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Places with stories to tell in Venice, ItalyVenice is well known as being a popular and attractive destination. The canals, gondola rides, food and the famous Carnival of Venice attract visitors from all over the world. Venice also has some sites with fascinating stories behind them and we will explore some of them in this article.
When staying in the perfect holiday home in Venice through Italian Breaks, take time out during your holiday to visit some of these less known attractions in the city. Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of the Fists)Straddling the Rio di San Barnaba in Dorsoduro, the Ponte dei Pugni might at first glance look very ordinary. However it was here Venetians launched epic fist fights from around 1600.
Between September and Christmas every year, rival Venetian clans would gather on several small bridges in the city to fight, with the aim being to knock their opponent into the dirty and cold canal below. Ponte dei Pugni was one of the bridges involved in this unusual fight, right up until September 29, 1705. However,
the fist fight turned more violent, with roof tiles thrown and eventually
even knives were pulled by the participants. This led to the practice being
stopped, but it is still possible to see four clear, white marble footprints
on the bridge to mark the former events. Other popular bridges used for
the fist fights are the Ponte della Guerra and the Diedo Bridge.
Giant Hands of the Grand Canal, VeniceThis next attraction is far more modern and was only installed quite recently. While the city’s walls have been around since the 14th Century, Venice is facing a modern threat due to climate change and global warming. Scientists believe the Mediterranean Sea could rise by at least five feet by the end of this century – should this continue, the city could likely be completely submerged by the year 2100.
As noted by Atlas Obscura, artist Lorenzo Quinn (actor Antony Quinn’s son) created the installation, which he named “Support.” The hands are perfectly finished with fingernails, creases and other details and seem to be supporting the historic hotel in the image above from falling into the water. His inference is to symbolize the threat of climate change on the city of Venice, but also to show mankind does have the power to stop this. As this is a temporary art installation, enjoy a tour of the giant hands in the video below. San Giorgio in Alga (St. George in the Seaweed)San Giorgio in Alga is an island off the Venice shore, which oddly translates in English to “St. George in the Seaweed.” The island has a checkered past and was first inhabited in around 1000 CE when humans built a Benedictine Monastery on the island. Since then several monasteries have continued to occupy the island, the ruins of which remain. However in the early 13th century, the island was abandoned. In the 1700s disaster struck the island after a fire did massive damage to the structures
Around
1799, the island was militarized and became a political prison. Many residents
of Venice who were against the government soon found themselves out on
the island. In WW1, bunkers were built on the island, which was used by
the Nazis as a secret training base for their divers, where they could
learn the art of placing underwater mines. By the end of WW1, the island
was once again abandoned. Anyone fascinated by old ruins can visit the
remains of the monasteries and military structures on the island.
Enjoy your holiday in romantic and beautiful Venice, while discovering all the interesting and lesser known sights of the Italian city. Read more Italian stories in our blog.
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