Venice Insider Tip: How to "Skip the Line" to St. Mark's Basilica on Ferragosto and the Feast of the Assumption

Pala d'Oro inside St. Mark's Basilica - Photo: Cat Bauer (taken with permission)

 

(Venice, Italy) There is usually a long, winding line of hundreds of tourists waiting to get into the Basilica of San Marco in Piazza San Marco. The wait -- about 45 minutes -- is much longer than the visit -- about ten minutes (as part of a shuffling horde) if you don't pay to "skip the line," or pay for a guide.

However, early in the mornings and in the evenings, and half the day on Sunday, the front doors are shut and the tourists are barred from entering -- and St. Mark's Basilica transforms back into one of the most magnificent places of worship on the planet.

Attending Vespers, or Evening Song, on August 15th, the high holy day of the Feast of the Assumption, is an opportunity to experience the divine feminine nature of Venice. It is the day that the Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven, and has been captured by some of the world's most celebrated artists -- the most famous being Titian's Assumption masterpiece in the Frari.

In fact, Venice pulses with images of Mary's assumption into heaven. Tintoretto's Assumption is in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Veronese's Assumption of the Virgin is in the Accademia. The divine female is brought to life in music by the compositions of Monteverdi and Vivaldi. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, or the Cathedral of the Assumption of St. Mary, on the island of Torcello in the Venice lagoon, was first founded in 639. Instead of Christ over the altar, we have Mary.

The celebration of the event has long had a special significance in Venice, and it is fascinating to think that the Venetian culture, despite its reputation for being Patriarchal Sin City, was also capable of elevating femininity to something sacred.

Line outside Baslica di San Marco - Photo: Cat Bauer

When I arrived at Saint Mark’s Basilica, there was only one other worshiper inside -- a nun dressed in white. I listened to the organ chords booming off the walls while gazing upon the Pala d'Oro. A gentle breeze blew throughout the immense, empty church; the evening sun illumined the golden mosaics. The nun and I were eventually joined by a handful of other worshipers. The entire congregation consisted of about ten people.

Madonna Nicopeia - Photo: Cat Bauer

The ceremony is utterly beautiful, with hymns and incense, and a procession that ends in front of one of Venice's most sacred icons, and my personal favorite, the Madonna Nicopeia. It is a way to experience the Basilica of San Marco with genuine reverence for the beauty of the structure, and to gain a deeper understanding of the soul of Venice.

That the Feast of the Assumption falls on the same day as the pagan holiday Ferragosto, introduced by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 18 AD to celebrate the goddess Diana, and to give his citizens a bit of a vacation, is something to ponder.

I write about this pagan-sacred holiday nearly every year. Here is an early one, from 2008, ten years ago:

Mary Ascends to Heaven and Pala D'Oro, The Golden Cloth - Venice

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog

From Venice to Athens and Back - A Journey to the Foundation of Western Civilization

The Parthenon in Athens - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) Venice blew the roof off the Parthenon on September 26, 1687 when it was a mosque, complete with minaret, and under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. A cannonball hit the Parthenon during the Morean War in what the Venetian general Francesco Morosoni called a "fortunate shot," which ignited the gunpowder that the Ottomans had stored there. But that is only one chapter in the long history of the Parthenon, a staggering structure that I recently had the opportunity to see with my own eyes when I visited Athens, the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. 

It has taken me some time to process the huge amount of knowledge that I acquired during my short trip. My birthday was on July 27, which also happened to be the evening of the Blood Moon Total Eclipse, the longest lunar eclipse of the century, and I wanted to witness the event in a spectacular venue.

Apollo & Hera in Athens with Blood Moon - Photo by Aris Messinis-AFP-Getty Images via The Guardian

The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis dominates the city of Athens, an imposing sight that is a constant reminder of the great civilization that inspired much of Western culture, and a testament to human ingenuity. Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with a recorded history that dates back around 3,400 years -- a time-span that's a little difficult to condense into one blog post.

The Acropolis is an ancient citadel built on top of a steep, rocky hill. On the way to the top you walk past lessons from history books come to life. The walk inspires deep contemplation about how we have arrived at the chaotic state the world is in today. Walking through antiquity makes living in Venice seem like living in an adolescent city; it makes growing up in the United States feel like crawling out of the cradle.

World's first theatre - The Theatre of Dionysus - site used as a theatre since 6th century BC

I enjoyed looking at Athens from the point of view of a traveler whose place of residence -- Venice -- is a town overwhelmed by tourists. The tourists in Athens seemed of a different breed. Why go to Athens in the middle of a sweltering summer instead of the beach or the mountains? Tourists go to Athens to visit ancient sites, to go to the museums -- to acquire knowledge.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare and handicrafts, won a contest against Poseidon to have the city named after her. She was the protector of the city and of heroes. Athena was born straight from Zeus's forehead, complete with armor, and is associated with divine intelligence.

Varvakeion Athena (200-250AD)

Roman replica of Athena Parthenos by Phidias

National Archeological Museum of Athens

Even after living in Venice for twenty years, I am not really sure why hordes of tourists come here -- to witness a city whose streets are made of water? Some people say that because Venice has no basements, it has no subconscious. I don't think that's true. The subconscious in Venice is the lagoon, brimming with joy and sadness, rich with memories of a great republic that ultimately failed. 

