Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub (Narvacan, Ilocos Sur)

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Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub

The Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub (NOAH), a very unique adventure camp and outdoor sports complex in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur  founded in 2005, is another reason to visit Ilocos Sur (aside from the Spanish-era Earthquake Baroque churches and the Old World charm of Vigan).

Narvacan Beach

Opened last October 2012 by the local government headed by Mayor Zuriel S. Zaragoza, this one-stop shop offering various extreme activities will surely showcase one’s adventurous side and are very close to the elements: water, wind, earth and fire.

Bantay Abot Hill seen offshore from a Hobie Cat

NOAH hosts the Philippines’ first full-scale Via Ferrata (literally meaning “Iron Road” or “Iron Path”), a vertical 280-meter climb into a steep rock wall of the majestic 1,050-ft. high Bantay Abot Hill designed with the regular tourist in mind – no climbing experience required despite the challenges posed by the cliff face.

Media Tour Group at NOAH

Now a major tourist destination and a significant leap in the transformation of the once sleepy agricultural municipality of Narvacan into an adrenaline junkie’s paradise, NOAH aims to promote tourism and the beauty of the town with its grand, rocky mountains and magnificent view of the sea.

Arko Restaurant

Aside from the Via Ferrata, NOAH’s other attractions are paragliding, Hobie Cat sailing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, 4×4 ATVs, dune buggies, etc..  It also has an in-house, beachfront restaurant (Arko Restaurant) which is the first establishment that will greet you along Sulvec Port Road. It serves both local and foreign dishes including Ilocos Sur’s very popular bagnet (deep-fried, crispy pork belly).  Its backyard is a campsite (Php150/tent).  There’s a “sustainable” bunk for bonfires and outdoor toilet and bathing facilities.

Windsurfing lessons by the beach

For those learning to sail, wind surf and kite surf (the “water” activity), the uniquely located Bantay Abot Hill, directly in front of a 3 km. stretch of beach (from the abandoned Sulvec Port all the way to the Narvacan River), causes a special wrap-around, mid-day, side shore wind in the land breeze, making it safe (you still have to wear a life vest) as it does not pose the danger of getting blown out into the open sea.

The author trying his hand at windsurfing

Though fun, windsurfing isn’t easy as the sail gets heavy when wet and, when the wind hits, its much harder to control the boom and pull it back to your body. You can enjoy the sea breeze and the offshore scenery via Hobie Cat sailing. Cost is Php2,500 for windsurfing plus lessons (6 hours), Php800/30mins. for the Hobie Cat (maximum 2 pax) with a pilot and introduction to sailing, and Php800/hr. for windsurf board rental.

Thea author (left) with blogger Dave Gatensby on board a Hobie Cat

Riding dune buggies, 4 x 4 jeeps and ATVs (drivers must have a driver’s license), considered the “fire” activity, can bring out the Mad Max in you as you follow the hilly track and explore the mini sand dunes via an exhilarating, off-road experience tailor fit for first time riders. Starting from the Rock Garden (a luxurious beachfront event place), a number of ramps provided lots of thrills. Cost is Php2,500 per 4 x 4 (5 pax  maximum capacity).

Off road driving (photo: www.solitarywanderer.com)

To climb the Via Ferrata (the “earth” activity), you have to have to no fear of heights and be reasonably fit, with strong legs and upper body to do it. First, you have to don, with the assistance of the staff, protective gear such as helmet and other rappelling and climbing gears (carabineers, harness, etc.), all high-quality equipment from abroad.  Bring bottled water. Then you have to hike, under the scorching sun, to the base of Bantay Abot.  From there, you have to pull ourselves up 150 m. to get above some boulders.

Climbing Bantay Abot Hill

Along the way are handy ropes and cables. While climbing, your two carabineers are actually clamped into a steel cable so that, when you slip, you will still be attached to the cable, saving one from a fall. Upon reaching the zipline platform, you have decide to proceed with the Via Ferrata or exit the hill via NOAH’s 520 m. long zipline.

The author atop Bantay Abot Hill

Moving at 40 kph, a zipline ride lasts about 50 seconds (it’s a bit slow near the end) as you zipped down, with a bird’s eye view of the beautiful scenery, to Arko and the Bay Boulevard.

The author getting ready to zipline down

Others who continue on with the trickier Via Ferrata, climb the vertical, 300-foot high rock face aided by steel steps drilled into the rock, a setup like climbing a step-ladder.  This is not a totally vertical climb as there are diagonal portions on the Via Ferrata that require spreading your legs wide to maintain balance and keep them upright. Reaching the top is the highlight of the climb.

The Via Ferrata (photo: www.solitarywanderer.com)

You descend the summit by rappelling via a Tyrolean traverse cable (100 ft.) – perfectly safe as its safety feature actually allowed one to let go of their hands even when suspended 200 ft. from the ground. The Full Mountain Adventure (Via Ferrata, Tyrolean Traverse and the zipline going back to camp) will cost Php800/pax. Php300 for zipline only.

The Tyrolean Traverse

The highlight of a NOAH experience has to be the “air activity of paragliding (hence the media launch theme “Love is in the Air”), a competitive as well as recreational sport. Wind conditions change throughout the day and there may be several windows within the day for a successful launch.

The author (in blue) getting ready to paraglide with Carlaa Montero of Sarangani Paraglide as my pilot

Participants (again, you should not have any fear of heights) ride pickup trucks or buggies, along a zigzagging dirt road, to the top of Bantay Abot to be followed later by the paragliding gear.

Up, up and away…..

Participants will have to fly tandem with experienced pilots.  You are both positioned along the slope, with the chute spread out above and, when the wind rushes in, you both run off the heights and become airborne, hundreds of feet up, as you fly into the setting sun.

Selfie while airborne

Exhilaration rushes as you savor the joy of flying, at the same time being mesmerized by the beautiful and breathtaking vista of the rugged Ilocos Sur landscape, mountain ranges and the vast blue West Philippine Sea spread out before you.  After a 15-minute flight, you make a solid landing at the beach.. Check out my paragliding video here.

View from the air…..

Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub (NOAH): Bulanos Beach, Brgy. Bulanos, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. Tel: (02) 734-8883. Mobile number: (0919) 349-8473 (Two-6 Olangco).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/NarvacanOutdoorAdventureHub/. Instagram: @narvacanoutdooradventurehub.

How to Get There: By public transport, take any Vigan City (Ilocos Sur) or Laoag City (Ilocos Norte) bound Partas  (Cubao) or Farinas Transit (Manila) bus and tell the driver to drop you off at the Sulvec Port Road and, from there, get a tricycle going to NOAH in Bantay Abot. By car, take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) or the Manila North Road until you reach Narvacan. From there, take the Sulvec Port Road on the left and go straight until you see NOAH’s Arko Restauarant on your right.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei)

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Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, often considered as one of the most beautiful Islamic mosques in the Asia Pacific is, aside from being a place of worship (Brunei’s first national mosque) for the Muslim community and solemnization ceremony site for Muslim weddings, a major historical site and a famous tourist attraction of Brunei.

