In Venice there’s a triangular area of land
where the Grand Canal converges with the Giudecca Canal. Sitting on this point, the Punta della Dogana, is the Old Customs House where merchant
ships once stopped for inspection and to pay taxes on their cargo before proceeding
down the Grand Canal.
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The Old Customs House, Dogana di Mare,
on Punta della Dogana |
On top of the Customs House are two Atlases
supporting a bronze globe and a weather vane in the form of Fortuna, the
goddess of fortune. Today the building houses a gallery of contemporary art,
also called the Punta della Dogana.
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Old Customs House at Dusk
(from the Grand Canal) |
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| Bronze Globe and Weather Vane |
We walked to the tip of the point along Fondamenta
delle Zattere, the waterfront promenade on the Giudecca Canal. From here we
could see St. Mark’s Bell Tower and the Doge’s Palace across the busy waters of
St. Mark’s Basin. Another bell tower on the nearby island of San Giorgio
Maggiore is a great place for panoramic views of the Venetian lagoon.
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| Fondamenta delle Zattere |
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| The Tip of Punta della Dogana |
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| St. Mark's Bell Tower and Doge's Palace |
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| San Giorgio Maggiore |
The large dome behind the Customs House
belongs to the church of Santa Maria della Salute, one of Venice’s plague
churches.
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| Santa Maria della Salute |
A typical Adriatic cargo vessel, Il Nuovo
Trionfo, was moored at Punta della Dogana. It’s the only remaining seaworthy
trabaccolo in Venice.
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| Il Nuovo Trionfo |
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