 

Venice sits atop a forest of millions of petrified trees that were driven into the clay underneath the islands. During acqua alta, or high water, the lagoon floods the calli and the campi, and turns Piazza San Marco into a shallow lake. The lagoon, the subconscious, seeps into the walls of the buildings. It is in the mist. The water molecules float through the air and mingle with the elements. The lagoon is in the food, in the fish and vegetables. Unlike a city like, say, Manhattan, which is built on solid bedrock, Venice is built on trees trapped in mud that have turned to stone.

Aphrodite, Pan and Eros (c. 100BC)

Aphrodite tries to fend off the goat-footed Pan, aided by Eros

Athens Archeological Museum - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Roman goddess Venus is a magical version of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who was born from sea foam produced by the testicles of Uranus after his son, Cronus, severed them and threw them into the sea. Venus was the goddess of love, sex, desire, beauty, fertility, victory and prosperity. If Venice had a goddess, it would be Venus -- though that is not official. The difference between Athens and Venice feels like the difference between Athena and Venus. Maybe tourists come to Venice because her beauty seeps into the system whether you are conscious of it or not.

Temple of Olympian Zeus seen from the Acropolis

When you arrive at the top of the Acropolis and look onto the city of Athens, you can see other ancient structures down below. One structure is the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Before Athens created democracy, it was ruled by the Athenian tyrants, who started building the enormous temple in 520 BC to create the greatest temple in the world. However, the work was abandoned when the tyrants were overthrown, and Athenian democracy wobbled to its feet. It would not be completed until 638 years later, when the Roman emperor Hadrian, a big fan of Greece, finished the job, complete with Hadrian's Arch.

Temple of Olympian Zeus with Acropolis in the background

With Mycaneans, Archaic Greeks, Classic Greeks, Hellenic Greeks, Romans from Rome, Romans from Byzantium, Orthodox Christians, Latin Christians and more all traipsing around Athens over the centuries, together with their labyrinth of cults and different ways of worship, along with Persian invaders, Spartan invaders, Alexander the Great, Ottoman Turks, etc., destroying and rebuilding temples, stealing artifacts, changing pagans into Christians and Christians into Muslims, etc., it is difficult to sort everything out, and scholars are still attempting to make sense of it to this very day. 

The Acroplis hovers over Athens - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Acropolis contains the ruins of ancient structures, so majestic that it is difficult to comprehend how humanity could accomplish such feats so long ago. The four most important structures erected during Athen's golden age (mid-late 5th century BC) when it was the cultural center of the world are:

1. The Parthenon, a temple to the goddess Athena
2. The Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis
3. The Temple of Athena Nike or "Athena Victory"
4. The Erechtheion, the most sacred temple, dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon

The first fortification wall around the Acropolis was built about 3,300 years ago, in the 13th century BC during the Mycenaean civilization and the late Bronze Age. 

The Parthenon - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Athenians started building the Parthenon in 447 BC as a temple to the goddess Athena to replace a previous temple to Athena, destroyed by the Persian invasion in 480 BC.  In 454 BC, it became the treasury for the Delian League, an association of 150-330 Greek city-states led by Athens, which morphed into the Athenian Empire under the leadership of the statesman and general Pericles, "the first citizen of Athens." A colossus of gold and ivory ordered up by Pericles and created by the great sculptor Phidias called Athena Parthenos, or "Athena the Virgin," once stood center stage.

During all this new construction, prominent thinkers were centered in Athens. Socrates was a young man of around 23-years-old when the building of the Parthenon began; he grew up under the new democracy, led by Pericles. Socrates watched the Delian League morph into the Athenian Empire when the treasury was moved from the Delos to Athens in 454 BC and placed inside the magnificent Parthenon. Pericles would use the funds of the alliance to enhance the Acropolis. After he died of the plague in 429 BC, the Delian league, led by Athens, would be defeated by the Peloponnese League, led by Sparta, during the Peloponnese War (431-404BC).

Temple of Athena Nike - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Oracle of Delphi had proclaimed that Socrates was the wisest man who lived in Athens. When Socrates heard this, he set out to prove that it was false. He was known as a gadfly who would go around asking questions that annoyed just about everybody -- especially those in authority -- until he arrived at the conclusion that he was, indeed, the wisest man in Athens because he was the only one who admitted that he didn't know anything.

Socrates had a huge fan club of Athenian youth, one of whom was Plato, one of the greatest philosophers the world has ever known. Plato recorded the method that Socrates used to impart knowledge, which has come down to us as the Socratic Method. Instead of lecturing his students, Socrates would ask questions, sparking critical dialogue, and encouraging students to use independent thought to arrive at conclusions. Socrates was eventually put on trial for refusing to recognize the gods of the state and for corrupting the youth. The majority ruled 280 to 220 that he was guilty, and in one of the most famous death sentences of all history, he drank a cup of hemlock and became a martyr for free speech.

I was reminded of how critical the big three philosophers -- Socrates, Plato and Aristotle -- were of democracy, Athen's new form of government. Something we seem to forget is that the Founders of the United States of America never intended to create a direct democracy, but a republic, with checks and balances. The word "democracy" never appears in the Declaration of Independence, nor in the Constitution. For Aristotle, democracy was a perverted form of a polity.

