What a Relief

We hoofed it back to San Marco for a dry day in the Piazza. Our first stop was Rialto to see the open market while it was bustling. It's a short walk from Rialto to San Marco. There was a little early drizzle, but today we could appreciate how ornate the outside of the basilica was without scuba gear.

The basilica is covered in relief, which tell several stories, including the death of San Marco and the recovery of his body in Egypt by covering it in pork to get it past the Muslims. The telling of story in relief is very common around the world. It allows the illiterate to "read" the tale. At about the same time that Basilica San Macro was being built, Angkor Wat was under construction in Cambodia, and it also was covered in relief. Both are worth taking some time to stop and stare.

Next to the basilica is the Doge Palace. For a thousand years, this was the seat of power in Venice. The Doge was typically an elderly man chosen by the ruling class. (Venice was an oligarchy.) The Doge held the position for life, and required permission to leave the city. So in a weird way, the Doge was a prisoner, a very rich prisoner. There's poetry here because the prison is next door and is connected to the palace by the Bridge of Sighs. The Doge's cell was much nicer.

The palace is the best museum in Venice. It is well preserved and is a Venetian civics lesson. Turns out there were councils who handled the courts and appointments in addition to the power the Doge wielded. There was a Great Council which amongst other powers appointed the Council of Ten who fought corruption. There were also Senators, the Minor Council, and the Quarantia. Most of this government was in place to be a check against all the other parts of the government. Corruption was feared. On a monthly basis, two of the members of the Council of Ten were confined to the palace to prevent bribery of the Doge.

The palace also served as the "home court" when the Doge received foreign ambassadors, and so it is very ornate and drips wealth. There is a small admission. But considering how expensive Venice is, the palace is a bargain.