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A side entrance

An example of modern Islamic architecture named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei (the current sultan’s late father) who also initiated its construction, the mosque serves as a symbol of the Islamic faith in Brunei and, being the tallest structure in Bandar Seri Begawan, dominates the skyline of the city.

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Sitting on a 5-acre lot, the building was started on February 4, 1954 and inaugurated on September 26, 1958. The mosque is 68.6 m. (225 ft. long), 26.22 m. (86 ft.) wide, 52 m. (171 ft., it can be seen from virtually anywhere in Bandar Seri Begawan) high and has a capacity of about 3,000.

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Pool at the grandiose wudhu (ablution area)

The mosque unites Mughal architecture and Malay styles and was designed by the Italian architect and sculptor Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli (with architectural plans prepared by Booty and Edwards Chartered Architects), probably his last commission (he died in 1963). Construction work was done by Chinese and Malay engineers and total cost of construction was between $7.7 and $9.2 million.

The Brunei River

The Brunei River

Built in an artificial lagoon on the banks of the Brunei River at Kampong Ayer– the “village in the water,” the mosque has marble minarets and golden domes supported by walls of Italian marble (which also forms the mosque’s columns, arches and towers), a courtyard and is surrounded by a mini water fountain, a large number of trees, floral gardens.and benches for congregants and visitors to rest their weary feet.

Mini water fountain

Mini water fountain

Located right outside the mosque are wudhu (ablution areas) for men and women.The musalla (prayer hall) can be accessed through  the main entrance, which is elaborately decorated with verses from the Quran, as well as side entrances. The separate prayer area for women is located towards the left side of the entrance and up a spiral staircase.

The winding rope-shaped design on the exterior columns

The winding rope-shaped design on the exterior columns of the wudhu

The kalat (a very thick rope) shaped design, one of the local elements incorporated into the design, are plastered winding on all the outside columns. In the Brunei tradition of building lapau (halls), the kalat (rope) is actually used to install the columns and it is usually dyed with gold and other colors.

The bridge leaing to the Sultan Bolkiah Mahligai Barge

The bridge leaing to the Sultan Bolkiah Mahligai Barge

A bridge reaches across the lagoon to Mukim Sungai Kedayan in the middle of the river. Another marble bridge leads to a structure in the lagoon meant as a replica of a 16th century Sultan Bolkiah Mahligai Barge from the reign of Sultan Bolkiah, the fifth ruler of Brunei..

The Sultan Bolkiah Mahligai Barge

The Sultan Bolkiah Mahligai Barge

The barge itself, costing US$250,000, was completed in 1967 to commemorate the 1,400th anniversary of Nuzul Al-Quran (coming down of the Quran) and was used to stage the Quran reading competitions. It is a perfect spot for getting a good photo of the mosque.

The author

The author

The mosque’s most recognizable feature, the main dome, is covered in pure gold is made up of 3.3 million pieces of Venetian mosaic covering 520 sq. m. The 44 m, high main minaret, the mosque’s tallest feature, incorporates a unique mix of  Renaissance and Italian architectural styles not seen in many mosques in the world. It is equipped with four 50-watt loudspeakers that allows the voice of the muezzin (official who makes the call to prayer) to be heard as far as 4 kms. away during the azan (call to prayer). The minaret has an elevator and a 244-step spiral staircase to the top, where a visitor can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

A minaret

A minaret

The interior of the mosque, for prayer only, features stained glass windows, arches, semi-domes and marble columns and is filled with elements of Islamic art especially the calligraphy, flowers, geometric patterns and the likes.

Chandelier and stained glass windows in the interior

Chandelier and stained glass windows in the interior

The domed ceiling is inscribed with a single Quaranic verse that reads; “Whosoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. His is the dominion and to Him belong all the praises and thanks and He is Able to do all things.” (Surah Al-Taghabun, 64:1). To the right of the slender marble minbar (which rises to the right of the mihrah which sits prominently at the end of the prayer hall) is an escalator that leads to a separate enclosure, a quiet sanctum for the royal family. Khutbah (Friday sermons) are delivered by the imam who holds a 179 cm. long staff made of impas wood and capped with a miniature of the mosque’s golden dome.

The gold-clad dome

The dome covered in pure gold

Nearly all the material used for the building were imported from abroad: the marble from Italy; the granite of the outer walls from Shanghai (China); the crystal chandeliers (weighing 2 tons) and stained glass windows (weighing 4 tons) from England; and the handmade  carpets from Saudi Arabia and Belgium.

L-R: Dyan, Karren, Tess, Luchie, Erlie and Rosanna wearing black polyester robes required for entrance into the mosque

L-R: Dyan, Karren, Tess, Luchie, Erlie and Rosanna (with hijab) wearing long black polyester jubahs required for entrance into the mosque

Members of B.E.A.T. at Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Members of B.E.A.T. at Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque: Jalan MacArthur, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8711, Sultanate of Brunei. Tel:+231 88 090 9413. Visiting hours: 8.30 AM to 12 noon, 1.30 to 3 PM and 4.30 to 5.30 PM, Saturdays to Wednesdays, and 4.30 to 5 PM on Fridays. Closed on Thursday and during religious activities. Visitors can walk around the exterior compound from 8 AM to 8.30 PM, daily, except during prayer times. When entering the mosque, shoes must be removed and women should cover their heads with a hijab and not have their knees or arms exposed. There are jubahs (long dresses) available outside the entrance that visitors can borrow while visiting the mosque. Visitors also are not allowed to pass in front of a person in prayer or touch the Quran. They are also not allowed to take pictures inside the mosque.

Kampong Ayer (Brunei)

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Kampong Ayer - The Water Village

Kampong Ayer – The Water Village

This Water Village (Malay: Kampung Air), along the banks of the Sungai Brunei (Brunei River), is an area situated over Brunei Bay that is home to a sizable population of 39,000, representing roughly 10% of the nation’s total population.  The district, a culturally important part of Brunei that preserves the nation’s river dwelling origins, has a unique architectural heritage of wooden homes with ornate interiors.

The mainland jetty

The mainland jetty

Built entirely of stilt houses and wooden walkways, it is the world’s largest water village and the most famous water settlement of Southeast Asia.  One of the most important centers of trade in Borneo, people have lived in Kampong Ayer for over 1,300 years. When the fleet of Ferdinand Magellan visited in 1521, Venetian scholar Antonio Pigafetta dubbed it the “Venice of the East.” Kampong Ayer has been the capital of the Brunei Sultanate for hundreds of years.

The modern-looking, 20-pax bot penambang (covered water taxis)

Boarding our modern-looking, 20-pax bot penambang (covered water taxi)

The author (right) with members of BEAT

The author (right) with members of BEAT (led by president Mr. York Virtucio at left) on board our water taxi

The establishment of the land town, acting as a population magnet, did not lead to its depopulation and arrival of new residents and natural increase maintained the population balance. Most of Kampong Ayer had survived heavy World War II bombardment. Around 2013-2014, smart new, two story stilt houses made of concrete were built in the center of the Kampong Ayer and given to the people in need of a new house but not wishing to live on land. Even today, many Bruneians still prefer the lifestyle of the water village to residency on dry land.