The Propylaea - Photo: Cat Bauer

Some of the most important people on the planet lived in Athens around the same time: Hippocrates (c.460-c.370BC), the "Father of Medicine;" the dramatists Aeschylus (c.525-c.456BC), Aristophanes (c.446-c.386BC), Euripides (c.480-c.406BC), and Sophocles (c.496-406BC); and the philosophers Socrates (c.470-399BC), Plato (c.428-348BC), and Aristotle (384-322BC), as well as other individuals who would impact history for centuries after their deaths.

Aristophanes wrote a comedic play called, "The Clouds," featuring a character named Socrates who ran a school called "The Thinkery," which lampooned the current intellectual fashions. "The Clouds" was first performed in 423BC in the Theatre of Dionysus (have another look at the photo, above). This, we must remember, was just about 2,500 years ago. It really puts into perspective how audacious we are to think we have arrived at anything new under the sun.

Plato was the student of Socrates, the teacher of Aristotle and the creator of the original Academy, from which all subsequent academies get their name. Aristotle was the student of Plato, the teacher of Alexander the Great and the creator of The Lyceum. Alexander the Great would go on to conquer the Persian Empire and much of the rest of the world, such as Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Mesopotamia and Bactria, as well as extending the boundaries of his own empire as far as Punjab, India. Even though he was a conqueror, because of the influence of Aristotle, Alexander the Great spread the Athenian culture throughout his empire.
 

The Erechtheion - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Parthenon would remain a temple to Athena for more than 800 years, even after the Roman conquest in 88BC. 

It is important to remember that Jesus Christ came on the scene in about 4 BC - 30/33 AD, and flipped the world on its head.

After the Roman Empire moved to Constantinople, and then after the pagan Romans astonishingly made Christianity the state religion (February 27, 380 AD) and converted en mass to Christianity (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em), the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I outlawed all forms of pagan worship, and the Parthenon was consecrated as the Orthodox Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, or Holy Wisdom. In 662 it was rededicated as Panagia Atheniotissa, the Church of the Virgin Mary of Athens.

From 1204-1311, during the Fourth Crusade and the Frankish occupation of the De la Roche dukes, the Parthenon became a Catholic Church, St. Mary's of Athens, then Church of Notre Dame (Our Mother). In 1460, the Ottoman Turks turned the Parthenon Church into a mosque, and the Erechtheion -- the holiest temple -- into a residence for the Turkish commander's harem. And then, along came the Venetians in 1687, and blew it up. (That is a very simplified version; the reality was much more complex and extensive.)

However, none of these traumas had the impact that the British would have on the Parthenon. Today, on a informational sign explaining the ongoing restoration of the Parthenon, it says: 

"The most severe damage was caused in 1801-1802, when the Scotch ambassador of England to Constantinople Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, removed the greatest part of the sculptures that also comprised structural members of the temple. By bribing the Turkish garrison of the Acropolis and employing teams of the Italian artist G.B Lusieri, Elgin removed and transported to England 19 pedimental sculptures, 15 metopes and the reliefs of 56 sawn blocks of the frieze, today exhibited in the British Museum in London."

Of all the Greeks I spoke to, this theft by the Earl of Elgin haunts them the most, and they want the artifacts back -- especially because the sparkling new internationally renowned Acropolis Museum, at the foot of the Acropolis itself, was designed to hold all the treasures of the Acropolis -- in fact, I went to the museum before I hiked up to the Acropolis. After looking at the British Museum website, it seems they feel justified to keep them: The Parthenon Sculptures.  

The Greeks have been asking for the marbles to be returned since 1832, after they won their independence from the Ottomans. The controversy over the Elgin Marbles continues to this day. In June, the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, on his first state visit to the United Kingdom again asked the British prime minister, Theresa May, to return the treasures of the Acropolis.

Bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon (c.460BC)

National Archaeological Museum of Athens

Photo: Cat Bauer

That is just a snippet of the things I learned and the treasures I saw in the short time I was in Athens. I also visited more ruins, Greek and Roman, and the National Archaeological Museum --  learning about the Mycanean civilization was astonishing; the sheer beauty and volume of artifacts was overwhelming. The temporary exhibitions The Countless Aspects of Beauty until spring 2019 and Hadrian and Athens: Conversing with an Ideal World until the end of the year were first-rate and thought-provoking.

I strolled through the National Gardens, and visited the Benaki Museum, where a violent afternoon lightning storm crackled across the heavens, and made me understand why Zeus was a god. I spent hours inside the Byzantine & Christian Museum, wandered through Aristotle's Lyceum, and witnessed the Changing of the Guard at Parliament. I went shopping in the Plaka district, the oldest section of Athens, teeming with shops and eateries, and chatted with shop owners, comparing tourism between Venice and Athens. I ate a Greek breakfast each morning with a view of the the Acropolis in the background, and had fresh chicken sticks and a real Greek salad out in the country. I even managed to squeeze in the Greek version of a hammam, and indulged in bubble massage. 

