this week’s newsletter
in this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia we talked of:
- Fires in Treviso fuel worries of contamination (see also previous post about this topic, and veniceword.com )
- Silenter night: quiet fireworks for the Redeemer
- Pigeons: no free lunch in Venice
- Traviata struck: no “prima” at La Fenice
- Modern dynasty under siege in Venice
- A prodigious violinist from Russia with love (see veniceword.com )
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April 24th, 2007 at 12:28 am
I live in the UK but I am also a part time resident of Venice (apartment in the city) and I look forward to reading your excellent newsletter every week as it is a great source of knowledge. Your news and your blog help me finding out what’s really going on. Keep up the good work!
April 24th, 2007 at 12:30 am
“street painters in Venice stated that, when a painter died, his licence could pass to his heirs.”
To be called an artist is a privilege and it is not inherited. An artist has to show how good and creative he/she is. Before a license is issued, the artwork/style of the street painter has to be reviewed and approved by a committee from the city of Venice. Jobs as gondoliers, water and automotive taxi drivers, and corn sellers, are not in the same category as an artist.
CURIO. Twenty years ago, an agreement between the Municipality and the The agreement is now being reversed by the Municipality, which has called it a “scandal”, but the street painters want their rights to be respected. The right (or privilege) of passing on licences also applies to gondoliers, water and automotive taxi drivers, and corn sellers — dynasties with, to some degree, power over the choices of city management — so it is hard to understand why only the painters’ privileges are being contested.
Wish to comment? http://blog.buongiornovenezia.com
April 24th, 2007 at 12:53 am
What do they do about soil pollution? I hope your very informative newsletter will report more on this as information develops. Thanks.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:07 am
I like this idea of commenting the weekly news, I wish many will participate.
My opinion about the painters and the proposal: What criteria should a city committee use to judge art? Who is to judge what is or isn’t art, or good or bad? What about natural selection instead: if the painter sells, let her/him work
April 24th, 2007 at 9:21 am
Great to hear that at last the pigeons in the Piazza are not going to be encouraged. People have asked me if Venice smells but I think the most offensive smell is that of the pigeon poop near St.Mark’s.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:20 am
I’m thrilled that finally the feeding of pigeons will be stopped in the piazza. Hopefully now the numbers will slowly decrease to a mangeable level.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Pigeons… I’ve been scared of them since I was a child. All kids are scared in St’Marco’s. Parents force their kids to feed the pigeons and take the memorable picture, and yes, pigeons stink and carry diseases. Kids won’t cry if pigeons disappear
April 24th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
as always, your news from venice is a joy to read. and i am very pleased to hear that the selling of corn will end in piazza san marco. the pigeons have always been a nuisance and a health hazard, as well as damaging to the monuments. of course i am waiting to find out it is a joke that you are playing on us. april fool’s day has already passed.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
don’t let them fly away! i heard of exquisite Venetian recipes using pigeons.. is that true?
April 24th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
“BAD CORN” Will there be signs threatening fines to people who buy corn? Will the sellers of knock-off handbags fill them with corn, and fulfill two illicit desires?
Remembering the cats solution — why not fuill an unihabited island in the lagoon with corn? All the pigeons will migrate there.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:07 am
very creative. but save some travelling pigeons for me, i’ll use them if my internet connection fails… progress made pigeons lazy and unnecessary
April 25th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Do you eat pigeons in Venice on the Ascension day?
http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/recipes/view.cfm?id=272
April 25th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Dear Infamous, illustrious, clever, literate & beautiful Veniceword Blogger–Here I am to post on your blog…and I must say, not knowing whether to be bemused or confused. While in Venice during Carnevale, my husband and I attempted to apply for an artist’s license and found it would take weeks instead of minutes. (and I’m still not sure the girl at the desk was understanding me as I murdered the Italian language in her presence.) Colour me crushed & a bit over-loaded carrying around two suitcases full of original photography to share & sell. 18 thousand hits on my website to date and I was winner of another Italian mag’s photo contest. Now, after reading the above–I’m a’wonderin’…Should I get a vendor’s license, for like say, performance art? Or am I an artist (damn skippy I am) in the eyes of bella Venezia? Either way. I’m needing to know as soon as possible as I need to head out of the UK for Venice sometime mid-May. Please oh please oh please help. I’ve sent e-mails to the citta’ d…whatever it is and no one’s replied. Glad of any help you can give. Super glad if all ya’ll will come and give my photos a gander….Love to Venice, Cyn Burton an Okie Abroad
April 25th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Oh…and one BIG kudos for VeniceWord and Buongiorno Venezia, I find them both invaulable guides for the pleasure and practicality of sorting out what’s which in bella, Venezia. Art, shopping, culture, history…it’s all delivered in delightful bite size bundles by VeniceWord and Buongiorno Venezia. From local news to suggestions and reflections for the discriminating tourista, VeniceWord and Buongiorno Venezia are your one stop shop.