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View of the mainland

The villages on the river’s north bank (the same side as the city center) used to cover a much larger area, but many of the stilt houses have been razed to spruce up the waterfront area around the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.

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Entering the narrow waterway

We were to have a personal experience of this heritage as we took one of the many 20-pax bot penambang (modern-looking, covered water taxis) that provide rapid transit daily between the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, in the center of town, and the water village itself. Our private water taxis resembled a long wooden speedboat. Before leaving the jetty, we all wore life jackets.

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A foot bridge

The Water Village is really made up of a cluster of 42 small, contiguous and relatively cramped stilt villages (kampongs) linked together by more than 29,140 m. of foot-bridges.

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This self-contained, close-knit community consists of over 4,200 structures, including homes, mosques, restaurants, shops, schools and a hospital, all interconnected by maze of 36 kms. of boardwalks. All of the six water village mukims (districts) are collectively known as the water village (Kampong Ayer) but, for administrative purposes, are identified as separate mukims.

mosque

One of two mosques

fire-department

The marine fire brigade

From a distance the water village looked like a slum but it actually enjoys modern amenities. The government, through the District Office, has provided it with numerous facilities including foot-bridges, concrete jetties, piped water, plumbing, electricity, telephones, schools, two mosques, clinics, seafood restaurants, a police station, a museum and a marine fire station.

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A colorfully painted house on stilts

Many of the houses also have air conditioning, satellite television and internet access. Some of the residents even keep potted plants, in container gardens, and raise chickens. They even say that if you look at the main roads on the banks opposite the village, you’ll see luxury cars lined up on the shoulder of the road.  Many of these cars belong to water-village residents.

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A village jetty

The wooden, sun-bleached houses, painted with shades of green, blue, pink and yellow, have not been done-up for tourists. From afar, we could see the 30 km. long Temburong Bridge, which is still under construction (it is expected to be completed in 2019), and the golden roof of the largest residential place in the world, the Sultan’s Istana Nurul Iman.  We made our first and only stopover at a village jetty.  Getting off the boat was an adventure on its own as we had to climb some worn-out concrete steps.

A second mosque

A second mosque

The unfinished Temburong Bridge

The unfinished Temburong Bridge

Upon reaching the top of the jetty, we walked along a treacherous, banister-less boardwalk, some with loose or missing planks, again another adventure by itself. Walking along these planked walkways (a bit of balance is required) while observing the various homes is probably what draws visitors here. However, while the houses were far from squalid, we noticed rubbish floating or carpeting the inter-tidal mud at low tide. For an apparently affluent country like Brunei which could afford to tidy it up, it was disgusting and disappointing.

Climbing the stairs up the jetty

Climbing the stairs up the jetty

We finally arrived at a local concrete home which was way too nice to be anything close to an authentic village house. The entry hall even had a chandelier. Just like in a mosque, we had to remove our shoes before entering.  Inside, there were lots of tourists like us. Obviously, it’s part of the tourist trail.  There, a good refreshment was served – 3 kinds of colorful kuih bingka, a local traditional sweet cake, plus tea. Our snack here capped our Water Village tour and we again made our back to our boat for the trip back to the mainland.

Traversing the wooden boardwalk

Traversing the wooden boardwalk

Removing our shoes prior to entering

Removing our shoes prior to entering

Our tour of the nondescript Kampong Ayer wasn’t really a visit into the past. Rather, it was just a peek into the everyday lives of some very friendly Bruneians while seeing some of the changes that has taken place over the last thousand years or so. Interesting but not amazing. Venice it isn’t by a mile.

Three different kinds of kuih bingka

Three different kinds of kuih bingka

Kampong Ayer: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.  Kampong Ayer is accessible by boat or land bridges. To get across the river, just stand somewhere where a water taxi can dock and flag one down (the fare is B$1, one way). To get to these villages from the Yayasan Complex, itself built on the site of a one-time water village, follow the plank walks, behind the Hua Ho Department Store, that lead west, parallel to the river.

Royal Regalia Museum (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei)

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Royal Regalia Museum

Royal Regalia Museum

After our visit to the Jame’asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, we proceeded to the Royal Regalia Museum (Malay: Bangunan Alat-Alat Kebesaran Diraja), built on the site of the Winston Churchill Memorial Museum (perhaps the only such memorial to Churchill in this part of the world), constructed in 1971.

The domed ceiling

The domed ceiling

A fire destroyed the previous roof and the domed roof was built by a Japanese company. The builing was modernized and considerably extended and, on September 30, 1992, was opened as the Royal Regalia Museum which has a profusion of exhibits related to the commemoration of the 25 years of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah‘s rule of Brunei.

The Royal Regalia Exhibition Hall

The Royal Regalia Exhibition Hall

This large gold-domed, semicircular structure is fitted with specially-designed mosaics. Gleaming marble has been used extensively in its interior.  The floor is covered with plush carpets and the spectacular, beautifully-lit circular gallery is topped with a mosaic-tiled dome sitting on the cup of the original crescent-shaped building.   

The gold-leafed Royal Chariot

The gold-leafed Royal Chariot

Prior to entering, we all removed our shoes.  On display at the entrance hall is the huge, stunning Royal Chariot, a winged chariot covered in gold leaf, surrounded by regalia from the royal crowning ceremony, that was used for the parade carrying the Sultan through the streets of the city on the occasion of his 1992 silver jubilee celebration of his coronation in 1968. In front of the chariot are a bevy of headless mannequins dressed in traditional attire.

Pedang Dan Perisai

The “pedang dan perisai” are 16 swords, with gold, silver and brass bands on the hilt, and 16 shields that were carried by 16 “awang-awang” (aristocrats)

At the reception desk, we were required to sign our names and nationality in the guest book and then deposit our bags, cameras and mobile phones (photography is only allowed in the lobby) in plastic bins before proceeding on our guided tour. Lockers are also provided free of charge, and you keep the key yourself. A historical review of the present Sultan’s life was then narrated by our guide Mohammad through the Sultan’s family pictures with detailed narrative texts (one particular photograph of interest shows the Sultan smiling at his circumcision ceremony), many of his portraits and a hologram.

The Payung Berwarna

The “payung berwarna” are 40 (8 yellow, 8 green, 8 red, 8 white and 8 black) multi-colored umbrellas with golden tops borne by 40 “awang-awang” (aristocrats) who stand on either side of the area below the “peningkah lapau”

Payung Kawan

40 “payung kawan” (yellow and red umbrellas) are carried by 40 “orang muda-muda” (the young) who stand at both sides at the area below the “peningkah lapau”

Payung Dadu

8 “payung dadu” (umbrellas with gold tips) were carried by “awang-awan” (aristocrats) who stand on both sides of the area below the “peningkah lapau”

It recreates his early childhood, chronicling his schooling in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and finally in Britain at the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. Other historic pictures cover independence, the Sultan meeting his people afterwards in the mosque and in the districts; and his return from the Hajj.