The Greek people were warm and welcoming, and the city felt full of life. It was easy to get around on foot or by Metro -- in short, despite the constant calamities we hear about Greece, Athens seemed to be functioning very well from a tourist point of view, although I did run into a bit of bureaucracy when I asked permission to take photos inside the museums. That dilemma was eventually resolved. 

Aristotle's Lyceum - Photo: Cat Bauer

Athens blew my mind, simply because everything I thought was new and American, or new and Venetian, had already been understood thousands of years before, from systems of government, to architecture, to art and culture. Sure, humankind has made new discoveries, but basic human nature seems not to have changed one iota. The challenges that confront societies today are the same challenges that humanity has encountered for millennia.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog

"May You Live in Interesting Times" - Ralph Rugoff, the curator of Venice Biennale Arte 2019

Ralph Rugoff & Paolo Baratta - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) This morning the press in Venice had the opportunity to meet Ralph Rugoff, the curator of  next year's La Biennale 58th International Art Exhibition. Rugoff chose the intriguing title, "May You Live in Interesting Times," based on what he initially thought was an ancient Chinese curse. However, after he did some research, he learned that there never was any such ancient Chinese curse, even though Western politicians have made reference to it in speeches for over a hundred years. So, Biennale Arte 2019 is titled after a counterfeit curse -- false information repeated over the decades -- fitting for the times in which we live.

Honestly, the moment I read the press notes, I knew something was wrong. I thought the word "curse," which was in the second paragraph, had been mistranslated. The translator came over and assured me the translation was correct. If I had read through all the notes before reacting, I would have learned the story behind the title. Now that I know the story, I think it is a terrific choice for Biennale Arte 2019, and made Rugoff's decision to keep the title after knowing there was no such curse even more fascinating. 

Rugoff, an American based in London, is the Director of the Hayward Gallery, considered one of the leading public art galleries in the United Kingdom. He said that Paolo Baratta, the President of La Biennale, called him on the phone, and said, "This is Paolo Baratta. Do you know who I am?" and invited him to lunch in Rome. Rugoff said he was thrilled and excited, although he did not know exactly the reason for the invitation. They had an excellent lunch, and Rugoff found Baratta to be a "highly cultured, civilized man."

Rugoff said that he had attended Biennale Arte in the past, and found it exhausting -- there was enough art to see in two weeks, let alone two or three days. May You Live in Interesting Times aims to "welcome its public to an expansive experience of the deep involvement, absorption and creative learning that art makes possible. This will entail engaging visitors in a series of encounters that are essentially playful, taking into account that it is when we play that we are most fully 'human.'"

Ralph Rugoff & Paolo Baratta - Photo by Andrea Avezzù, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia

Rugoff is the very first UK-based curator to helm the exhibition, and the first American since Roger Storr in 2007. He didn't give details about which artists he would invite, but said he was committed to doing a great amount of research, to travel around the world and talk to artists."How much can I learn that I don't know now?" He said he was not going to appoint assistant curators, or have a committee, but invite artists based on recommendations of other artists. He said he trusted artists the most, and "every good curator is only as good as their network of artists."

I found Rugoff's energy to be friendly and engaging, an American whose demeanor has been enhanced by years of living abroad. He very much believes that art is a conversation. Hopefully, May You Live in Interesting Times will provoke some compelling dialogue. Who knows what interesting times we will be living in next May?

May You Live in Interesting Times, La Biennale di Venezia 58th International Art Exhibition will run from May 11 through November 24, 2019, with previews on May 8th, 9th and 10th. Go to La Biennale for more information.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog

Feast of Redentore 2018 in Venice - Correcting Some Misinformation

Redentore - fireworks in Venice 2018 - Photo: Cat Bauer

This post was updated in July, 2026.

(Venice, Italy) I was going to write the definitive Feast of Redentore Venice Blog post this year, but after conferring with the head Capuchin friar in Venice, he convinced me that everyone was too busy, and that it could wait. There are many errors floating around the Internet that need to be corrected, which, hopefully will be attended to in the near future. (However, since I am me, I couldn't resist correcting a few right now:-)

Pontoon bridge for Redentore 2018 - Photo: Cat Bauer

I am glad that a so-called Venice "insider" and "expert" has corrected their erroneous information to reflect that Redentore takes place on the third Sunday of July, not the third weekend, or third Saturday.

As I wrote back in 2016, in the year 2001. the first Sunday fell on July 1st -- as it did again this year. Hence, today, the third Sunday of July, was the Festa del Redentore, with the fireworks celebration starting the evening before, on the second Saturday.

Capuchin friars at Pesca di Beneficenza

The Capuchins are not monks. They are friars. What is the difference between a friar and a monk?

However, the out-of-town so-called Venice "insider" and "expert" continues to publish sloppy articles. The Capuchins, or the Ordine dei frati minori cappuccini, are not monks. They are friars. Monks live in a cloistered community. Friars are out and about, in service to society. For example, there are monks at San Giorgio Maggiore. There are friars at Redentore.

Detail of cross inside the Church of Redentore- Photo: Cat Bauer

Catholics believe in Miracles

You cannot be a saint unless you perform at least two miracles. That is a rule.We seem to forget that although an open, international town, Venice is a Catholic city inside a Catholic country -- after all, Italy, however secular it wants its image to be, is where the Pope has his headquarters. Yet Venice has always maintained its own unique form of Catholicism, with a deep connection to Byzantium. Venice has been excommunicated on more than one occasion by Rome.

