The legendary birth of Venice...
As the
legend has it, and we frequently mention it during
our guided tours, Venice was founded
on March 25th, 421 A.D. The archaeological finds have by now proved that this is not correct. However, this legend has become
so important over the centuries that it is now part of the identity of
Venice itself.
The Annunciation
On March 25th the Catholic Church celebrates the
Day of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, that is the moment when the Archangel Gabriel told her she would become the Mother of Christ. This means that
Venice was legendarily born under the sign of the Mother of God, which makes the city as holy as Mary herself.
Several
painters and sculptors over the centuries have donated us marvelous images of the Annunciation in different places of our city.
The Annunciation in Painting
Among those painters that represented this theme we really have to mention
Giovanni Bellini, whose Annunciation, painted for the organ doors of Santa Maria dei Miracoli Church, is now preserved at the
Accademia Galleries. So beautiful are the coffered ceiling, the veins of the marble panels on the walls, the peculiar floor:
everything is projected to create a perfect perspective which leads the viewer’s eye towards the landscape that appears behind the open window.
In this masterpiece, full of luminous, intense and vibrant colors, cultural influences from Northern Europe are quite evident: from a single painting we can understand that
Venice was an important center where one could find different cultures as well as different goods.
Annunciation, Giovanni Bellini (Accademia Galleries)
We really like also the Annunciation that
Titian painted when he was already quite old. As the Angel speaks, the
divine light bursts in the background. The Archangel Gabriel crosses his arms on his chest, which, from an iconographic point of view, is normally the Virgin Mary’s attitude.
Mary lifts her veil from her face, possibly to enjoy the divine light and to accept with no fear the Angel’s message.
Ignis ardens non comburens (i.e. fire which blazes but does not burn): these words, which stand for
Mary’s Virginity, are written on the step right under the glass vase with red flowers.
Annunciation, Titian (Church of San Salvador)
And what can we say about this famous Annunciation by
Jacopo Tintoretto? The environment is
evocative and symbolic. The Angel seems to break in all of a sudden: he literally
invades the room, so luminous in his shining white clothes.
Young Mary appeares to be quite frightened: she abruptly turns, with an expression that clearly shows her feelings… too bad the famous English critic John Ruskin did not like this particular Holy Mary a lot…
Annunciation, Jacopo Tintoretto (Scuola Grande di San Rocco)
The Annunciation in Sculpture
Sculptors, as well, have left interesting examples of Annunciations in our city. The one carved by the Lombardos for the church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, for instance, is really beautiful and sweet.
We find a relevant Annunciation also on the
façade of St. Mark’s Basilica (which was the Doges’ chapel in the past), at the corners of the Gothic decoration on top.
St. Mark’s Basilica
The Archangel Gabriel and the Holy Mary at the corners of St. Mark’s Basilica
However, this religious theme can be found not only in churches, but
also in civil architecture.In fact, we can admire two bas-reliefs, representing the Angel on one side and the Virgin Mary on the other, at the basis of the
Rialto Bridge, which is
one of the most relevant symbols of our city, today as well as in the past. The presence of the Annunciation on this spot underlines once again the idea of the
special birth of Venice.
The Rialto Bridge
The Annunciation at the footsteps of the Rialto Bridge
In
St. Mark’s Square, the political heart of Venice, there is a marvelous
Archangel Gabriel at the corner of the
Doges’ Palace, facing the Basilica, which was for centuries, as already mentioned,
the State chapel of the Republic. Gabriel turns his eyes towards the Basilica, which becomes a metaphor for the Virgin Mary as well as for Venice itself.
Archangel Gabriel, corner of the Doges’ Palace
To seal
the identification of Venice with the Mother of God, on top of
St. Mark’s Bell Tower we find one more Archangel Gabriel. This sculpture works as a
weathercock, turning as the wind blows. And
no matter which direction it turns, it will face his Holy Mary: wherever he looks,
he will always see Venice.
The Archangel Gabriel on top of St. Mark’s Bell Tower
1600 Years Old: Happy Birthday, Venice!
This year we celebrate the
1600th Birthday of Venice!For this important event
we have projected some special guided tours that will allow us to trace back all these 1600 years of history, both in those sites that have become the symbols of the wealth and the
power of Venice (
St. Mark’s Square, Rialto, the Shipyard), and in
more popular and hidden corners. After all, all the citizens cooperated for Venice to become such
a great Republic!Come and meet us in Venice! Ciao! #1600venezia
Contacts:
info@guidedtoursinvenice.comYou might be interested also in the following posts and videos:Have you ever seen Venice from above? The best of Venice: what to seeCelebrating March 8th in Venice The beauty of Venice from the bell tower of St. George island
