Gram's Birthday in Venice by Gram

We got up pretty earlly today so that we could get to the Doge Palace before the crowds got heavy. After a quick breakfast of fresh fruit, we hopped on the vaporetto to San Marco. Truly there was nto a line yet.

Doge means "duke" ; this ducal palace, built in 810, was the home of Venice dukes until the mid 1500s. Designed to show off the power and wealth of the republic, it is typical Venetian Gothic style on the bottom, but the top is kind of Islamic looking. From the Courtyard, visitors to the Doge climbed the grand staircase to the palace. We tromped up the Golden Staircase to the state apartments with richly carved ceilings, maps,and many paintings by Tintoretto, Titian, Donatello, and others. Papa says the government was a "democratic dictatorship." Cathy says, "No way, shape or form was there anything democratic about it; it was all about blood lines." The Council of 10 were the big honchos and they doled out the punishment. The became secretive like the CIA. Gradually they became the biggest power. The Senators, annually elected, ruled along with the Council of 10, the Doge, and the Grand Council. We saw an awful but enormous display of military weapons of the time. The Bridge of Sighs led to the prisons which seemed to go on forever -- most depressing.

After lunch, we wnet to La Chiesa dei Frari, a church built by Franciscan brothers, that was eclectic, combining art and architecture from multiple periods and styles. My favorite here included the high altar and Titian's piece, the Assumption of Mary.

Time for gelato. We ambled through the market on the way to the Realto Bridge -- the fruit looked wonderful. We bought T-shirts for the grandkids (Cole, Jake, and Emma); the girls bought some gifts for friends and they also bought some awful yet wonderful marshmallow-like stuff to eat. A perfect end to our trip to Venice. On to the Dolomites -- demani!