Imagining Venice

I can smell the fresh baked bread as the breeze off the water blows my hair into a tangled mess. Brushing the strands off my flushed cheeks, I breathe in a crisp lung-full of air as I look around once more in awe of the city. The stone streets stretch out in front of me, artfully populated by colorful buildings displaying beautiful windows and arches. It is my first moment in Italy, or at least how I imagine my first moment in Italy.

From the photos of Venice I have seen, I imagine the city to be ethereal. From the buildings that seemingly float on the water to the majestic domes and bridges that fill the city with their elegance, I believe Venice to be a mystical place.

With the city surround by water, I envision Venice to possess a rather quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Leaving behind the noise pollution from cars and buses in the United States, I believe Venice will feel peaceful in comparison. I look forward to enjoying the tranquil environment, complimented by the pleasant breeze coming off the water.

From what I have heard, Venice is known to be a tourist city. People flock to Venice for a day or two to get a glimpse at its spectacular beauty. With that in mind, I imagine Venice’s peaceful reverie to be interrupted during the daytime by the constant movement of tourists. Although I visualize Venice populated with tourists, I hope we are able to enjoy time in the city without feeling crowded.

Some of my other perceptions of Venice, and Italy in general, come from the novel Inferno by Dan Brown, which I read last semester. In the novel, the protagonist, Robert Langdon, works to prevent a virus from being released by following clues around Italy to discover its location. Although I do not desire to rush through Italy as Langdon was forced to, I hope to learn and appreciate the culture and history with the same passion as the Harvard symbologist. Describing Venice as “an outdoor museum”, Langdon gives an extremely detailed description of many landmarks. For instance, he describes the main entrance to the verdigris cupola of San Simeone Piccolo as “topped by a spectacular pediment of intricate marble relief portraying a host of martyred saints”. However, Inferno also discusses the meanings behind the structures. In the book, the water taxi driver details the importance of the gondola design, calling it the “picture of Venice”. In the metal decoration at the bow of gondolas, the curved shape represents the Grand Canal and the six teeth depict the six districts of Venice. Furthermore, I desire to understand the cultural influences in Italy and its contrast from the United States. For instance, the Black Plague greatly affected Italy, an affect that is still relevant today with the many plague masks sold. While in Italy, I want to identify other cultural aspects that impacted human transformations. I hope to experience Italy with the same concentration on details as Langdon had in Inferno.

As I witnessed last semester reading Inferno, and hope to apply while studying abroad this semester, Italian history and theology play a large role in the formation of present-day culture. Everything can be related and connected. The construction of a building is based not only in the science and technology of the time it was built, but also in the popular beliefs of that time. As those beliefs and technologies evolve and become more advanced with the passage of time, historical constructions such as those seen in Venice remain as reminders of the past and evidence of our transformation. They allow us to see the development that has occurred and help us to understand how we are today. I believe that Venice’s historical basis will permit me to visualize these developmental aspects first-hand. Being in Venice, I image that I will be able to feel the importance and influence of the city around me. I believe Venice will exude this encompassing feeling of historical connection and importance, similar to what one feels when they realize the vast extent of their familial relations. Humans are all connected; a statement I trust Italy and the city of Venice will solidify.

I believe Italy will be like a puzzle. Learning about new aspects of Venice, I will realize the small details in the city that relate to its history, such as the design of arches on a building. Similarly, after finally seeing the correct shade of yellow on the puzzle piece, I can connect it to the other pieces, placing it in its rightful position. Discovering the details will help me understand how everything fits together. Understanding the human is the puzzle, the city of Venice makes up my puzzle pieces.