The Best of Italy Tour 2016

Venice

We started out in Doge's Palace. This Palace was actually the replacement Palace because the original burnt down in the 9th century. Doge's Palace then became home to the jurisdiction of the Republic of Venice, which was separated from Italy during the 1300s when the Palace was erected. The Republic was Roman Catholic, but the entire city was actually excommunicated from the Catholic Church due to their refusal to have the Church rule the law. This is where the Great Council met for court orders and for debates regarding the law.

Doge's Palace is also home to the largest oil painting in Europe, Paradise, started by Tintoretto and later finished by his son Dominic.

Inside of Doge's Palace also used to be home to a jail. This jail had small holes in the walls for food and had very low ceilings. The prisoners in this particular jail were only temporary. Life sentences were held in other locations.

After the tour of Doge's Palace, we headed over to Rialto Bridge, which is an ornate bridge over the Grand Canal, which is the largest canal in Venice.

From the Grand Canal, took a gondola ride throughout the city, where we of course sang some botched Italian songs to complete our tourist adventure.

After our gondola ride, we headed over to Il Merletto Lace School, where we were given a lace demonstration and were taught about the lace making process. Most handmade pieces of lace can take as long as 3 years to complete with the help of multiple lacemakers.

After our demonstration we were set free to explore the city. There are many high end stores throughout Venice and a multitude of amazing little cafes. However, our time in Venice was limited. Most water taxis stop running around 6PM, so unless you are staying directly in the main city areas, time is of the essence.

Due to having to leave the city so early, we were able to spend a couple of hours at the beach where we paddle boarded and enjoyed a paddle boat that had a slide attached to it

Part 6: Assisi