Lembing Kerajaan Dan Taming

The 6 special “lembing” (royal spears) and “taming” (shields), with golden tips, are borne by 6 “beduanda kecil” (pages)

Film footage of the magnificent ceremony is screened in a small theater. A small room also houses the many military honors and decorations to his military service from well over twenty different countries.

Tumbak Benderangan

The 16 “tumbak benderangan” (royal ceremonial spears), plated in gold and silver, are borne by 16 “awang-awang” (aristocrats) decked in ceremonial attire

Artifacts that were used for royal ceremonies coronation in the country were also exhibited.  They included gold and silver ceremonial weaponry; ornate gold crown embedded with jewels; ceremonial costumes;  the symbolic Golden Cats; the silver kris; the Sultan’s costume; a solid golden forearm with  upturned palm  (which are depicted on the Royal state crest) that the Sultan used as a prop for his chin at his coronation; and orchestral instruments used during the ceremony.

Puan Kerajaan

The 4 octagonal “puan kerajaan”” (royal betel boxes), made with silver, are used for keeping flowers and are usually borne by the 4 sons of the “cheterias” (common nobles), in ceremonial attire, on both sides o the “petarana”  (throne)

A large side room on the ground floor depicts the 1968 coronation scene at the Lapau using models, pictures, words and exhibits.  Inside is an enormous, house-like and more modern (the Sultan’s tiger-skin throne was airconditioned) second chariot, equipped with an engine, which was used in the coronation of the sultan.

Sinipit Dan Taming

40 “sinipit” (spears) decorated with red “bendera pisang-pisang” at each tip, an 40 “taming” (shields) are carried by 40 warriors in red suits an “dastar”

Rows of life-size mannequin figures, clad in black and red military uniforms, stand proudly in front and behind the chariot. On the outskirts of the room are life-size photographs of adoring onlookers, probably people who were actually in the crowd that day.

The Chanang

The Chanang is a gong used in the MajlisBerjaga Jaga (before the proclamation and coronation), Gendang Jaga Jaga and other royal ceremonies

There is a scaled replica of the entrance gates of Istana Nurul Iman, the world’s largest residential palace (incidentally designed by my uncle, the late National Artist Arch. Leandro V. Locsin). Also of interest are the costumes worn by the Sultan and his two consorts during the Silver Jubilee. Queen Saleha’s costume is decorated with gold and diamonds while that of Pengiran Isteri Hajah Mariam, the Sultan’s then second wife, is decorated with gold and pearls.

Dian Alam Bernaga

The 8 readily lit Dian Alam Bernaga (candles) are placed before the Petarana (throne), at the time when the Sultan sits on the throne. During the procession, they are borne by 8 Pengarah (overseers).

Also on display are gifts from heads of state to the Sultan. They include gold-plated as well as sparkling glass miniatures of world-famous national landmarks; diamond encrusted vases; delicate porcelain tea sets; ceremonial daggers; stunning wooden carvings;, eye-catching paintings; jewel-encrusted ornaments; commemorative plates with inscribed messages and blessings; objects made from shining silver; ornate coffee tables; decorative glassware; intricate hand-made textiles; and more.

Gendang Labik

Gendang Labik (cylindrical drum)

To the left of the main entrance is the Constitutional History Gallery. Set up in 1984 as part of the country’s independence celebrations, it traces the history and development of the constitution – from 1847 when the first Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed with Britain, to the proclamation of the 1959 constitution.

The author at the Royal Regalia Exhibition Hall

The author at the Royal Regalia Exhibition Hall

Jandy in front of the Royal Chariot

Jandy in front of the Royal Chariot

Inside is the signed APAC plaque from the time Brunei held the conference (November 15–16, 2000.) The plaque contains signatures of the APAC members leaders including then US President William “”Bill” Clinton’s.

Members of B.E.A.T. in front of the Royal RegaliaMuseum

Members of B.E.A.T. in front of the Royal RegaliaMuseum

Royal Regalia Museum: Jln Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8611, Brunei. Tel: +673 224 4545 extension 201. Admission is free. Open 9 AM – 5 PM, Sundays – Thursdays, 9-11:30 AM and 2.30 – 5 PM, Fridays (closed 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM for Friday prayer), and 9:45 AM – 5 PM, Saturdays.  Last entry at 4.30 PM. You can only take photographs in the lobby and visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering the building.

Jame’asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei)

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Jame Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

Jame Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

The Jame’asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, the largest mosque in Brunei, was named after current Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzadin Waddaulah.  The number 29 is significant as the Sultan is the dynasty’s 29th ruler, reigning since 1967 (the world’s third longest reigning monarch).

one of 29 chandeliers

One of 29 chandeliers

The complex is adorned with 29 magnificent golden domes made with 24 carat gold. There are also 29 ornate minarets and inside are 29 crystal chandeliers.

Main entrance

Main entrance

Locally known as the Kiarong mosque (it is also sometimes called the Blue Mosque by locals), it was started in 1988 and opened on July 14, 1994, the night before the sultan’s 48th birthday.

Side entrance

Side entrance

Built to commemorate the monarchy’s silver jubilee rule, it was impossible to miss as we head towards Gadong (BSB’s renowned entertainment an shopping district), about 3 kms. (1.9 miles) from the city center, as its four spectacular terrazzo-tiled minarets (a slight but more colorful resemblance to the Taj Mahal of India) dominate their surroundings. At night, the mosque is said to be lit up like a gold flame.

The golden dome

The golden dome

A minaret

A minaret

Build on a 20-acre lot, this stunning, breathtaking and beautiful mosque can accommodate up to 4,000 worshippers at one time.  The geometric designs are quite intricate and the interior more than matches the mosque’s lavish exterior which features pale stonework inset with gorgeous pale blue tiles.

Hallway were shoes are left

Hallway were shoes are left before entering

The wudhu (ablution hall)

The wudhu (ablution hall)

The wudhu (ablution halls), decorated with white and blue tiles, has a fountain at the center of the hall, beneath which are automatic touchless-control faucets for ritual cleansing.

The central hall

The central hall

The central hall has round columns with funnel shaped capitals. The dome has stunning stained glass with an explosion of colors. The winding marble stairs leading up to the musalla (main prayer hall) swirls around similarly funnel-shaped fountains with its many colorful lights.

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The large, awe-inspiring and serene main prayer, under a great dome decorated with Quranic inscriptions in gold on a white background, is supported by white marble pillars that surround the circumference of the hall. Myriad beautifully-woven prayer mats, custom-made with the image of the mosque imprinted on it, are scattered across the floor of the hall.

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The mihrab, decorated with black marble, is accentuated with gold mosaic. The whole qibla (the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays) wall is decorated with golden mosaics with flower and vegetal motifs and Quranic inscriptions.

The stained glass ceiling

The stained glass ceiling

The minbar (pulpit where sermons are delivered) has a golden dome decorated with golden mosaics above it, mirroring the golden dome above the roof. When the Sultan comes here for Friday prayer (during which citizens can petition him with a personal letter), he has his own personal escalator at his private entrance to the mosque. Its unbelievable extravagance, at every turn, just left me speechless.