The Senate of the Venetian Republic were big-time Catholics, in addition to being merchants, who truly believed that building a church to Jesus Christ the Redeemer would stop the plague. Which it did. This miracle is what Venice still celebrates 441 years later.

Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was not torn down to build Redentore

I have no idea where the out-of-town blogger who calls themselves a Venice "insider" got the idea that the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was torn down to build Redentore.  Reality is that the small Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli still stands to this very day adjacent to Palladio's grand masterpiece. I was there when my Venetian nipote was baptized inside the humble church used by the Capuchin friars for their own devotion. The date on the photo in Roman numerals is: MDXXXVI, which translates into Arabic numbers as: 1536. More about this church in the future.

Palladio did not lay the first stone. Giovanni Trevisan, Patriarch of Venice, laid the cornerstone for the Church of Redentore on May 3, 1577.

 
I repeat the correction I previously wrote back in 2016:

Such an important church would have had its cornerstone laid by the highest ecclesiastical authority in the Republic of Venice, the Patriarch of Venice, who, during the Republic, was always a Noble Venetian. Not by Palladio (more erroneous information that others have written) who, even though he was a genius, was not part of the aristocracy — although he did have the support of some very powerful members of the nobility. 

Winnings at Pesca di Beneficenza Redentore 2018 - Photo: Cat Bauer

What did I win in the Pesca di Beneficenza this year?

And now, most importantly: what did I win in the Pesca di Beneficenza, fishing for charity, or a lucky dip? I won some creme rinse, a useful sponge and, most peculiarly, a pencil emblazoned with the United States of America's Stars & Stripes.

Click on the link to read past posts about Redentore, which I have been writing about for decades:

Feast of Redentore 2017 in Venice - Same as it ever was

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog

#VeniceBooks - Two Terrific Historical Thrillers by Local Author Gregory Dowling

The Four Horsemen by Gregory Dowling

(Venice, Italy) Since my Venice blog readers are passionate about La Serenissima and all her intrigues, and appreciate history, art and culture -- and are very smart -- I have a couple of book recommendations that are right up your calle. The books are also great for people who simply are looking for a good read.

Venice's own Gregory Dowling has begun a series of historical thrillers starring Alvise Marangon, a likeable cicerone, or tour guide, who becomes a reluctant spy for Missier Grande, the chief of the secret service police during the Venetian Republic. Set in the 18th century, the books are compelling and addictive, and will transport you into deep into the inner world of Venice with all its mysteries and conspiracies. In fact, they are so good that I had to completely reassess my impression of Gregory Dowling.

I first met Gregory years ago when we were both writing for the Time Out Venice guide book. I would see him every so often around town, and thought he was a very British, rather conservative professor at Ca' Foscari University. So when I recently read Ascension, his first novel in the series, (published in 2015 -- I'm late to the game) I was surprised to find his entertaining style of writing more American than British, until I remembered that his specialty is American literature. But that still didn't explain the riveting premise of the book, or account for the intricate plot.

Ascension by Gregory Dowling

Amazon's description of Ascension:

"Venice in 1749 - the city has lost its political and financial primacy but has become Europe's pleasure capital, famous for its gambling dens, its courtesans, its hectic carnival, its music, art and theatre - and the most highly organised secret service in Europe."

Alvise Marangon, the protagonist, was born in Venice but raised in England by his actress mother. Alvise has returned to Venice and works as a tour guide mostly for young wealthy Brits on the Grand Tour, together with his sidekick Bepi, a gondolier, wise as only a gondolier can be. Alvise speaks perfect Venetian and English, an ingenious touch that allows Gregory plenty of freedom to be creative with his dialogue and witty observations.

Because Alvise is a cicerone, we are also privy to historical insights, told in an engaging way -- far more fascinating than reading a dreary guide book about Venice. Most of the locations are real and vividly drawn, so you can easily imagine yourself traveling around the city. And if you get lost, there is a period map on the inside cover so you can find your bearings. And because Gregory Dowling has a First Class Honours Degree in English Language and Literature from Christ Church, Oxford, the books are supremely intelligent page-turners. It's a tasty combination that I found irresistible. 

Gregory Dowling -  The Four Horsemen book launch at Hotel Saturnia - Photo: Cat Bauer

When I started reading the second novel of the series, I thought I had solved the mystery as to how Gregory had managed to write such brilliant books. In the foreword to The Four Horsemen, Gregory writes:

"After the publication of Alvise Marangon's adventures in Ascension a number of people asked me where I had come across this story. The answer, as so often in Venice, is in the archives. ...The archives contain all the reports drawn up by Venice's legions of confidential agents and spies. ... However, not all the files and folders have been scrutinised. I found on one shelf a folder that had been pushed to the back, bound with a leather strap that seemed never to have been loosened..."

