Venice: The Golden Book

This beautiful picture book about Venice – with the subtitle All of the City and its Masterpieces - is published by the Italian publishing house Bonechi which specialises in picture books about famous places in Italy and around the world. It is a volume in the popular series called “The Golden Book.”

Books from Bonechi are published in several languages. I have used an English edition published a few years ago which has 128 pages.

Please note: in English this city is known as Venice, but the Italian name is Venezia.

Almost half of the 128 pages are devoted to Piazza San Marco, the adjoining Piazzetta, and the buildings surrounding these two squares, including:

** Basilica di San Marco

** The Clock Tower

** Procuratie Vecchie & Nuove

** The Campanile

** Sansovino’s Loggetta

** The Palace of the Doges

** The Bridge of Sighs (leading to the prison)

** Riva degli Schiavoni (the promenade east of the piazza with the famous Hotel Danieli)

These are some of the most famous and most impressive buildings in Venice. It is only fitting that they are given a prominent place in the book.

The four bronze horses, which are placed on the façade of the Basilica di San Marco, are modern copies (pages 15-16). Today the originals are placed inside the basilica to protect them from bad weather and pollution (page 26). The horses were transported from Constantinople to Venice following the fourth crusade in 1204. For more information about this please turn to The Horses of St. Mark’s by Charles Freeman.

The next section covers the Grand Canal and some of the palaces facing this canal as well as the famous bridge across it, Ponte Rialto.

At the end of the book there are two short sections, the first one about museums and galleries, the second about three small islands: Murano (famous for its glass factories), Burano and Torcello.

The book comes with a map of the city which you can take out. When folded out the map measures 62 x 42 cm. No scale is indicated, but the map is big enough to show individual buildings.

It is always good to have a map. But even when you have a map, you are probably going to get lost at least once when you are walking around in Venice. Getting lost in Venice is part of the charm of visiting the city. While you are lost, you will see something you did not plan to see, perhaps something interesting, perhaps something beautiful, perhaps both.

The text is clear and concise, as it should be in a picture book. There are 220 colour illustrations; all of them in high quality. Some pictures present the grand view, while others present a significant detail. Some pictures show the exterior of a building, while others show the interior. It is a pleasure to read the text and to study the pictures that go with the text.

All the highlights of Venice are here, including a brief history of the famous boat, the gondola, on page 105. I miss only two items, a small island and a small statue:

(1) Isola di San Michele, the Island of San Michele, located between the northern city line (Fondamenta Nuove) and the Island of Murano, is shown on the map, but it is not mentioned in the text, and there are no pictures from this place. This small island is the local cemetery, and therefore it is a very different place. Sadly, it is not covered in this book.

For more information about this place see my blog: The Island of San Michele

(2) The small porphyry statue of the four Roman emperors – known as the tetrarchs – is placed by the Porta della Carta, between the Basilica di San Marco and the Palace of the Doges. Like the four bronze horses mentioned above, this statue was transported from Constantinople to Venice following the fourth crusade in 1204. If you look closely at the picture on top of page 29 you can in fact see the statue. But in this picture it is very small, just 7 mm high, so it is almost invisible. Sadly, this charming statue is not mentioned in the text, and there is no separate picture of it.

The statue is mentioned in Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor by Paul Stephenson (pp. 92 and 198-199). There is a good picture of the statue in his book: illustration # 15.

Venice is an extraordinary place, there is almost nothing like it in the whole world. If you have never been there, you may still enjoy this book. The text gives you basic information, and the pictures are splendid. When you look at them, you may be able to understand why this city is visited by so many people every year.

If you have been there, I am sure you will appreciate this book as a valuable souvenir from one of the most fascinating places in the world.

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The Golden Book of Venice:

All of the City and its Masterpieces,

Bonechi, 1998, reprinted 2010, 128 pages

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For more information about this city see my blog:

 

Venice: Art and History

 

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Florence: The Golden Book

This beautiful picture book about Florence – with the subtitle All of the City and its Masterpieces - is published by the Italian publishing house Bonechi, which specialises in picture books about famous places in Italy and around the world. It is a volume in the series called “The Golden Book.”

Books from Bonechi are published in several languages. I have used an English edition published a few years ago, which has 128 pages.

Bonechi has published a more extensive book about Florence in the series “Art and History,” which has 192 pages: Florence: Art and History.

Please note: in English this city is known as Florence, but the Italian name is Firenze.

The book covers many buildings and many works of art. For reasons of space I can only mention a few of them here:

** The Cathedral with the Campanile and the Baptistery. A picture of this complex is placed on the front cover of the book in order to tell us that this complex is the prime symbol of the city.

