At least for now, our cloudy and rainy Friday has been left behind! We woke (rather late.....almost 9:00!) to bright sunshine and new energy for the weekend. We have really adjusted well to sleeping here. While the two single beds pushed together are 'unique,' and the pillows take some getting used to......we now pile up 3-4 pillows per bed and are getting some really good sleep.......it is so quiet here.
We had a late breakfast.......eggs, a new toast (great) and strawberries with yogurt and some crispy prosciutto cotto......coffee and some crazy boxed italian peach juice. We have found a great coffee combo by using the instant coffee provided for the room, mixed with a fresh pot of expresso. The expresso machine is cool.....electric and it does a good job.
Great views greeted us again as we headed towards the vaporetto. Interesting, but we were told there was a major private function being held at the Foundation this weekend......and the 'scholars' were asked to keep their distance from the office spaces. We never found out who these folks were, but there were quite a few american accents in the group. They were lined up for a photo op as we rounded the corner of the church. recognize anyone?
We were not in too much of hurry because our day was planned around a museum visit and a lunch reservation in the same area. The lunch reservation was at 1:00 in Castello, and the museum was the Fondazione Querini Stampalia. The two are only an 8 minute walk if you don't make a wrong turn. A bit of an aside here......we hate to admit it but we are becoming a bit lazy and using Google Maps quite a bit to set ourselves in the right direction. For those of you familiar with Venice......it is seriously easy to get lost. Below is an aerial clip of Venice from Google Maps.......with our museum destination in the center. There is just no meaningful sense of orientation or geometry......and no main streets, which truly gives Venice its charm!
The museum is the Querini Stampalia. We have been once before many years ago and really wanted to return. In the first instance it is an amazing palazzo built into the fabric of the city with an extraordinary famil history and art collection. In the second instance, it has a major installation of exhibit space and a garden on the ground floor designed by Carlo Scarpa. His name has appeared before in our Blog......as a glass designer, an artist and an architect.
We are providing an overview of the historical part of the museum first as a narrative......helpful for us not to forget. Secondly, there is a more expansive overview of the Scarpa work.
THE PALAZZO MUSEUM
One of the most significant and well-preseved examples of an historic house museum in all Europe, the magnificent residence of the Querini Stampalia family is recreated on the second floor. Original furnishings, paintings, frescoes and objects foster a warm and welcoming atmosphere that tell of the family's life and ties and of the city's spirit. The Querini Stampalia Foundation is by nature a contemporary space.
Founded in 1869 by Count Giovanni Querini, the last descendant of his family, it is one of the oldest foundations in Italy. A place of cultural production dedicated to the local and global communities.
A house that became a museum but remains a Home.
A library, open when others are closed.
An archive that, through the life of a family, tells the story of a city.
A "secret" garden designed by Carlo Scarpa.
The 16th century in dialogue with the 20th century: from Bellini to Scarpa, from Longhi to Botta, from Pastor to De Lucchi.
We saw some major paintings duirng our tour..... The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (below), by Giovanni Bellini and the scenes of Venetian life by Pietro Longhi and Gabriel Bella.
While preserving the past's milieu, the museum itinerary mixes ancient art with contemporary works. Currently part of the museum installation is a myriad of light fixtures by Isamu Noguchi. They were pretty amazing in providing a wonderful contrast to the background 'saturation' of the spaces of the palazzo. There were probably close to one hundred of his famous light assemblies.
The exhibits continue on the third floor with pieces from the Intesa Sanpaolo Collection: in particular, two paintings by Canaletto, the large sketch of Paradise by Domenico Tintoretto and the one of The Last Judgment by Giambattista Tiepolo, as well as works by great masters of the Venetian school through Ippolito Caffi and Guglielmo Ciardi. Sculptures include works by Arturo Martini and Alberto Viani.
CARLO SCARPA AT THE QUERINI STAMPALIA
In 1949 the Presidential Council of Fondazione Querini Stampalia decided to start the restoration of some parts of the Palace.
The director of the Foundation Manlio Dazzi commissioned Carlo Scarpa with the restoration of a part of the ground floor and the back garden, which were in very bad conditions.
The project was completed just ten years later thanks to Giuseppe Mazzariol, friend and supporter of the Venetian master.
Mazzariol wanted to improve the organization of cultural activities and reconstruct the entrance of the Palace by moving it onto the Campiello Querini Stampalia façade. He deemed the ground floor (and the back open area) unusable for exhibitions, congresses and other initiatives due to frequent seawater flooding.
The renovation works by Scarpa are based on a balanced combination of old and new elements, as well as on a great workmanship of the materials.
Water is the main character: it enters from the channel which the Palace overlooks through water gates along the inner walls. It is located in the garden, in a capacious many-leveled copper basin made of cement and mosaic and in a little channel with two labyrinths sculpted in alabaster and Istrian stone by the sides.
In the Querini Stampalia Palace the great master's work of the Italian architecture of the 20th century represents four themes: the bridge as the very light connecting arch completed in Venice in the last few centuries; the entrance with its safety bars from high level of water; the portego and the garden.
Between 2006 and 2008, the Carlo Scarpa Area was subject to a rigorous conservation effort.
THEN ON TO PRANZO AT OSTERIA OLIVA NERA
We had worked the timing just right for our lunch reservation......and the Google Maps suggestion of an 8 minute walk only took us 9.......going at a leisurely pace and not making any wrong turns! and a very scenic path.
Lunch was another real treat. The food was wonderful. As an aside here, we are getting some feedback that there seem to be quite a few pictures of food in our blog......I guess that reflects how much we enjoy eating! Most of our meals are in the apartment, but we try to go out every day or so, usually for lunch. This is the joy of being in Venice! The pictures tell the story, but Andrea has developed a real liking for stuffed and fried squash blossoms......and the small rack of lamb I got today was amazing!......not to forget the dessert......a creme brulee with berries inside and vanilla gelato with a candied lemon slice.
Back to the island around 3:30 for a rest.......then up to the roof at 6:30 for our evening glass of wine ritual......tonight with potato chips!
