Winter impressions of the
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Inverno Veneziano wintry wanderings from dawn to dusk in the chilly, foggy, drafty and almost deserted canals, calli, campi, bridges and isles of the Serenissima. |
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Boy with frog – Punta della Dogana
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In the cold and foggy days of November, December, January and February, Venice shows what is probably its most genuine face.
No noise, no waiting, lower prices, slower paces. And the sense of the city’s past greatness is even more captivating in the calm and silence of these days.
And having a chance to see how Venice’s people actually live is nothing but a blessing, if your aim as a visitor is to live the town from its very inside rather than to merely scratch its ready-made-for-tourist gleaming surface. This is indeed the only time of the year when those fifty-six-thousand heroes who still live in the historical centre of the Serenissima can reclaim the ownership of their city, when kids can play again hide-and-seek or football in the campi and calles, when you can even find a seat on the vaporetto, when 30 euros, if not less, is your dinner bill for two fish courses at a bacaro, and you don’t even need to book your table in advance; and last, but absolutely not least, it’s also when half a day is well likely all the time you need for thoroughly visit and enjoy the masterpieces at Basilica of San Marco, Museo Correr and Accademia.
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“Boy with frog” in a very foggy early morning at Punta della Dogana | The San Marco Basin in the fog, as seen from the Giudecca |
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The cathedral of San Giorgio Maggiore in a very foggy day |
A long exposure take of the Grand Canal in another very foggy day |
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For photographers, there are even a few more advantages. In winter, a thick fog often envelopes the city and the lagoon like a huge blanket, dumping the calles and canals in a veil of mystery and charming mood, while in the very occasional clear mornings everything shines in a sort of otherworldly Impressionist glow: soft, diffused, dreamy. In winter days the sun seems never to rise, it rather stays hanging low in the sky, barely reaching the edge of the roofs, and the shadows are as long as church aisles. The mist raises from the lagoon and spreads in some way the light in the sky, as if the sunrays were shining through a window of polished glass. Sunrises last for ages, and so do sunsets. It is breathtaking just staring at this glorious representation, watching the sun while it slowly emerges from or dives into the pale, jade green waters of the lagoon, peeping every once in a while through layers of bold rainy clouds at the horizon and casting its faint rays on the facades of palaces and churches. |
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Dawn from the Zattere, the waterfront sidewalk on the Giudecca Canal | Gondolas at Riva degli Schiavoni | ||||
Navigation marks in the lagoon | Beautiful stripes of clouds over the lagoon at sunrise |
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And then, totally unexpected, the sky breaks for a moment, and the lagoon is suddenly flooded with a magnificent warm light. Photographically speaking, these are the best conditions you can hope for, if you are looking for those moody and mysterious atmospheres you have always dreamed of, when thinking of Venice. I am primarily a nature photographer, so when I am taking photographs in the wilderness I am used to wait a very long time for that special moment when unusual light or harsh weather contribute unique drama and mood. |
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The Venice skyline from the top of the Campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore |
The Venice skyline with the snow-covered Alps in the background |
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The patchwork of crazy colours in the houses of Burano |
Maria Callas bridge, leading to the backdoor of the theatre La Fenice | ||||
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Where Venice sate in state, throned on her hundred isles!
And music meets not always now the ear:
Nor yet forget how Venice once was dear,
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Rio (canal) dei Greci with the Orthodox church |
excerpt from Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage by George |
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Resources |
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A photo gallery of scenic landscape photographs of the Serenissima in winter dresses.
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Venice in winter Join me on a ‘one-on-one’ or small group photography workshop. Learn new skills, experiment with advanced techniques, develop your vision, all while enjoying in good company an enthralling outdoor photo adventure in one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Private tuition is a great way to kick-start your landscape photography hobby, fine tune your skills or analyze in depth a particular topic or technique. |
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Coffee table book
In Venice as a Venetian Winter impressions of the Serenissima © Paolo De Faveri 2013
now available on amazon
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