** Piazza della Signoria with Palazzo Vecchio

** Loggia dei Lanzi, where you can see Cellini’s masterpiece, a bronze statue of Perseus (page 29)

** The Church of Santa Croce

** Galleria degli Uffizi, where you can see a large number of famous paintings. Let me mention five examples from this collection: “The Annunciation” by Leonardo da Vinci (page 58); “The Duke of Urbino” and “The Duchess of Urbino” both by Piero della Francesca (page 59); “Primavera” and “The Birth of Venus” both by Botticelli (page 61). A picture which shows a detail of Bottocelli’s “Primavera” is placed on the back cover of the book in order to tell us that this painting is an important symbol of the city.

** Ponte Vecchio (the oldest bridge over the River Arno)

** Galleria dell’Accademia, where you can see several works by Michelangelo. One of the most famous is his statue of David (pages 90-91)

** Palazzo Pitti & the Boboli Gardens (which are located on the western or southern side of the River Arno)

The text is clear and concise, as it should be in a picture book. There are many colour illustrations; all of them in high quality. Some pictures present the grand view, while others present a significant detail. Some pictures show the exterior of a building, while others show the interior. It is a pleasure to read the text and study the pictures.

All the highlights of Florence are here, including a brief section about Fiesole, the small town in the mountains above the city, which dates back to Etruscan and Roman times (pages 126-127).

Florence is the capital of the renaissance. If you have never been there, you may still enjoy this book. The text gives you basic information, and the pictures are splendid. When you look at them, you may be able to understand why this city is visited by so many people every year.

If you have been there, I am sure you will appreciate this book as a valuable souvenir from one of the many interesting cities in the north of Italy.

* * *

The Golden Book of Florence:

All of the City and its Masterpieces,

Bonechi, 1991, 1996, 128 pages

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Grado (1): The Cathedral

  

The cathedral of Grado or Basilica di S. Eufemia
was consecrated on 3 November 579 by Elias,
who was bishop of Grado 571-586.

 

 

The exterior of the cathedral; the southern wall.

The bell tower, 42.60 m high, is from the late Middle Ages, ca. 1400.

 

The interior of the cathedral seen from the entrance.
The church is ca. 35 m long and ca. 20 m wide.

The apse at the eastern end of the cathedral.

The ambo.

An ancient Corinthian capital from Aquileia is used as a font for holy water.

The floor (ca. 700 square meters) is covered with polychrome mosaics.
Geometric patters and inscriptions.

Detail of the mosaic floor.

Detail of the mosaic floor.

A capital with aquatic leaves. This type is known as Egyptian.

A capital which combines the Ionic and the Corinthian style.
This type is know as composite.

The interior of the church seen from the apse.

A small room next to the apse is known as the mausoleum.
The floor is covered with mosaics. Geometric patterns.

In the centre of the mosaic we can see the monogram of Elias,
who was bishop of Grado 571-586.

A small room next to the mausoleum is known as the salutatorium.
In this room we can see a copy of the so-called chair of San Marco.
The original chair was a gift from Emperor Heraclius (ca. 630).

The floor of the salutatorium is covered with polychrome mosaics. A large circle
encompasses eight smaller circles with votive inscriptions of ecclesiastic dignitaries and
complicated knots, which encompass a small circle, where you can see the monogram of Elias,
who was bishop in Grado 571-586. In each corner two birds face a cantharus.

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Go to the next installment:

Grado (2): The Baptistery

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Grado (2): The Baptistery

 

 

Campo dei Patriarchi with the column of the lost colonnade.

In the background you can see the baptistery, an octagonal building
with a small apse on the eastern side.

 

 

A triple cross is placed on top of the column.
The pedestal of the cross carries an inscription: "IO. PAULUS II P. P."
This is the Latin name of John Paul II, Pope 1978-2005.

 

 

The pedestal of the column carries a plaque with an inscription:

The cross of Grado's Patriarchate, 607-1451.

 

 

On the left the baptistery; on the right the cathedral.

 

 

 The courtyard of the baptistery.
On the left: some sarcophagi; on the right some tombstones.

  

 

 The sarcophagus of Titus Canius Restitutus and Memmia Nicena;
front and left side.

 

The sarcophagus; front and right side.

 

The front of the sarcophagus.
CIL 05 - 08353. Ubi Erat Lupa # 14742.

The Latin inscription:
Dis  Manibus // Tito CANIO RESTITUTO // ET MEMMIAE NICENI //
CONIUGIBUS QUI VIXERunt // IN SE SINE ULLA QUERELLa //
ANNIS XXIII DIEBUS XXX // FILII PARENTIBUS POSUERUNT.

