Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Venice: I Wonder What This Place Looked Like Before Tourism Existed

Venice was truly beautiful but I couldn't help but wonder what Venice was like before it turned into a tourist Ivory Tower. The city is very old and beautiful and a wonder to get lost amongst the crowds of people buying mascarade masks, eating gelato and arguing over an opened map. Amongst the 8.50 Euro cups of coffee and 4 hour lines to see the inside of the cathedral, there are some historically fascinating things to see in Venice.

The most memorable part of my visit to Venice was the Jewish Ghetto. This was the place where the word Ghetto comes from. It was the first one and there is still an active Jewish community living in this small enclosed area within the center of Venice. There is a museum that gives you a bit of history of Judaism in Europe and the history of the Ghetto.

On our second full day in Venice my dad and I walked through the Doge's Palace. This is a huge ancient palace right in the heart of Venice. It is a beautiful palace and you are able to walk through an old jail located deep within the palace. They also have an armory displaying all the different weapons that were used throughout the generations that this palace was home to the supreme authority of Venice. After walking through the prison and armory I no longer was so curious as to what Venice looked like before tourism existed.