January 13 - Venice
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January 13 - Venice
The investigators get to the Gritti Palace, the hotel suggested by Maria. As they spend the first hoursgetting settled and oriented, they clearly see how Venice is a city built on islands in a salt lagoon. It is best known for its canals, the largest and most important of which is the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal and islands immediately surrounding it, collectively called the Rialto, form the center of the city. Ship and train link Venice to the mainland. The rail junction is at Mestre. The city’s population dipped during the Great War, and is presently about 160,000; with the construction of the new port of Marghera by the Mussolini government the number of residents will increase to 207,000 in 1928. The island portion of Venice measures about four kilometers east-west, somewhat less north-south. The main form of transport is by boat: motor launch, vaporetti, and the famous gondolas. The vaporetti are steam-driven water-buses, seating many passengers and plying set routes. The gondola is the equivalent of a water taxi, long and narrow (32’ x5’) with a high stern and prow, and a curtained cabin for the comfort of the passengers, all poled by a gondolier (pl., gondoliere). A small gondola seats four to six; a large gondola seats eight.
Venice also has many alleys and lanes. The city is a maze of secluded courtyards, bridges, archways, tortuous passageways, dead ends, quaysides, and dark overhung back streets made doubly confusing by the system of street numbering. The city is divided into six districts, and each district numbers its houses from 1 to 5,000. Only locals know where one district ends and another begins. There is only one true piazza (square) in Venice, the Piazza San Marco. All other squares in Venice bear a less-distinguished term, campo. The Piazza San Marco fronts the Grand Canal, the Doges’ Palace, and St. Mark’s Basilica, this last arguably the wealthiest and most ornate cathedral in Europe.
Venice contains many magnificent libraries and museums. The Biblioteca Marciana, for example, houses over 550,000 printed volumes and 13,000 manuscripts, many rare and valuable. The architecture of this edifice, the former mint, echoes Constantinople but is also built in high gothic style with gargoyles at every corner and waterspout. The archives of the Republic, though damaged by fire, are held in good order at the Franciscan monastery at the Frari. The cultural tangibles of her past glory are everywhere manifest; the living city is also a living museum.
Venice is eternal. The layout of the central city has not changed in centuries. The gondola rules here, as no automobile can traverse the narrow paths by the canals. Their empire long gone, the Venetians first yielded their city to Napoleon, and then to the tourists.
Local tensions exist between Communists and Fascists, as they do across Italy. A pitched battle took place in Peana near Venice on 27 December 1922, after Communists tore down Fascist manifestos. Fascist supporters gathered and surrounded a house containing the Communists and set fire to it. Many were wounded in the fracas and several killed.
The Character of Venice
“Venice in winter is cold, still, and vaporous. Days of rain, rain, rain, and fog alternate with spells of sunny brilliance, when ice crackles on the fringes of the canals. Nights are tomb-like, the houses wrapped in shrouds of mist, lit only by occasional somber pools of lamplight. You can walk for miles at night and hear nothing but the echo of your own footsteps, the sad slapping of water on a tethered boat, the distant clang of a fog-bell, or the deep boom of a steamer at sea. In Venice, on a foggy winter’s night, it feels like day will never come.”
(From E.V. Lucas, A Wanderer in Venice, Methuen and Co. April 1914)
Venice also has many alleys and lanes. The city is a maze of secluded courtyards, bridges, archways, tortuous passageways, dead ends, quaysides, and dark overhung back streets made doubly confusing by the system of street numbering. The city is divided into six districts, and each district numbers its houses from 1 to 5,000. Only locals know where one district ends and another begins. There is only one true piazza (square) in Venice, the Piazza San Marco. All other squares in Venice bear a less-distinguished term, campo. The Piazza San Marco fronts the Grand Canal, the Doges’ Palace, and St. Mark’s Basilica, this last arguably the wealthiest and most ornate cathedral in Europe.