In English:
To the spirits of the departed. To Titus Canius Restitutus and Memmia, daughter of Nicenus,
who lived together as husband and wife without any quarrels for 23 years and 30 days.
Their sons erected [this monument] for their parents.



Tombstone for Lucius Magius Lamyrus.
Ubi Erat Lupa # 14748.

The Latin text:
Lucio MAGIO // LAMYRO //
VALERIA TERTIA // CONIUGI PIENTISSIMO Viva Fecit.

In English:
"Valeria Tertia erected [this monument] while she was alive
for her faithful husband Lucius Magius Lamyrus."

Tombstone for Lucius Valerius Agathia.
Ubi Erat Lupa # 14747.

The Latin text:
Lucio VALERIO // AGATHIAE // VI VIR AQUILeiensi // VALERIA EUTYCHIA //
CONIUGi PIISSIMO Viva Fecit // ET VALERIO AGATOCLE //
ET VALERIO CRATO NEPotibus // ET VALERIAE MNESITHLAE Filiae //
ET Caio LUCRETIO SABINO Filio //
LIBertis LIBertabusQue POSTerisQue // EORum.

Tombstone for Gajus Mercusenus.
Ubi Erat Lupa # 14746.

The Latin text:
Caio MERCUSENO // SEXti FILIO Vivo // Caius MERCUSENUS //
SUASOR LIBertus Vivus Fecit // APPULEIAE mulieris Libertae // MYRTIDI //
Caio MERCUSENO FLORO Filio // CELADO LIBerto.

Inside the baptistery: the ceiling.

The interior of the baptistery with the rebuilt hexagonal font.

The hexagonal font.

Detail of the floor mosaic.

This painting on the wall shows a famous scene:
Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist.

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Go to the next installment:

Grado (3): The Lapidarium

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Grado (3): The Lapidarium

 

 

The entrance to the lapidarium, next to the cathedral.

 

 

The entrance to the lapidarium.

 

 

The lapidarium was established 1984-1985. 

   

 

The courtyard of the lapidarium behind the cathedral.

 

 

The first section of the lapidarium is devoted to epigraphic material,

i.e. stone blocks with inscriptions. Unfortunately,

some of them are only fragments.

 

 

Inscription (1)

 

The Latin text:

D M // M AUR SOSSIUS // V L IIII F //

V F S ET // JUL VALENT.

 

Without abbreviations:

Dis Manibus // Marcus Aurelius Sossius //

veteranus legionis IIII Flaviae // vivus fecit sibi et // Juliae Valentina.

 

In English:

"To the spirits of the departed. Marcus Aurelius Sossius, a veteran from legio IV Flavia,
erected [this monument] for himself and for [his wife] Julia Valentina."

CIL 05 - 00899. ILS # 2343. Ubi Erat Lupa # 18959.

 

 

Inscription (2)

The Latin text:
AQUILEIENSI // [MEN]S[IUM] XI DIERUM XII //
[...]STUS IIII VIR [ET E]UTYCHIA // [PARENTES I]NFELICISSIMI.

In English:
"The unfortunate parents, Justus, a member of the six-man college, and his wife Eutychia,
[erected this monument] for their child from Aquileia, who lived eleven months and twelve days."

Ubi Erat Lupa # 18949.

Inscription (3) Unfortunately, the left side of the tombstone is lost.

The Latin text:
[MEMORIAE] PERPETUAE // EUTYCHES //
V[IVUS] F[ECIT] SIB[I] ET // [EU]PLIAE //
[CONIU]GI // [PIIS]SIMAE.

In English:
"To the eternal memory. Eutyches erected [this monument] while he was alive
for himself and for his faithful wife Euplia."

Ubi Erat Lupa # 18957.

Inscription (4) Unfortunately, the bottom left corner of this tombstone is lost.

The Latin text:
AURELIA EUSTOCIA // VIXIT ANNOS II MENSES X //
DIES XVIII CUIUS PATER // KORPUS SAEPULTURAE TRADIDI //
T NATA EST DIE VENERIS // [ORA XI] EO DIE DEFUNCTA EST //
[ORA SECU]NDA DIE VENER[IS]...

CIL 05 - 01634. Ubi Erat Lupa # 18952.

 

The second section of the lapidarium is devoted to decorations,
i.e stone blocks with geometric patterns and figures of animals.

 

 

Decoration (1) - A geometric pattern.

 

 

Decoration (2) - Another geometric pattern.

 

 

Decoration (3) - Leaves of a plant.

 

 

 Decoration (4)
In the upper register: a bird flanked by two wheels.
In the lower register: two patterns and a bird.

 

 

 Detail of decoration (4) - The wheel.

 

 

Detail of decoration (4) - The bird.

 

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Go to the next installment:

Grado (4): Parco delle Rose

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