is where the people lived who were driven off the mainland by the Visigoths who first invaded the Roman Empire in the 4th century. They built the church you see there with the square tower. There were thirty thousand people who lived here once. They built the church to honor their god and to worship him. Then, after they had built it, the mouth of the Sile River silted up, and all the land we came through, just now, was flooded. The flooding started to breed mosquitoes and they brought Malaria with them. The civilians all started to die since there was no cure. The elders got together and decided they should pull out to a healthy place, which would be defensible by boat and were the Visigoths, the Lombard’s and other bandits couldn’t get at them. They knew the sea bandits had no sea knowledge or the power of the sea. The Torricelli’s were aggressive sailors, so they took the stones from their homes and built Venice, a city on a canal.
DeNeri just said, “Imagine.”
“Am I boring you DeNeri?” I asked.
“No, sir, I had no idea of the history.”
“The men, women and children of Torricelli, were very salty people and they had this marvelous vision, a great taste for design and construction. They had come from a small coastal village called Carole. They were fishermen and they drew commerce from the little adjoining towns and the farms, which had been over-run. The boys from Torricelli were running guns into Alexandria. These same people discovered the body of St. Mark (for whom the great square is named) and smuggled it out under a load of fresh pork to keep the infidel Muslim customs agent wouldn’t check them. You know how insane the Muslims are about pork? This kid outwitted them and brought the body of St. Mark to Venice, and St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice to this day. Just like St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and now, just less than 100 feet from the Bridge of Sighs there is a major Basilica in the giant square to honor him. One of the most significant images can be seen all along the edge of the roof of the Basilica of San Marco, overlooking one of the most unique and eclectic cities in the world. It is a marble salon, the city center for centuries. Next to both the Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, all the most important religious and civil ceremonies have always been held there displaying priceless art. Now the Piazza of San Marco is considered the city’s main symbol and tourist come by the thousand to admire the marble horses, which appear to be protecting the square and the Basilica. At the other end of the Piazza San Marcos stand the red marble lions as further protection for the Piazza.
“These people never designed or built anything more sacred than at the start of the revolution, because these were inspired people."
“This is a very inspired portrait you have painted, and one I look forward to witnessing for myself.” DeNeri said in an unconvincing tone.
“In the Piazza San Marco there are thousands of pigeons were the great Basilica faces the square, they come and walk among the tourist, just waiting for someone to drop a peanut or popcorn.”
“I suppose with all the movement it must appear the ground is moving?”
“Right you are DeNeri, if it’s the way you look at it. Now if you look beyond Torricelli you will see the lovely Campanile’ on the Burano, it has nearly as much list on it as does the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Burano is a very over-populated little island were the local women sew beautiful lace, which is used for veils for the heads of women in the Basilica, and the men make bambinas, and work in the daytime blowing glass on the island of Moreno. They make wonderful glass figures as you watch at the factories. Do you see it? Then they come home on the little Vaporetto and there they drink wine, make love and make those beautiful Italian children.”
But no one passes all the night with wives and lovers, they have a passion for hunting ducks at night with big punt guns out along the edge of the marches on this lagoon which you are looking on now. All night long, on a moonlight night, you can hear them opening up on the ducks ... always have one thing on their minds…sleep.”
“On out there DeNeri, when you look past Moreno, you see Venice, it’s my town. There is plenty more I could show you, but I think we should get on along. Just take one last look at it; this is the place were you can see how it all came together…a spot were few people come.”
“It’s a beautiful sight, sir…and thank you for sharing your special insight. It is an experience I will never forget, sir”
“Ok, then,” I said. “Let’s get it while the get’n is good.”
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