Fountain

Fountain

landscaped-garden

Serene and well manicured gardens, with trellises, fountains (which spout colorful jets of water at night) and pools with many species of flowers (mostly orchids) and plants, decorate the landscape.

Jandy and the author at Jame Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

Jandy and the author at Jame Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

Jame’asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Highway, Kampung Kiarong, Bandar Seri Begawan, Sultanate of Brunei. Open 8 AM – noon, 2-3 PM and 5-6 PM, Mondays – Wednesdays  and Saturdays, 10.45 AM – noon, 2-3 PM and  5-6 PM, Sundays, closed on Thurdays and  Fridays. When entering the mosque, shoes must be removed and women should cover their heads with a hijab and not have their knees or arms exposed. There are jubahs (long dresses) available outside the entrance that visitors can borrow while visiting the mosque. Visitors also are not allowed to pass in front of a person in prayer or touch the Quran. They are also not allowed to take pictures inside the mosque.

How to Get There: Take No. 1  or 22 bus from the main bus terminal located at the multi-storey car park along Jalan Cator.

Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa (Venice, Italy)

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Courtyard o the palazzo

Courtyard o the palazzo

The  Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa, originally the ancient casa da stazio, an L-shaped building located at the intersection of the rios of San

Bronze bust of Antonio Grimani (Andrea Briosco)

Bronze bust of Antonio Grimani (Andrea Briosco)

Severo and Santa Maria Formosa, was the residence of the Venetian doge Antonio Grimani. It was substantially altered in 1532-1569 by his grandsons Vittore, procuratore generale of the city, and Giovanni Grimani, cardinal and Patriarch of Aquileia, giving it a classical stamp.

Giovanni allegedly collaborated with celebrated architects such as Jacopo Sansovino, Sebastiano Serlio and  Andrea Palladio.

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Two new wings, doDSC00364ubling the size of the building, were added.  A vast Roman-style inner courtyard, with loggias of marble colonnades (unusual in sixteenth-century Venice) and asymmetrical porticoes, was laden with artfully arranged sculptures, reliefs and inscriptions.The palace was completed in 1575 by Giovanni Rusconi while Alessandro Vittoria was responsible for the ornamentation of the doorway.

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The palace is composed of three parts with a small backyard. The façade, sporting

Bronze bust of Hadrian (Ludovico Lombardo)

Bronze bust of Hadrian (Ludovico Lombardo)

characteristically massive windows arches, is decorated with polychrome marble.

The most striking feature of the interior is the Sala di Psiche (c. 1540), with frescoes by Mannerist artists such as Francesco Menzocchi, Camillo Mantovano and Francesco Salviati.

Other artists who worked to the palace’s decoration include Taddeo Zuccari and Giovanni da Udine.

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Bust of Antinoüs, favorite of Hadrian

Bust of Antinoüs, favorite of Hadrian

The palazzo once held the archaeological collections (one of the finest of the time), strikingly displayed on shelves, mantelpieces and plinths in settings of the high ceiling, specially designed Tribuna and the courtyard, amassed by Cardinal Domenico Grimani and Giovanni Grimani, and donated to the Republic.

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Palazzo Grimani, internationally important for its architectural originality, the quality of its decoration and the history of its development, was purchased by the State in 1981 and, in 2001, a decree of the Ministry of the Cultural Heritage gave responsibility for its management to the Superintendency of State Museums in Venice. On December 20, 2015, it was reopened as a museum.

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An especially valuable addition to its museum circuit, the palace displays a few HiDSC04670eronymus Bosch paintings from the Grimani collection: depicting the dream-like Visione dell’Aldilà, l’Ascesa all’Empireo, and la Caduta dei dannati e l’Inferno; and the Triptych of Santa Liberata, and the Triptych of the eremiti (Sant’Antonio, San Girolamo and Sant’Egidio).

Sculpture gallery

The Sculpture Gallery with “The Rape of Ganymede (Reinhard Gomer)” hanging on the ceiling

The extraordinarily high quality decoration of the rooms iDSC04680ncludes outstanding stucco work and frescoes, reflecting the confidently unconventional taste of the Grimanis.

Palazzo Grimani, unique in Venetian history and architecture, is a fascinating treasure house of cultural, artistic and historical riches.

Statue of Laocoon and his sons

Statue of Laocoon and his sons

Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa: Ramo Grimani, 4858, 30122 Venice, Italy. Tel: +39 041 241 1507 and +39 041 5200345. E-mail: info@palazzogrimani.org and sspsae-ve.grimani@beniculturali.it. Website: www.palazzogrimani.org. Open 8:15 AM – 7:15 PM. Admission: € 4.00 + € 1,50 reservation fee.

Church of St. Zacharias (Venice, Italy)

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Chiesa di San Zaccaria (1)

Church of St. Zechariah

The large 15th-century, formerly monastic (it was originally attached to a Benedictine monastery of nuns) Church of St. Zechariah (Chiesa di San Zaccaria) is located just off the waterfront, to the southeast of Piazza San Marco and St Mark’s Basilica.  The first church on the site was founded in the early 9th century by Doge Giustiniano Participazio  to house the body, under the second altar on the right, of St. Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist), the saint to which it is dedicated, a gift of the Byzantine Emperor Leo V the Armenian. The remains of 8 early doges as well as the artist Alessandro Vittoria (his tomb marked by a self-portrait bust) are also buried in the colonnaded Romanesque crypt of the church.

Nave

Nave

The original church, rebuilt in the 1170s (when the present campanile was built), was replaced by the present Late Gothic-style church designed by Antonio Gambello.  Built between 1458 and 1515, it was built beside (not over) the original church, the remains of which still stands. Seventy years later, the upper part of the façade, with its arched windows and its columns, and the upper parts of the interior were completed by Mauro Codussi in early Renaissance style. Thus, the façade is a harmonious Venetian mixture of late-Gothic and Renaissance styles.

Tomb of St. Zacharias

Tomb of St. Zacharias

The church’s apse, surrounded by an ambulatory lit by tall Gothic windows, is a typical feature of Northern European church architecture which is unique in Venice. The San Zaccaria Altarpiece, one of the most famous works by Giovanni Bellini (whisked away to Paris for 20 years when Napoleon plundered the city in 1797), as well as paintings by 17th and 18th century artists (at the  walls of the aisles and of the chapels).

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They include works by Andrea del Castagno, Palma Vecchio, Tintoretto, Giuseppe Porta, Palma il Giovane, Antonio Vassilacchi, Anthony van Dyck, Andrea Celesti,Antonio Zanchi, Antonio Balestra, Angelo Trevisani and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. The organ of the church was built by Gaetano Callido in 1790.

Chiesa di San Zaccaria (4)

The Chapel of St Athanasius, which was most of the nave and right-hand aisle of the old church, was rebuilt for the nuns in the mid-15th century and then converted into a chapel around 1595. It contains a Domenico Tintoretto altarpiece depicting The Birth of John the Baptist or maybe The Birth of the Virgin. To the right of an altar designed by Vittoria is The Flight into Egypt by Domenico Tintoretto. Over the entrance door is the Crucifixion, claimed to be by Anthony van Dyke, very redolent of the Counter-Reformation in its minimalness and drama.