Venice contains many magnificent libraries and museums. The Biblioteca Marciana, for example, houses over 550,000 printed volumes and 13,000 manuscripts, many rare and valuable. The architecture of this edifice, the former mint, echoes Constantinople but is also built in high gothic style with gargoyles at every corner and waterspout. The archives of the Republic, though damaged by fire, are held in good order at the Franciscan monastery at the Frari. The cultural tangibles of her past glory are everywhere manifest; the living city is also a living museum.
Venice is eternal. The layout of the central city has not changed in centuries. The gondola rules here, as no automobile can traverse the narrow paths by the canals. Their empire long gone, the Venetians first yielded their city to Napoleon, and then to the tourists.
Local tensions exist between Communists and Fascists, as they do across Italy. A pitched battle took place in Peana near Venice on 27 December 1922, after Communists tore down Fascist manifestos. Fascist supporters gathered and surrounded a house containing the Communists and set fire to it. Many were wounded in the fracas and several killed.
The Character of Venice
“Venice in winter is cold, still, and vaporous. Days of rain, rain, rain, and fog alternate with spells of sunny brilliance, when ice crackles on the fringes of the canals. Nights are tomb-like, the houses wrapped in shrouds of mist, lit only by occasional somber pools of lamplight. You can walk for miles at night and hear nothing but the echo of your own footsteps, the sad slapping of water on a tethered boat, the distant clang of a fog-bell, or the deep boom of a steamer at sea. In Venice, on a foggy winter’s night, it feels like day will never come.”
(From E.V. Lucas, A Wanderer in Venice, Methuen and Co. April 1914)
Re: January 13 - Venice
"Our first stop should be the Biblioteca Marciana," says Felicity. "We need to research the statue piece that Napoleon's soldiers brought here, as well as whatever we can find out about The Devil's Simulare and the church of San Maria Celeste."
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The Shadow Over Dunwich
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(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
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Re: January 13 - Venice
“Absolutely. I know the library quite well, one can spend days in there, there’s such a wealth of ancient literature.” Clarence is very enthusiastic to revisit one of his favourite haunts.
“I’m first going to lodge our own finds in the safe at a local bank where I know a fellow. It’s up from the library, neat the Rialto Bridge.”
“I’m first going to lodge our own finds in the safe at a local bank where I know a fellow. It’s up from the library, neat the Rialto Bridge.”
Re: January 13 - Venice
"Good idea," says Felicity, "but what if we have to leave town in a hurry again when the bank is closed?"
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(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
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The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
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The Masque of Nyarlathotep
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Re: January 13 - Venice
'I think the library is the best place to start,' says Andrew. Looking at the map he sighs, 'I suppose we can't really justify a gondola to travel that short distance.' Then he looks a little brighter, 'We should have time to take a little look around the Basilica, while we're here.'
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Re: January 13 - Venice
Archie was thrilled with the accommodations. With the opulent interior décor, he really did feel like he was staying in a true palace. He made a mental note to thank Maria the next time they bumped into one another.
"Yes, the library sounds like our best bet. You know, that place has over 100,000 more volumes than even the most generous estimates of the Library of Alexandria had at its peak. Surely, we can find something there."
"That's a smashing idea about stowing the goods at the bank, Clarence. I will be happy to help you, of course."
Re: January 13 - Venice
“Miss Hayward has a valid point. However, I’m rather uncomfortable sleeping with this thing in the same room, or even in the same building and I fear we are soon to be investigated by those chappies at the station. Either we store them at the bank and I retrieve the pieces after a few days and before the weekend or, in the hotel safe at least.
I too am excited to visit the library again.
I too am excited to visit the library again.
Re: January 13 - Venice
"The hotel safe is probably our best bet," says Felicity. "We can get them out of there any time. If Rossini and his Fascisti can get them from the hotel safe using their authority, they can get them from the bank vault just as easily, unless we could store them there without anyone knowing it was us doing it."
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
Re: January 13 - Venice
Clarence gives a small cough and nods. “Very well, I shall deposit them now and then we can go to the library.” He coughs again, “I’m afraid this fog has got onto my chest. I think I’ll ask reception for some hot flannel.”
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