"Ah, ha!" I thought. "Gregory did not think up the plots at all, he translated them!" Even translating ancient Venetian documents into a riveting story for contemporary readers was a feat in itself -- but the foreword was an explanation as to how this staid British professor had suddenly flipped and become so cool. However, I still had many questions: how did he manage to create such a likeable protagonist as Alvise Marangon from those dusty documents? And all those details? Just the amount of research he put into the books was boggling. I wanted to speak to Gregory to learn how he did it.

Amazon's description of The Four Horsemen:

"After reluctant spy Alvise Marangon is arrested in a tavern brawl, he is summoned to meet the Missier Grande, head of the city's powerful secret service. Rather than being expelled from the city, he is coerced into a top-secret investigation of the mysterious death of one of the service's agents and the existence of a mysterious secret society. Formed by four rakish noblemen, it is known as the Four Horsemen and dates back to the Ottoman Empire. As Alvise delves into the case, he finds all the hallmarks of assassination and corruption, and is soon profoundly out of his depth and on the run."

Luckily, in true Venetian synchronicity, Gregory and I both happened to attend Rosella Mammoli Zorzi's book launch of Wonder and Irony, a guide book of Palazzo Ducale told through the eyes of Henry James (Wonder) and Mark Twain (Irony) that was convened inside the Doge's private chapel. We entered through the grand Porta della Carta at about the same time. I dashed up to Gregory. "I just read your books. I borrowed them from (a mutual friend). I love them! I think they are brilliant! But, in the foreword of The Four Horsemen, you said you found documents in the Archives -- "

Gregory said, "Oh, I made that up."

I was astonished. "You invented the foreword, too? You mean you actually invented the plots, and the characters, and then you invented the foreword to explain it all? That is so clever!"

Gregory was grateful for the compliment, but also excited about going inside the Doge's private chapel, which had been long out of the public eye and recently restored. "Yes. Thank you! Isn't this great?" 

Doge's private chapel - Rosella Zorzi's book launch - Photo: Cat Bauer

I am revealing his secret, but I think it should be revealed because it underlines how very talented Gregory Dowling is. It seems I had the wrong impression of him. He's got that Oxford mind, but years of living in Venice have made him Venetian, capable of creating such a likeable narrator as Alvise Marangon, a narrator out of his depth yet still able to conquer whatever Venetian intrigues come his way. 

There are so many books set in Venice that just scrape the surface, written by people who only know the city superficially. Gregory Dowling's books are a genuine bridge between the inner sanctum of Venice and the outside world. I hope they will soon be translated into Italian so more Venetians can enjoy them, too. 

I cannot wait for the next Alvise Marangon historical thriller.

"Dowling teaches American literature at a university in Venice. It shows. Ascension blends a laconic, amused style informed by American detective literature with a profound knowledge of Venetian geography and history. Stylish, clever and gripping." The Times

"Alvise is a terrific character, the murder mystery is absorbingly ingenious and, if you are a sucker for Venice, the sights, sounds and smells of its streets and canals ooze up from the page." Daily Mail 

"Wonderful...I loved being transported to my favourite time in my favourite city." Andrea di Robilant

"A special thriller set in the Venetian past -- its colours and intrigues so vividly described." Francesco da Mosto

"A wonderful page-turner with a fabulous cast of characters." Historical Novels Society

Ciao from Venezia,
#VeniceBooks
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog

The Era of Fiorucci dawns in Venice at Ca' Pesaro - Featuring Venice's Own Photojournalist, Nally Bellati

Era of Fiorucci at Ca' Pesaro - Photo: Cat Bauer

 

(Venice, Italy) If you were alive in the 1960s and 70s, you will remember when the world burst from black and white into color, with Swinging London as the headquarters of the cultural revolution. Almost overnight, the gloomy post-war world seemed to disappear, and a kaleidoscope of art and music bounced along the wavelengths. There were the Beatles and miniskirts, and pop stars and supermodels, and bright, bold, groovy fashions streamed straight into your living room with the amazing new technology: color TV.

And in Italy, there was Elio Fiorucci, who transported Swinging London to Milan, and then Manhattan, which exploded into a global phenomenon. 

Epoca Fiorucci at Ca' Pesaro - Photo: Cat Bauer

The Era of Fiorucci at Ca' Pesaro celebrates the man who injected pop and playfulness into a time in Italy that was dark with domestic terrorism. Born on June 10, 1935 in Milan, Elio Fiorucci was the son of a shoeshop owner. He started designing bright rubber boots and selling them in stores around Milan. In 1967, he took a trip to London, and the idea for his fashion empire was born. Fiorucci would go on to define the look for generations of young people, and basically created the concept store.

Fiorucci revolutionized the jean industry after he saw a woman emerge from the sea at a party in Ibiza, wet jeans clinging to her body. He created stretch jeans, using Lycra to transform them into a sexy, seductive garment. The Fiorucci logo -- two cherubs "Made in Heaven" -- graced the derrieres of countless young women. Afghan coats, leopard prints and accessories in Day-Glo colors were classics of the brand. He invented gold lamé trousers and popularized the bikini, and believed everyone should have the freedom to express themselves.

In 1976, Fiorucci opened a global emporium on East 59th Street in New York, which became "the daytime Studio 54," attracting everyone who was anyone -- Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli, David Bowie, Truman Capote, Jackie Onassis, Andy Warhol, Madonna -- as well as artists and designers of all stripes. The legendary Maripol was designing jewelry; the performance artist Joey Arias was the lead salesman. Fiorucci was rock 'n roll, sexy and playful. It was a haven for the cool kids of the world.  