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Another door takes you through to the Cappella dell’Addolorata, with cases of relics, and then into the lovely Chapel of San Tarasio, the apse of the old church, built in 1440 by Gambello. It features some very impressive frescoes in the vaulting, painted in 1442 by Andrea del Castagno (in collaboration with a certain Francesco da Faenza).  Discovered in 1923 and cleaned in the 1950s, they are the artist’s earliest extant work and feature his only signature (Andreas de Florentia).

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There are also three well-preserved Late-Gothic gilded altarpieces by brothers-in-law Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d’Alemagna. The central three panels (dated 1385), on the main level of the high altarpiece (Saints Blaise and Martin, with The Virgin and Child in the center), are signed by Stefano di Sant’Agnese, taken from another work and inserted in 1839 in place of a reliquary. The two saints flanking them (Mark and Elizabeth) are by Giovanni and Antonio Vivarini. More saints, said to have also been added later, are found on the back. A recently discovered and restored predella, on the front of the altar, is ascribed to Paolo Veneziano.

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Church of San Zaccaria: Campo San Zaccaria 4693, 30122 Venice, Italy. Open Mondays – Saturays, 10 AM–12 PM and 4–6 PM, and Sundays, 4–6 PM. Tel: +39 041 522 1257

Gallerie dell’Accademia (Venice, Italy)

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Gallerie dell’Accademia

The Gallerie dell’Accademia (Accademia Gallery of Venice), on the south bank of the Grand Canal, within the sestiere of Dorsoduro, is a museum gallery of pre-19th-century art in Venice, northern Italy.

The author in front of the museum

Housed in the Palladian complex of the Scuola della Carità (the oldest of the six Scuole Grandi (though the building dates back to 1343, the scuola was formed in 1260), it was originally the gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia (founded on September 24, 1750, it was one of the first institutions to study art restoration starting in 1777 with Pietro Edwards, and formalized by 1819 as a course), the art academy of Venice (from which it became independent in 1879) which remained in the same building until 2004, when the art school moved to the Ospedale degli Incurabili.

Church of Santa Maria della Carita

The museum courtyard

The Ponte dell’Accademia (Academy Bridge, where the museum is literally in front of) and the Accademia boat landing station (where our vaporetto water bus docked) are named after it. Like other state museums in Italy, it falls under the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, the Italian ministry of culture and heritage.

Jandy (foreground) in one of the galleries

The absolutely stunning Gallerie dell’Accademia, the picture gallery of the art academy and one of the great museums of the world, owns the most important collection worldwide of more than 800 Venetian paintings, from the Gothic until the Rococo.

Genres covered include Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Over time, the collection has increased, thanks to private donations and acquisitions.

Ornate ceiling in Room 1

The museum contains masterpieces of Venetian painting from the 12th through 18th centuries, more or less generally arranged chronologically (since art in the academy has long been taught in chronological order) in 24 rooms, though some thematic displays are evident.

Jandy and Kyle in front of the painting Fisherman Presenting a Ring to the Doge Granedigo (Paris Bordone, 1534, oil on canvas)

The museum, bringing together, under one roof, all the works of art that were scattered throughout Venice, is housed in three buildings  – the Scuola della Carità, the Convento dei Canonici Lateranensi (started in 1561 by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, it was never fully completed) and the now deconsecrated Church of Santa Maria della Carità (its facade was completed in 1441 by Bartolomeo Bon).

Angel of the Annunciation and Virgin Annunciate (Giovanni Bellini)

Washing of the Feet (Giovanni Agostino da Lodi, 1500, oil on board)

The former Santa Maria della Carità convent complex maintained its serene composure for centuries until 1807 when Napoleon installed his haul of Venetian art trophies here. The interior of the building is as beautiful as the art it houses.

Archangel Gabriel (Giambattista Cima da Conegliano)

Supper in Emmaus (Marco Marziale, 1506)

The giants of Venetian painting, from the 13th to the 18th centuries, whose wonderful collection of art are represented here include the 1600’s Canaletto Vedutisti, Francesco Guardi, Bernardo Bellotto and Pietro Longhi, down to Renaissance artists such as Gentile and Giovanni Bellini,  Carpaccio, Giorgione,   Titian (or Tiziano), Veronese (Paolo Caliari), Tintoretto and and the Baroque master of the swirling-heavenly-clouds ceiling fresco Gianbattista Tiepolo (who became the second director, after Rococo painter Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, of the academy after his return from Würzburg).

Chess Players (Pittore Caravaggesco)

Holy Family with St. Catherine and John the Baptist (Palma il Vecchio)

Other artists include Antonello da Messina, Lazzaro Bastiani,  Pacino di Bonaguida,  Giulio Carpioni, Rosalba Carriera, Cima da Conegliano, Fetti, Pietro Gaspari, Michele Giambono, Luca Giordano,  Johann Liss, Charles Le Brun,  Lorenzo Lotto, Mantegna, Rocco Marconi, Michele Marieschi, Piazzetta, Giambattista Pittoni, Preti,   Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci (Drawing of Vitruvian Man), Alvise Vivarini and Giuseppe Zais.  All these artists influenced the history of European painting.

Allegory of the Battle of Lepanto (Paolo Veronese, ca. 1573, oil on canvas)

Crucifixion (Pittore Veneziano-Padovano, ca. 1460)

An essential visit for painting enthusiasts, it is the most important museum that one can visit during a stay in Venice. The route around the galleries does not really flow in one direction.  In many cases, we had to go down long corridors to view work, only to return along the same corridors, allowing us to revisit work as we walked about.

Mary with the Child of artist Francesco Morone (Francesco Morone)

Madonna of the Small Trees (Giovanni Bellini, 1487)

Our visit to the galleries started off in the 14th century (Paolo Veneziano’s Coronation of the Virgin altarpiece, etc.), continues through Giorgione’s weirdly lit The Tempest and Giovanni Bellini’s many Madonna and Childs, and ends with Carpaccio’s intricate Cycle of St. Ursula and Titian’s late Pietà.

Madonna and Child with St. Simeon and St. Jerome (Giovanni Agostino da Lodi)

Funeral of St Jerome (Lazzaro Bastiani)

The rooms we explored all showed Venice’s precocious flair for color and drama. The massive Tintoretto paintings, from the Scuola Grande di San Marco, can’t be seen from a reasonable viewing distance as they are hung along the sides of corridors which are only about 12 ft. wide.

Triptych of the Martyrdom of St. Liberata (Hiermonymus Bosch, 1500, oil on panel)

Ceres Renders Homage to Venice (Paolo Veronese, 1575)

Room 1 is where you can find Jacobello Alberegno’s Apocalypse  which shows the whore of Babylon, with babbling rivers of blood from her mouth, riding a hydra, and Paolo Veneziano’s Coronation of Mary, at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, where Jesus bestows the crown on his mother with a gentle pat on the head to the tune of an angelic orchestra).

