"Short Dictionary of Toponyms" (I&V) and other Venice, Italy Local Custom Tips

There are some Venetian words and symbols that are recurrent in the toponyms of the city, such as Rio, Rio Tera, Calle, Salizzada, Ramo, Ruga, Fondamenta, Lista, Piscina… The most of this very useful "Short Dictionary of Toponyms" is taken from "The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese" by Guido Fuga and Lele Vianello.

Calle – a street that is long rather than wide.
Campiello – a tiny square.
Campo – a square.
Corte – a courtyard.
Fondamenta – a street beside a canal and seeing also as the foundation for the buildings on the street. Another name for fondamenta is "riva".
Lista – this name was used to indicate the nearabouts of the palace where a foreign ambassador resided. As in the case of ancient asylums, the area concerned granted immunity to all offenders.
Piscina – these were ponds originally used as bathing premises and later tilled in.
Ramo – a little side street branching off from a main street.
Rio – a small canal; some still bear maces of the shutting device chat was used to prevent nocturnal transit.
Rio Tera – a street which results from time filling-in of a canal.
Riva – same as fondamenta: a street beside a canal and seeing also as the foundation for the buildings on the street.
Ruga – a street that is lined on both sides with shops and residences.
Salizzada – this name was used for the wider streets and also for the first paved streets.
Sotoportego – a street passing under a building.

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"Festa del Redentore – Festival of the Redeemer is annual celebration of the end of the plague that struck a large part of Europe in the 16th century, causing more than 50000 deaths in Venice. In 1576 Doge Alvise Mocenigo invoked the end of the epidemic and the salvation of the city by constructing a votive temple 'which successors will go and visit, in perpetual memory of the grace received'. The first stone of the new shrine was laid in May 1577, and on the third Sunday in July of the same year Doge Sebastiano Venier proclaimed Venice free of contagion and asked Andrea Paladio to design the church which was completed in 1593. Meanwhile a provisional altar was set up and a bridge composed of 80 galleys side by side was put together, connecting Zattere with Redentore church quayside so that the procession led by the Doge could reach the church for solemn celebrations.

Nowadays Venetians celebrate by having traditional food in boats in St Mark's basin while they wait for the firework display to begin. When it finishes, the boats wend their way towards Lido to wait for sunrise."

Festa del Redentore is held on the third Saturday and Sunday in July. During Redentore night 333 m long pontoon bridge of barges connects Guidecca and Veice.

In the summer of 2007 Festa del Redentore came to us as a surprise. Being the budget travelers, we use to sleep in Lido di Jesolo (and spend 12-13 hours a day in Venice); a receptionist of our hotel have told us about the Festival and that we should not miss it (thank him), so we "have taken a risk" to spend the whole night in Venice, although we have had to leave the hotel room early in the morning (it turned to be approximately 20 minutes after we have arrived from the Festival). But our decision was the wright one, and our only (so far) Festa del Redentore is something we'll not forget!

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Palazzo Dario is a palace on the Grand Canal, in the Dorsoduro sestriere of Venice, between Santa Maria della Salute and Ca'Venier dei Leoni. It is one of the most beautiful and the most exotic palaces in Venice. It is often compared to Ca d'Oro and Chiesa dei Miracoli, for the good reason – it was designed by a follower of Pietro Lombardo, in the floral Venetian Gothic style. The facade is entirely encased with marble and decorated with the round incrustations in the right wing. A neo-Gothic balcony in the second floor was added in the 19th century. The high chimneys, among the few conserved examples in Venice, are of special note.

Palazzo Dario was erected in late 15th century for Giovanni Dario, the Secretary of the Venetian Senate, a rich merchant and a respected diplomat who served Venice well – he had even successfully negotiated a peace treaty in 1479 between Venice and Sultan Mehmet II. After the death of Giovanni Dario in 1494, the palace passed to his son in law Vincenzo Barbaro, who had married Dario's daughter Marietta in 1492 or 1493. It remained property of Barbaro family until the 19th century.

But the palace is not widely known for its beauty, the architectural achievements of its designer, for its history or the famous admirers (such as John Ruskin or Claude Monet) – Palazzo Dario is famous as a cursed palace!

Franz Babinger, the German historian, traces the first serious misfortune at the palace to Vincenzo Barbaro – he insulted a city official and was publicly disgraced and stripped of his office. He was later murdered; his wife, Dario's daughter, died of shame. Her tomb and that of her father, on a nearby island, were later used to store gunpowder and were blown up during an Austrian siege in 1849. Several of the later Palazzo Dario's occupants have come to a sticky end as well: the story says that the English scholar Rawdon Lubbock Brown committed suicide in the house after sinking a fortune into its renovation in the 19th century (which could hardly stand as he lived for 41 years after he had sold the palace); Kit Lambert, manager of The Who, was murdered soon after moving out; in 1979 Count Filippo Giordano delle Lanze had his brains smashed with a candlestick wielded by his lover; a Venetian businessman named Fabrizio Ferrari went bust and then his sister was murdered; and in 1993 the industrialist and yachtsman Raul Gardini, who had bought the house in 1985, was found dead in Milan, apparently having shot himself. There are several persons on the "list" whose names are forgotten, but not their poor fortune: an Armenian diamond merchant who is said to have gone spectacularly bankrupt, guest of French aristocrat, Comtesse de la Baume Pluviniel who reputedly died soon after staying at the palace…

This series of ghost stories "confirm" the imaginative superstition. With or without it – Palazzo Dario is very noticeable edifice even in the city as rich in them as Venice is. Just to add that the palace is the private property nowadays and it is not open to the public. Could it be bought for a song because of the curse? We are not sure, but there are such rumors.

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Although the most of the people consider pigeons to be the most popular Venetian "pets", reality is different – Venice is the kingdom of cats. They were loved because they used to help people fight mice and rats – disease carriers. Now they are only beauties enjoying their Venice.

Being the persons who love cats and live with one, we have made many photos of cats all over Venice – enough, at least for one "travelogue".

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The pigeons of San Marco have become the symbol of Venice but they are actually a severe problem because pigeons dung is the one of the main reasons of buildings damage in Venice. Venetians use common needles but also pretty odd and scary broken glass to secure some places from pigeons.

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Spritz is cocktail typical for Venice and Veneto region. It was recommended to us by our friends who had "discovered" it by asking for the same the boys next table had been drinking. It turned to be very good, especially on hot summer days.

Spritz is made of either Aperol, Campari, Select or Cynar, mixed with White Wine or Prosecco and Sparkling Mineral Water, with add of piece of orange and green olive or strawberry. Ice is necessary too. Our favourite is with Aperol and olive (V) and Aperol and strawberry (I).

Spritz is not very expensive drink except in bars on Riva degli Schiavoni, Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Campo San Cassano (as far as we know, this probably is not the final list). Good spritz costing normal price we had drunk in several bars on Campo Santa Margherita, Campo San Giacomo dall'Orio and Campo Francesco Morosini.

Except for sharing passion for Venice with Ingrid (VT Trekki), we share affection for spritz.

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