Nally Bellati at Epoca Fiorucci opening Ca' Pesaro - Photo: Cat Bauer

During the inauguration at Ca' Pesaro on Thursday, which was fittingly at the same time as the summer solstice, I had the opportunity to talk to Nally Bellati, Venice's own photojournalist, who worked with Fiorucci for ten years as a buyer/designer, starting back in 1968. Later, in 1978, encouraged by her husband, photographer Count Manfredi Bellati, Nally's first photographic works were social party portraits for Vogue Italia. Soon after, she scored her first feature for the men's fashion magazine, L’Uomo Vogue: portraits of famous men in their pajamas. She then went on to work with top fashion houses and design companies, and continues her passion today with her blog, Contessanally.

Nally Bellati at Epoca Fiorucci inauguration - Photo: Cat Bauer

Nally was there with Fiorucci in Milan in the beginning. She would accompany him on his shopping trips to Swinging London, her home town, and created some of the signature Fiorucci fashion statements. British born Nally had an English father and Italian mother, so she would translate for Fiorucci who didn't speak English, but communicated instead by instinct and intuition, the language of the heart.

"He was amazing! He was like a kid in a toy shop. We went to London and had no idea what we were doing. We were young and inexperienced. We bought everything retail, the clothes were so cheap, and stuffed them into those big military surplus sacks. Fiorucci had a friend who worked for Alitalia, and we shipped them back to Milan. Then he had them ironed out and put in the store for sale. He was fascinated by everything."

Epoca Fiorucci at Ca' Pesaro - Photo: Cat Bauer

The exhibition is chock full of hundreds of photographs, posters, clothes and fanciful objects, reconstructing the "market of ideas and things." Fiorucci's passion for art and contemporary architecture led to collaborations and inspirations with artists such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, and architects like Sottsass, Mendini, Branzi and De Lucchi.

In addition, his passion for art and contemporary architecture led him to mix with architects such as Sottsass, Mendini, Branzi and De Lucchi, who, like him, were major innovators, or artists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, from whom he did not request artworks but creative contributions in conceiving places, stories and events where the main role was played by the individual and his or her desires.

http://capesaro.visitmuve.it/en/mostre-en/mostre-in-corso-en/exhibition-epoca-fiorucci/2018/04/19713/the-exhibition-11/

In addition, his passion for art and contemporary architecture led him to mix with architects such as Sottsass, Mendini, Branzi and De Lucchi, who, like him, were major innovators, or artists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, from whom he did not request artworks but creative contributions in conceiving places, stories and events where the main role was played by the individual and his or her desires.

http://capesaro.visitmuve.it/en/mostre-en/mostre-in-corso-en/exhibition-epoca-fiorucci/2018/04/19713/the-exhibition-11/

In addition, his passion for art and contemporary architecture led him to mix with architects such as Sottsass, Mendini, Branzi and De Lucchi, who, like him, were major innovators, or artists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, from whom he did not request artworks but creative contributions in conceiving places, stories and events where the main role was played by the individual and his or her desires.

http://capesaro.visitmuve.it/en/mostre-en/mostre-in-corso-en/exhibition-epoca-fiorucci/2018/04/19713/the-exhibition-11

Elio Fiorucci died in 2015 at age 80, but his spirit lives on. Last year, on the 50th anniversary of the brand, longtime Fiorucci fans Stephen and Janie Schaffer announced they would resurrect the label, which has already inspired a whole new generation to wear two cherubs on their chest. So, who knows? Maybe the spirit of Fiorucci is the colorful revolution we need to once again brighten up the world.

Epoca Fiorucci opened to the public yesterday, June 23, at Ca' Pesaro, Venice's International Gallery of Modern Art and runs through January 6, 2019. Go to Ca' Pesaro for more information.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog

The Russians are Coming! Exploring "The Explorers, Part One" at the V-A-C Foundation in Venice

Water door of Palazzo delle Zattere - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) The V-A-C Foundation in Venice just keeps on getting better. Founded in Moscow in 2009 by Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson, the non-profit is named after his daughter, Victoria, an art history graduate. Under the directorship of the delightful Teresa Iarocci Mavica, who is Italian, its core mission is to overcome cultural divisions. It is a platform for open discussions, as well as the development and international presentation of Russian contemporary culture.

Personally, I think it's refreshing, and can get lost in there for hours. With all the drama about Russia influencing everything in the world today, visiting the V-A-C Foundation is an opportunity to see with your own eyes how the institution chooses to present itself, and draw your own conclusions.

Last year, V-A-C arrived with a flourish at their Venice headquarters inside Palazzo delle Zattere, which had been restored by Venetian architect Alessandro Pedron, turning the 19th century palace into a space for exhibitions, events and residencies. The palace faces an impressive view of the Giudecca Canal, and now the garden in the back has been transformed into a very cool eatery called "sudest 1401," enhanced by a new installation entitled "Laguna Viva."