Crucifixion (Andrea Previtali)

The Miracle of St. Mark Freeing the Slave (Jacopo Tintoretto, 15,48, oil on canvas)

Room 2 is where the eerie, glowing skies of Vittore Carpaccio’s lively Crucifixion and Glorification of the Ten Thousand Martyrs of Mount Ararat seem to make UFO arrivals imminent.

The Crucifixion and the Glorification the Ten Thousand Martyrs on Mt. Ararat (Vittore Carpaccio, 1515, oil on canvas)

Room 4 is where you can find Giovanni Bellini’s quietly elegant Madonna and Child between St Catherine and Mary Magdalene).

Virgin and Child between St. Catherine and Mary Magdalene (Giovanni Bellini, ca. 1500)

Room 10 features paintings by Tintoretto, Titian and Paolo Veronese.  The latter’s monumental Feast in the House of Levi (1573), originally called The Lord’s Last Supper, is shocking, not only for its size (at 42 ft. long, it is one of the largest canvases of the 16th century), but also for its rather racy depiction of the Lord’s holiest of moments. Here, the artist portrayed the Savior and his Apostles cavorting with drunkards, dwarves, Muslims and Reformation-minded Germans in a rousing, drunken banquet that resembled paintings of Roman orgies.

Feast in the House of Levi (Paolo Veronese, 1573, oil on canvas)

The Inquisition leaders, with their rising Puritanism, promptly condemned Veronese, charging the painter with irreverence and threatened to indict him on the very serious charge of heresy. Veronese quickly re-titled the work, still with Jesus in it but now surrounded by secular guests who were free to engage in acts of gluttony.  The mollified censors let it pass.

Stealing of the Body of St. Mark (Jacopo Tintoretto)

Jacopo Tintoretto’s The Stealing of the Body of St. Mark commemorates the Venetian merchants who, in 828, spirited the body of the famed saint and Evangelist away from Alexandria. During that era, Italy’s hyper-competitive maritime capitals competed to see who could steal the best saint and then build a cathedral around his bones. Acquiring bona fide saints was, thus, de rigueur for relic hunters. The painting is, obviously, a bit fanciful as it depicts the now long-dead saint, borne in the arms of the Venetian thieves, as a fresh, rather muscular corpse.

Procession in St. Mark’s Square (Gentile Bellini, 1496, tempera on canvas)

Room 12 is where you’ll find Giambattista Piazzetta’s saucy, fate-tempting socialite in Fortune Teller.  In Room 20, you’ll find works by Carpaccio and Gentile Bellini’s Procession in St Mark’s Square, which offers an intriguing view of Venice’s iconic piazza before its 16th-century makeover.

Departure of the English Ambassadors (Vittore Carpaccio, 1497-98)

The Ambassadors Return to the English Court (Vittore Carpaccio, 1495, oil on canvas)

Room 21 is home to Vittore Carpaccio’s St. Ursula Cycle, a series of 9 paintings documenting the saint’s ill-fated life. In Room 17, you’ll find works of Canaletto, Guardi and Pietro Longhi. Everything is clearly marked and explained. Rooms 12 to 19 are occasionally used for temporary exhibitions.

The Concert (Pietro Longhi, 1741, oil on canvas)

Pieta (Girolamo Romani)

Room 23, a serene showstopper fronted by a Bellini altarpiece, is the original convent chapel where tou can find Giorgione’s highly charged La Tempesta (The Storm) featuring a mysterious nursing mother and a passing soldier with a bolt of summer lightning, its meaning still debated by art historians – is this an expulsion from Eden, an allegory for alchemy, or a reference to Venice conquering Padua in the War of Cambria?

Ornate ceiling of Sala  dell’Albergo

Ornamental splendor is found at the newly restored Sala dell’Albergo, Scuola della Carità’s boardroom (Room 24), which has a lavishly carved ceiling. It faces Antonio Vivarini’s wrap-around masterpiece The Virgin Enthroned with Saints Jerome, Gregory, Ambrose and Augustine (1446 (oil on canvas), filled with fluffy-bearded saints.  closes with The touching 1534–39 Presentation of the Virgin, of Titian, features a young, tiny Madonna trudging up an intimidating staircase.  A distinctly Venetian crowd of onlookers points to her example yet few of the velvet and pearl-clad merchants offer alms to the destitute mother or even feed the begging dog.

Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple (Titian, 1534)

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Campo della Carita,  Dorsoduro 1050, 30123 Venice, Italy.  Tel: +39 041 522 2247.  Admission: €15 (entry to the museum is free on the first Sunday of every month). Open Mondays, 8:15 AM to 2 PM, Tuesdays to Sundays, 8:15 AM to 7:15 PM (last entrance at 6:15 PM). When you buy your ticket you will be asked to place backpacks and additional bags bigger than 20 x 30 x 15 cms. inside lockers (€1), but you will get you money back when you retrieve your belongings. There is an audio guide (for an extra €6). Photography is allowed as long as you do not use your flash. During the busy season, queues can be long after 10 AM. Admissions are restricted to 400 people at the same time.

How to Get There:  the museum is about a 15-20 min walk from St Marks and is easy to find as it is well signposted in the Dorsoduro district.

Rialto Bridge (Venice, Italy)

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Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto), one of the four bridges (and the oldest) spanning the 3,800 m. long, S-shaped Grand Canal, is one of the architectural icons of Venice.  The dividing line for the  the sestieri (districts) of San Marco and San Polo, it is renowned as an architectural and engineering achievement of the Renaissance.

A gondola passing under the bridge

This pedestrian bridge had its beginning in 1181 as a pontoon bridge called the Ponte della Moneta (presumably because of the mint that stood near its eastern entrance) built, at the narrowest point of the canal, by Nicolò Barattieri. In 1255, the development and importance of the Rialto market on the eastern bank, necessitated its replacement by a timber bridge with two inclined ramps, meeting at a movable central section, that could be raised to allow the passage of tall galleys. The connection with the Rialto market eventually led to a change of the bridge’s name. The painting Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto, by Italian Renaissance artist Vittore Carpaccio, dates back to 1496, the time when the bridge was still in wood.

The painting Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto, by Vittore Carpaccio, can be found at the Gallerie dell’Accademia

During the first half of the 15th century, two rows of shops were built along the sides of the bridge, its rents and taxes bringing an income (which helped maintain the bridge in working order) to the State Treasury. In 1310, it was partly burnt during the revolt led by Bajamonte Tiepolo. In 1444, it collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade in celebration of wedding of the Marquis Ferrara. In 1524, the bridge collapsed again.

In 1503, the idea of rebuilding the bridge in stone was first proposed. Over the following decades, several projects were considered. In 1551, the authorities, among other things, requested proposals for the renewal of the Rialto Bridge and plans were offered by famous architects such as Jacopo Sansovino, Palladio and Vignola (Michelangelo  was also considered as a designer of the bridge), all involving a Classical approach with several arches (which would hinder the river traffic), and all judged inappropriate to the situation.

