After almost 7 lucky years spent living in Florence, I know where to find the blossoms of spring! This weekend everything was spectacularly pink and blue. Enjoy the blossoms! None of them had much of a scent.

Above, the Giardino dell’ Orticultura never disappoints and the magnolia tree in Piazza Beccaria is always a sight to behold!

Looking down is almost as rewarding as looking up!

The wisteria vine on the passerella near my home is getting closer to budding.

I’ve written a couple of posts already about the Accademia. The wonders continue. The setting is every bit as luxe as the portable artworks housed within!

Look at the inlaid marble floor and the gorgeous ceiling!

Let’s take a closer look at the ceiling:

A closer look at the pavement:

Oh, yeah, and then there are the movable artworks!

In this very room, in 1824, the Italian neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova was commemorated. Please see my earlier post on Canova’s works in the Accademia.

There is still more to post about the Accademia! See you here again soon! Arrividerci!

Upon entering the Accademia, you walk right up to major works by important Venetian painters.

Tiepolo:

Veronese:

But:

One of the main reasons I wanted to spend time in the Accademia on this particular visit to Venice was to pay homage to the great decorative ensemble that is housed within, having originally been a major feature of the Sala the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Carità. This Scuola Grande was just one of several major confraternities that were quintessential aspects of historic Venice.

The importance and details of this incredibly important institution in Venice is way beyond the scope of my post. Let’s just say this: After the fall of the Republic, the Santa Maria della Carità complex became the property of the state and then, in 1807, was designated as the site of the Accademia di belle arti, or Academy of fine arts, and its gallery following an edict by Napoleon.

Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Carità – Campo della Carità, Dorsoduro 1050 – Venice

Here are my pictures of the incredible Sala dell’ Albergo:

A landmark, a pleasure to see.

Below, not strictly related, but in the same vein:

Even Napoleon was impressed with this space, calling it “the world’s most beautiful drawing room.” Indeed. It still stuns with its beauty!

Piazza San Marco, known in English as St Mark’s Square, is the principal public square of Venice, where it is generally known just as la Piazza (the Square). All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called campi (fields). The Piazzetta (little square) is an extension of the Piazza towards San Marco basin in its south east corner. The two spaces together form the social, religious and political centre of Venice and are commonly considered together.

And then, of course, there’s Florians. Gallons of ink have already been spilled on the subject of this delightful relic of old Venice, so I will just show you a couple of pictures to refresh your memory!

Below is one of my favorite art works in the whole wide world: the figures carved in porphyry. The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs is a sculptural group of four Roman emperors dating from around 300 AD. The group has been fixed to a corner of the façade of St Mark’s Basilica since the Middle Ages. It probably formed part of the decorations of the Philadelphion in Constantinople, and was removed to Venice in 1204 or soon after.

And, now, arrividerci to the piazza, until we meet again!

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On a recent visit to Venice, I spent a good deal of time in the remarkable basilica of San Marco. This historic, beautiful church requires time and attention to truly have any sense of appreciation. The first time I was in this august locale, it was summer…hot as blazes and the church (and city) were filled with tourists. The visit of the church was not an enjoyable experience, despite its beauty and history.

This last visit was completely different. It was a very sunny weekday afternoon in February, with the temperatures warm for February but completely enjoyable with a coat. A perfect day for a perfect church visit.

And, to gild the lily, I was one of about 15 people in the entire church. Travel in winter, all you art lovers out there. It is the only way!

The scenes in these pictures are arranged in the order in which I saw them. My eye is always attracted left, right and center, up, down and backwards, no matter what I am focusing on. I sometimes feel like Emerson’s transparent eyeball. I see a lot.

But, you are welcome to enjoy my photos of this church as I saw it. I took in everything available that day, the separate altarpiece and the walk along the terrace outside on the front exterior. It was exhilarating.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and so my recent visit to Venice did as well.

I hopped on board the vaporetto #1 from Piazza San Marco, headed to the other end of the Grand Canal, to the stazione. There I’d find my train bound for Florence on a late Friday afternoon. I’d be home, safe and snug in my apartment, by 6 pm. Love that about Italy. It’s so compact! Filled with treasures at every turn.

Here were the sights (and some sounds) along the way.

Above, gliding under the Ponte dell’Accademia.

Below, even the poles outside this august building are highly decorated with golden relief sculptures of the lion, symbol of the city.

Fare thee well, fair Venezia! Alla prossima!