae there is something that arouses our curiosity. It is on the first floor [in American, the second floor] of a house. What is it?
8. Campiello Albrizzi a San Polo. On a wall there is something strange for Venice. What is it? [Not unique, only unusual. Make a note of the inscription.]
9. Calle dei Sansoni a Rialto. At Number 963 there is something that is not square. What is it? [The answer to this can be found on the first itinerary on the venessia.com website.]
10. At the nearby number 456 there is something strange. The door is like a ... what? [This, too, is on the first itinerary.]
11. In Campo Santa Margherita there is the ex-Scuola dei Varoteri (School of the Tanners). There is something nearby that shows that here there was a rio that has been filled in. What is it? [There are lines of white marble inlaid into the stones showing the outline of the rio, but there is something more than that.]
12. Under the Ponte Duodo between Calle Larga XXII Marzo and Campo Santo Stefano there is something unusual ... what? [There are two bridges very close together. Only Ponte Duodo is named on the wall nearby. But it is the other bridge, Ponte Feltrina, north of Ponte Duodo, that you need to look beneath.]
13. San Nicolò dei Mendicoli. A column near the church. What is on top? And what is unusual about that statue?
14. Campo Ruga near San Pietro di Castello. There is a sottoportico. Go in. What have you just hit?
15. Calle Varisco near Fondamente Nove [not all that near]. What mistake was made in this street? [Stefano is referring to the western end of the street.]
Bert4545 (or is he Bert5454) is a walking talking guidebook to Venice, and I'm lucky to have shared some of his insights. I think you'd enjoy his treasure hunt, and it forces you to some of the more out of the way places.
Oct 19th, 2010, 05:24 PM
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Thank you so very much! I expect that my husband kids and I will be doing this treasure hunt on Christmas Eve. I really appreciate your taking the time to forward this to us all - it will make our visit to Venice so much more interesting for our 8 and 13 year old.
Oct 20th, 2010, 04:27 AM
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Peter,
In another post, you recommended that we go to the Church of the Carmini for Mass at Christmas - being Roman Catholic - I thought that Mass would be the perfect time to see St. Mark's - by going to midnight Mass there. I've read that they light the place up and it is absolutely beautiful, shining, gold. But I have been concerned about the length of the Mass for the kids - remarks say that they say the Mass in a couple languages...sounds like we'd be in for the long haul. However, like you, we are staying in the Dorsoduro area in an apartment by La Calcina. Carmini sounds intriguing though, my husband and I are fans of the Carmelite Order as one of our closer friends is a Priest in that particular Order.
So, two questions, why Carmini for Christmas Mass? and second, any ideas for a restaurant for our Christmas eve dinner? Since Venice is generally bursting our budget, a lower key/cost place would be good.
I do appreciate your suggestions and expertise - it's clear how much you love Venice and want to show others the wonder of the place.
In another post, you recommended that we go to the Church of the Carmini for Mass at Christmas - being Roman Catholic - I thought that Mass would be the perfect time to see St. Mark's - by going to midnight Mass there. I've read that they light the place up and it is absolutely beautiful, shining, gold. But I have been concerned about the length of the Mass for the kids - remarks say that they say the Mass in a couple languages...sounds like we'd be in for the long haul. However, like you, we are staying in the Dorsoduro area in an apartment by La Calcina. Carmini sounds intriguing though, my husband and I are fans of the Carmelite Order as one of our closer friends is a Priest in that particular Order.
So, two questions, why Carmini for Christmas Mass? and second, any ideas for a restaurant for our Christmas eve dinner? Since Venice is generally bursting our budget, a lower key/cost place would be good.
I do appreciate your suggestions and expertise - it's clear how much you love Venice and want to show others the wonder of the place.
Oct 20th, 2010, 03:16 PM
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Juju, I wrote a trip report of sorts when we were in Venice a couple of years ago. It’s a bit long; I was just letting my brain meander along in a rather unfettered way while we were there. Writing for the pleasure of putting words on the page. It is here: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-verbose.cfm
We went to the Carmini for Mass because it was just around the corner from where we were staying, (2878A, Calle Lunga San Barnaba, which you can find on google maps) and the bells of the Carmini campanile measured out our time in Venice. We came to know and love those bells, which we could see from our apartment. Midnight Mass in San Marco would be lovely, and it is likely to be packed with people, perhaps not so good for the children, particularly as you then have to walk back to Dorsoduro to bed – I’d expect that the kids would not be in bed until about 2:00 AM, which might not be so good if you are travelling on Christmas day.
There are half a dozen restaurants in Campo Margherita, and a couple in Campo san Barnaba. You might try the “Casin dei Nobili”, where we have eaten a couple of times. I don’t remember what it cost, but I have no recollection of being horrified by the bill, so that’s a good sign, I suppose. Google “casin dei nobili venice Italy” and you’ll find it. I do remember that it was friendly, a few kids eating, and they do pizza, pasta, and other dishes. Not high cuisine, but quite OK. Casin dei Nobili is just off Campo san Barnaba, as you head towards Academe, past the Tabac shop, on your right.
We went to the Carmini for Mass because it was just around the corner from where we were staying, (2878A, Calle Lunga San Barnaba, which you can find on google maps) and the bells of the Carmini campanile measured out our time in Venice. We came to know and love those bells, which we could see from our apartment. Midnight Mass in San Marco would be lovely, and it is likely to be packed with people, perhaps not so good for the children, particularly as you then have to walk back to Dorsoduro to bed – I’d expect that the kids would not be in bed until about 2:00 AM, which might not be so good if you are travelling on Christmas day.
There are half a dozen restaurants in Campo Margherita, and a couple in Campo san Barnaba. You might try the “Casin dei Nobili”, where we have eaten a couple of times. I don’t remember what it cost, but I have no recollection of being horrified by the bill, so that’s a good sign, I suppose. Google “casin dei nobili venice Italy” and you’ll find it. I do remember that it was friendly, a few kids eating, and they do pizza, pasta, and other dishes. Not high cuisine, but quite OK. Casin dei Nobili is just off Campo san Barnaba, as you head towards Academe, past the Tabac shop, on your right.
Oct 21st, 2010, 09:50 AM
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I have a quiz question of my own (!), Peter.
Ponte di San Giovanni Grisostomo is still known to locals as Ponte dei Giocat(t)oli [two ts in Italian, probably one in Venetian], because there used to be a toy shop next to it. The shop now sells shoes, but what did the toy shop leave behind?
Ponte di San Giovanni Grisostomo is still known to locals as Ponte dei Giocat(t)oli [two ts in Italian, probably one in Venetian], because there used to be a toy shop next to it. The shop now sells shoes, but what did the toy shop leave behind?
Dec 15th, 2010, 07:48 AM
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Well, I've meandered around Venice, looking for treasures. Answers are here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...iler-alert.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...iler-alert.cfm
