Veniceblog

The most dysfunctional doorway in Venice

Such a beautiful loser. I often go back to the Rio Ponte Longo, right by the bridge, to marvel at the portal that disrespects the physical laws of the universe. Each time, I kind of expect to discover a gaping hole, or worse a clump of chalky brick chunks where a house once stood.

Yet the double diamond doorway hangs in there, and will no doubt still be around when they scatter my ashes in the Molo.

Take a closer look.

The door has been bricked up at the bottom for many years, so it serves no real function any longer. Since the lagoon has risen and the ground has subsided over the centuries, the steps are often below water level. So there's no real choice but to dam up the hole, unless the plan is to convert to a boathouse.

My favorite features are the symmetrical marble diamonds, though I wonder what the design concept originally was. Somehow I doubt the diamonds were just filled with bricks. Maybe the bricks were coated with decorative stucco or something. You can see a bit of plaster on the column and diamond. Is there a forensic architect out there?

Those are some impressive-looking holes there. And the bricks are in a serious state of gessification (essentially, turning into chalk).

Water is entering the building's foundation between the bricks, where the mortar has been eaten away. You can literally watch the water pouring in and out of the wall as the canale heaves and sloshes. Bear in mind, this wasn't even close to high tide. In this shot, you can also see how the wall is wicking up the juice, well above the waterline. As Chico Marx would say, "Atsa no good, too".

Breaking news: two Venetian restaurants open in Venice

In what is considered a stunning blow to mask stores, burger chains, and sellers of tiny glass gondola-shaped candle holders, two new Osterias that serve "typical Venetian food" have actually opened their doors in Venice. In a city with a locally owned retail base that is crumbling faster than than the stucco on a 14th-century palazzo, this is a Big Deal. It was a top story Il Gazzettino this week.

The first restaurant, with hard-to-miss ironic symbolism, replaces a large Internet cafe in Campo Santo Stefano. It's  called Doge Morosini, and it's run by a twenty-something named Giacomo Donato, from a Calabrian family that has another nearby restaurant close to Calle della Mandole, called Feluca. That a large Internet cafe has been shuttered in Venice vindicates my wife, who decisively scuttled my scheme to open one there in 1999. 

The other restaurant, "A Sconte",  tucked in an alley close to Salizada San Lio, is named after a Venetian kids' game called "pe sconte". This sixty-seater is aimed squarely at the local Venetians, with lots of traditional recipes, particularly the fishy ones. 

Cool ship models

Between the Frari and the Rialto, at San Polo 2681, there's a cool little store that features scale models and model kits of Venetian boats. The proprietor is an interesting guy named Gilberto Penzo. He sells his wares online at veniceboats.com.

This is a HDR photo of his shop window one 500 degree evening in July. I zoomed in so you could see details. Click on the pix for a little enlargement. Enjoy.