Sudest 1401 - Photo: Cat Bauer

I first tasted Hamed Ahmadi's exotic food back in 2013, so I am thrilled that his Orient Experience, inspired by the dishes of refugees, has teamed up with V-A-C to create sudest 1401. Born in Afghanistan in 1981, Ahmadi and two colleagues came to Venice in 2006 to present a documentary at the Venice Film Festival. They received threats from extremists, and couldn't return to Afghanistan, so they sought political asylum in Venice. From a refugee camp on the mainland, Ahmadi decided to organize a festival, and the festival needed food, so the refugees came up with dishes inspired by their journeys. After many years and a lot of hard work, their efforts culminated in the first Orient Experience restaurant. You can read more about Hamed Ahmadi and his fascinating journey at Vice's Munchies.

Sudest 1401 features traditional regional dishes from the Balkans, the Middle East and Sicily, and honestly, I am reluctant to tell you about it for fear that it will become too crowded. The menu "narrates the geographical and cultural journey undertaken by migrants on their way to Italy." It is open every day from 8am to 11pm, and has indoor seating at the rear of Palazzo delle Zattere, as well as outdoor tables in the peaceful garden -- which brings us to Laguna Viva.

Giles Smith & Jane da Mosto of Laguna Viva - Photo: Cat Bauer

Laguna Viva (Living Lagoon) is the first stage of a long-term strategy to enable Palazzo delle Zattere to engage with the complexities of everyday life in Venice. V-A-C Foundation commissioned London based collective Assemble Studio to develop a project for the garden and indoor area where sudest 1401 is located. Assemble asked We Are Here Venice, an independent organization passionate about Venice's challenges as a living city, to collaborate. Based on the successful experiment by Venice resident and WAHV Executive Director Jane da Mosto for the British Pavilion at the 12th Architecture Biennale, Assemble and WAHV have created an enchanting mini lagoon, complete with salt marshes, in two tanks inside the garden. It is really remarkable -- you can have a special meal, surrounded by the tranquility of the Venice lagoon, while actually sitting inside the garden.

You can read more about the project at Slow Words.

And now for the main show, THE EXPLORERS, PART ONE.

Rite of Spring from Marlinsky Theatre clip - Photo: Cat Bauer

I have always been fascinated by the stories I've heard about the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring, commissioned by Serge Diaghilev for the 1913 Paris season of the Ballet Russes -- especially because both men are buried here in Venice on the island of San Michele. Choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, it is subtitled "Scenes from Pagan Russia in Two Parts," and famously caused a riot at its premiere, which has been called "the most important single moment in the history of 20th century music."

Nijinsky's original choreography was forgotten by 1920, and was only reconstructed by Millicent Hodson in 1987. It is that choreography performed by the Marlinsky Orchestra and Ballet in 2007 that you can see inside Palazzo della Zattere. I must have watched the two climaxes -- Dance of the Earth in Part 1 and Sacrificial Dance of the Chosen One in Part 2 about four or five times -- I was reading Igor Stravinsky by Jonathan Cross in the next room under the wry eye of Andy Warhol's Cow, and dashed over to see the film when the pounding music compelled me to put the book down. Can you imagine such an environment? It was paradise!

Cow by Andy Warhol (1966) - Photo: Cat Bauer

Two artists and a curator explore masterpieces from the V-A-C Collection in The Explorers, Part One. Lynnette Yiadom-Boakye is a painter; James Richards is a filmmaker; Iwona Blazwick is the Director of Whitechapel Gallery, where the show was first seen in 2014-15. So the artists, who are part of the V-A-C Collection, are curating installations based on other works they found in the V-A-C Collection, and the curator is curating the curators.

And it appears that the V-A-C Collection has a lot of treasures to explore. Yiadom-Boakye's theme is "nature -- natural and unnatural," which is where the Rite of Spring and Cow come in, as well as plenty of other goodies. Within that installation is another video that riveted me, the Estonian artist Jaan Toomik's Dancing with Dad.  Toomik lost his father at the age of nine. As an adult, he visits his father's grave inside an Estonian forest, and lets loose to the wild wail of Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix. I was moved to tears.

Dancing with Dad by Jaan Toomik (2003) - Photo of video clip by Cat Bauer

On the second floor, James Richards' installation revolves around a single Francis Bacon work, Study for a Portrait, which he augments with a sound installation, To Replace a Minute's Silence with a Minute's Applause. Iwona Blazwick complements that installation with works by the likes of Renoir, Cindy Sherman and Giacometti.

Study for a Portrait by Francis Bacon (1953) - Photo: Cat Bauer

The V-A-C Foundation is not the only foreign organization in Venice with a dazzling collection to display. We have the French represented by François Pinault with his Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana, and the United States with its Peggy Guggenheim Collection. One big difference about the V-A-C Foundation is that it is free. There is no charge to enter Palazzo delle Zattere, nor the garden, and the food at sudest 1401 is very reasonably priced. A standard ticket for Palazzo Grassi + Punta della Dogana costs €18; the Guggenheim costs €15. So you can drop into the V-A-C Foundation whenever you like; read a book; sit in the garden; or watch the Rite of Spring over and again.

THE EXPLORERS, PART ONE runs through October 22, 2018. Go to the V-A-C Foundation for more information.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog