Tag: Venice

The palace garden, Venice

Cindy at enclos*ure2 Comments

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A variation on the same theme. . . in Venice, at Christmas, our hotel also had an unusually large garden.

The Boscolo Venezia was built in the 16th century as a family palace.  It  is located in the Sestiere Cannaregio, between the Fondamenta de la Madonna dell’Orto and the lagoon, facing the island of Murano.

It claims to be the only hotel in Venice with a garden over 2,000 square meters.

Long and fairly narrow with winding paths of light grey pea gravel, the garden is heavily planted in trees and large, dark-leaved shrubs (and variegated Aucuba japonica). Berms down the sides and crossing the middle increase the sense of privacy, restrict a sense of the whole, and make the garden seem larger.

Click on any thumbnail in the gallery below to scroll through larger images.

Entering the garden from the lobby.
The back facade of the hotel.
Overlooked by the tower of Madonna dell’Orto.
The main path is cushioned by a carpet — easier on shoes and rolling suitcases.
Aucuba japonica.
Hydrangea paniculata.
A path to the top of a berm.
A “ruin” at the top.
The little bridge between berms.
An old stone trough from above.
A tunnel through a berm.
The garden wall at the top of a berm.
A Madonna dell’Orto or Madonna of the garden.
The grotto beneath a berm.
There’s an incredible echo down there.
The back of the garden.
Dancing lights.
The garden lights.
There are several more rooms on the lagoon side.
The hotel’s dock.

The Sunday porch: Piazza San Marco

Cindy at enclos*ure4 Comments

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

On Monday. . . running a little late this week.

We spent December 23 to 27 in Venice, Italy. The photos above show the arcades along Piazzetta di San Marco and Piazza San Marco on Christmas and on Boxing Day (in fog).

The current colonnaded buildings enclosing the square on three sides (and the west side of the Piazzetta) were built in the 16th century.  Their arcades front a number of coffee houses, including two of the oldest and most famous in Italy: Florian (1720) and Gran Caffè Quadri (1775).

Of course, we had due caffè espresso at Florian, which was easily possible because tourists are far fewer during Christmas week. The coffees were €6.50 each, but they were very good (and there was a cookie and water).

(The water carafe was adorable, and I now regret that I didn’t buy one and hold it on my lap on the plane.  I’m very tempted to order it from their website. Also, check out the wonderful terrazzo floor at their entrance here; I forgot to take a photo of it.)

To scroll through more (and larger) images, click on ‘Continue reading’ and on any thumbnail in the gallery.

Continue reading “The Sunday porch: Piazza San Marco” →