April 25th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Cyn.. please stop flattering.. ok, i’ll try to help you!!!!
April 25th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
hi everyone.
i’m not april fooling anyone… the stop to corn selling in st.mark’s square is the intention of our city council… though as you will read in our next issue, keeping promises is hard in venice: there is a new delay in the building of the new bridge on the Grand Canal, the Calatrava bridge.
i hate alive pigeons walking on bars’ tables, and i would never put one — dead or alive — on my own table. in Veneto there was a tradition in pigeons recipes (i recall broth), i remember old people telling stories of their life during the war, when one was lucky if could have corn, or pigeons, or… cats. as far as i know the pigeon is not a traditional dish of the Ascension Day here. i never saw pigeons in any menu in venice, but i recall seeing a pigeon ragù in some restaurant in Veneto. if someone has more info please share.
i’m modifying my original post, because of a misunderstanding. i apologize with Cyn
This afternoon i walked and walked and walked as i am used to. so our subscriber Cyn who is seeking my help to get a license is likely to receive this answer: “the available sites are very few”. this would not surprise me and would be the real Truth because, dear Cyn, and dear Readers, on my way from piazzale roma to rialto i counted in total: 30 or so bag sellers, 2 street musicians (i love them - 1 violin and 1 harmonica), 2 acrobats, 1 puppeteer, 1 seller of lemon cutters (!!), 1 street painter (!!!!!), and 4 masks encouraging people to take pictures with them. the only authorised one was obviously the street painter, and this very remote relative of Canaletto’s looked more eager to go have a glass of wine than to seat under the sun. the less noble show was the one of the begging masks, a new phenomenon which is also under the attention of the officers because it looks like pickpocketers are around while the people stop for the photos (BEWARE!). Attention or not, those people were inviting tourists undisturbed, and it’s not the first time that i hear them speak the same language, and it’s not italian; my suspect is that they may be organized in “territories”, if you know what i mean; if so, i do not like this at all.
Cyn, i promise to help you with your request forms (but as i demonstrated… there SO many people around here!!!)
April 25th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Photography is my art. No brush, just a lens, big brains, painfully apparent talent–modesty. I want to sell photos from my collection. I’d be more than glad to lay them down at the feet of Venice and the world for scrutiny–Judge way–These photos are my beautiful, naughty children. My love letter to Venezia. 2 years (count em’) –I’ve slaved to capture these intoxicating images. Angels will cry if I cannot show & sell my photos in the streets of Venice. Are you weeping yet? Laughing*
April 26th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Italian bureacracy is insane, and indecision runs the risk to worsen things very much for Venice and its lovers and inhabitants. Lewis Smedes says: “We as people are most like God when we forgive and when we keep a promise.” In such acts towards others, we experience the being of God. I would like Venice to be a more.. divine city.
April 26th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
The city has to try some damage control. And pigeons won’t vanish off the face of Venice for sure. I enjoy Veniceword and the newsletter, and I like your blog even more. Witty, thought-provoking and humorous.
April 27th, 2007 at 12:21 am
Owen
as you will read, the delay with the calatrava bridge is not caused by bureaucracy but by other project errors (that is, the canal banks are weak). the project has been donated to the city, but not the building and the maintenance, whilst we have other bridges which are “temporary” since decades (the wooden Accademia) or other ancient bridges which need urgent restoration. Some hours ago I posted a news about a book by Franco Filippi, it’s an eye opener.