The present 48 m. (157 ft.) long and 7.32 m. (24 ft.) high stone arch bridge, designed and built by Swiss-born Venetian architect and engineer Antonio da Ponte (appropriately translated as “Anthony of the Bridge”) and his nephew, Antonio Contino (the architect of the Bridge of Sighs, Venice’s second most talked about bridge), was started in 1588 and completed in 1591.

Similar to the wooden bridge it succeeded, it consisted of a massive single 28.8 m. (94.5 ft.) long span, built on some 6,000 wooden piles driven under each abutment in the soft alluvial soil, with two inclined covered ramps lead up to a central portico. The bed joints of the stones were placed perpendicular to the thrust of the arch. The lower chord of the bridge has a length of 25 m. (83 ft.) and a width of 22.9 m. (75.1 ft.). Stone reliefs on the bridge depict St. Mark, the city’s patron, and St. Theodore and the Annuciation. 

Its design was considered so audacious so much so that architect Vincenzo Scamozzi predicted its future ruin.  However, the bridge has defied its critics and is now a significant tourist attraction in the city. The bridge has three walkways.  Two are located along the outer balustrades while the wider central walkway is lined by two arcades of small shops selling jewelry, linens, Murano glass, and other tourist items.

Rialto Bridge: Sestiere San Polo, 30125 Venice, Italy. As the bridge consists primarily of steps, crossing it is a challenge for tourists with strollers or wheelchairs.

How to Get There: From the train station or the Piazzale Roma or if you’re walking from St. Mark’s Square, simply follow the signs to “Rialto.” From the square,  head for the clock tower, cut through the arched passage, and follow the upscale shopping streets (known as the Mercerie) until you reach the Grand Canal, then turn right and walk two blocks to the bridge. Another option is to approach the bridge via the No. 1 vaporetto (water bus) which stops at Rialto on its way up or down the Grand Canal.

The Iconic Foot Bridges of the Grand Canal (Venice, Italy)

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Grand Canal

Fascinating Venice, often called the “City of Canals,” is also known as the “City of Bridges” because of the 400-plus pedestrian bridges, both nondescript and practical, that crisscross its waterways and embody the city’s beauty and history.  However, only four of these bridges span the Grand Canal.

Rialto Bridge

The photogenic Rialto Bridge (Ponte de Rialto), the first and oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal, is still in use, connecting the sestieri  (districts) of San Marco and San Polo.  One of the city’s most famous landmarks, rows of shops (mostly jewellers and souvenir shops) line each side of this wide, stone arched bridge which is the gateway to the famous nearby Rialto (the name Rialto is derived from the words rivo alto meaning “high bank”) food market, the city’s principal food market since the 11th century located west of the span.  Built along the so-called “lazy bend” of the waterway (between its two highest points above sea level) and its narrowest point, tourists flock here to see this famous bridge and its views of the gondola-filled Grand Canal waterway. It has fairly steep flights of steps. Until the completion of the Accademia Bridge in 1854, this was the only bridge over the Grand Canal.

Check out “Rialto Bridge“

The Academy Bridge (Ponte dell Accademia), so named because it crosses the Grand Canal (near the southern end) at the Gallerie dell’Accademia (one of the top museums in Venice after whom it  is named for), links the sestieri of Dorsoduro and San Marco.

Check out “Gallerie dell’Accademia“

The original steel structure, designed by Alfred Neville and opened on November 20, 1854, was demolished and replaced by a wooden bridge designed by Eugenio Miozzi and opened in 1933 (despite widespread hopes for a stone bridge).

Ponte de Accademia

In 1986, when the 1930s bridge was deemed too dangerous, the total replacement of the wooden elements was necessary and metal arches, capable of supporting the structure better, were inserted. Interesting because of its high arch construction and the fact that it is made of wood, Venice authorities have attempted to crack down on lovers attaching padlocks (“love locks“) to the metal hand rails of the bridge.

Approach to Ponte de Accademia

The elegant stone arch Scalzi Bridge (Ponte degli Scalzi or Ponte dei Scalzi), named for the nearby Chiesa degli Scalzi (literally the “Church of the Barefoot Monks”), links the  sestieri of Santa Croce, on the south side, and Cannaregio on the north side. If you are arriving in Venice, via rail, to the Santa Lucia (Ferrovia) railway station, the Scalzi Bridge will be one of the first bridges you will cross after disembarking. Designed by Eugenio Miozzi, it was completed in 1934, replacing an Austrian iron bridge.

Ponte degli Scalzi

The Scalzi is located a mere stone-throw away to Ponte di Calatrava, the fourth and final of the four bridges to span the Grand Canal. Strategically located, it links the Stazione di Santa Lucia, on the north, to Piazzale Roma (the city’s arrival point by car/bus), on the south side of the Grand Canal, a bus depot (this bridge is closer to the bus station than the Scalzi bridge) and car park.  Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and constructed by Cignoni, its design and installation studies were carried out by a specialized group – Prof. Renato Vitaliani (Padua University) and Prof. Francesco Colleselli (Brescia University) for geotechnical and foundation aspects; the company Mastropasqua-Zanchin & Associates Structural Engineering for the steel arch and weldings verification; and Fagioli Group and Giorgio Romaro (Padua University) for the installation activities.

Ponte della Costituzione

A controversial addition to Venice’s architectural landscape because of its cost (its official budget for the project of €6.7 million ballooned to approximately €10 million), its construction and inauguration was also delayed by heated criticism, walk-outs and protests by politicians and the general public, in part, due to controversy over its Modernist-Minimalist style (being incompatible with Venice’s decorative medieval architecture),  the lack of wheelchair access (its many steps, embedded in its relatively steep pavement, means that elderly people will have difficulty climbing it and wheelchair users are excluded from crossing) and lack of necessity (the distances between Scalzi and Rialto Bridges or between the Rialto and Ponte dell’Accademia bridges are severalfold longer, and with no other way to cross the canal besides the vaporetto or traghetto).

However, its basic span was finally moved into place by a large barge from July to August 11, 2007 and the bridge was opened for public use on the night of September 11, 2008. In 2010, a mobility lift system, resembling cocoons, was installed, incurring large costs as  it was not part of the original design.

This arched truss bridge, designed to be constructed off-site and installed entirely from the canal, has a large radius of 180 m. (590 ft.).  It has a central arch, two side arches and two lower arches, all joined together by girders (consisting of steel tubes and plates which forms closed section boxes) placed perpendicular to the arches.The bridge stairway, paved with pietra d’Istria (a stone traditionally used in Venice), has tempered glass steps illuminated from below by fluorescent lights. The tempered glass parapet  terminates in a bronze handrail with concealed lighting.

Formerly known as Quarto Ponte sul Canal Grande, the official name of Ponte della Costituzione (English: Constitution Bridge) was adopted in 2008 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Italian constitution. However, tourists and locals in Venice still refer to it as the Calatrava Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Calatrava). Today, this bridge is important, both functionally and symbolically, as it connects arriving visitors to the city, welcoming them to Venice with a panoramic view of the Grand Canal.