Italian Sketches (1950s?)

[Music] this like a mirage on the horizon of her Lagoon built on 118 Islands divided by0 canals and cross CR by more than 45 centuries of History boned into Venice its antique luster grow inlaid with rare marbles guilt fires and mosaics in Gold medically invented undefinable which can't quite be grasped her structures which follow the rhythm of the waters seem to exclude themselves from the realm of architecture this is the mirror of a people who learned to drain from the M it build upon the land the sublime reality of poetic color cut from Stone being built on poetry she survives in form and spirit the historical Seasons which created her and with each day that passes seems to have her rebirth to recreate herself by virtue of the original will her Byzantine arches frame this rare environment of open stretches of water surrounded on all sides by palaces of rare Beauty crowned by this Plaza St Mark arranged like a gra the cathedral stands in semi- Oriental Splendor with many of her pillars old mosaics and gold brought as Spoils of War from cities of the leav to one side of the cathedral is the Tower of the Moors and at the top they strike 12 and all seems drawn in Fusion in one moment [Music] Sublime on the other side of the cathedral is the Dual Palace the Palace of the does from there the government of Venice ruled with an iron hand though by tradition and by law the sternest measures were always well tested first for impartiality and Justice commercial life in this amazing City evolved along the Grand Canal and the bridge of the Rialto with its tiny shops of trade which displayed the strangest wees brought here from other continents by their fleets of merchant ships which made their City great the wealthy built palaces like this surnamed the House of Gold when Misfortune struck as in the case of the Great Plague venetians prayed to heaven and when it ceased they gave their thanks by creating a new island on which they built a church to the Madonna of good health hundreds of thousands of seasoned logs of Cedar driven into mud gave support to their new Temple a symbol of their thanks the plague had passed and life resumed its course her kind strong race lives on proud of her past glory and is ever conscious of this setting so unlike any other on this Earth they live and work in the ways set by their forefathers their days are spent at ancient trades in ancient silent structures a river at their door their lives are tempered to these Waters so integral a part part of their existence their floating crafts as much a part of them as are their limbs as to a bird its wings these long slim craft with graceful boughs have long been called by Foreign tongues the symbol of bright Venice her clean steel bow is carved to draw the substance of Venetian history the upper blade is shaped to represent the do's C the long curve the Grand Canal and Tiny blades show by their number the islands forming Venice and then the leaves between the blades the island residence the origin of her and of her Gondolier in olden times the colors of these boats were rich and gay like the spirit of the people but then came the decline and with it a Stern law which ruled that black would be their shade and none their decorations since all excesses were considered as insults to the poor such they remain unto this day in respect to ancient Justice the greatest worth of lore modern Venice continues with her Arts of days bygone among these is that of glass on a small island called Morano adjacent to Venice proper these artist Craftsmen follow well one of the trades made venetians famous the methods of the Ancients are used with dexterity and strange as it may seem no one could ever copy this since they withhold no secret heating process no secret formula yet all remains within their first hands which well deserve the artist's Crown this and this is the secret of their texture they melt and twist mold draw and cut this common substance into forms of sheer perfection transparent solids become liquids of reddish incandescent as they mix in Powers silver sometimes gold or sometimes nothing but the graceful form which only they can give to make a lifeless Crystal live the story of their Romance [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] visitors come to admire and enjoy this Monumental spectacle and see the life of Venice from her children with their open Simple charm to her narrow darken passages and today's Venetian life in these surroundings which by their nature forbid all hate [Music] some will come as students or artists of great Fame who seek to paint by graphic memes their Splendor cloak Solitude which well resists the artist's reach whatever one can see wherever one can go the scene is quiet calm remote imp with Solitude and Pure Romance the history of Venice can be said to begin in the wake of the Roman Empire's fall after Atilla and his Huns had plundered Rome they ravaged the countryside which lay helpless in their path far into the North and in the region bordering what was to become ven cities were gutted burned and sacked by The Barbarians until the people fled to Lagoon inhabited by a few fotten Fisher folk the year was 452 ad this Refuge of Muddy murky little eyelets offered a protected shelter which held Intruders far at Bay but here there was no wood no rock with which to build their homes at first the wood and then the stones were brought in boats to house their bodies and their souls in this their home to be they had no land on which to raise their food and men must eat for this they turned to arts and crafts which sold to those who tilled the soil in distant lands they sold and purchased sought and found that Commerce which would mold the casting of their Destiny so while the rest of Europe groped blindly in the Dark Ages Venice knew no feudal Lords no tyrants and no C there were no clouds of ignorance to squel progress of mind no change no bars nor walls to hold from them Horizons wealth and dignity her Merchants went to the Exotic lands of the vague and distant East one of the first was Marco Polo who traveled across the face of Asia in search of Fame and Fortune he charted unknown seas and countries then tried to prove his rare notations by showing gems clothing and spices brought back after years years of travel all was granted as a worthless tale and for many centuries his Priceless notes were lost in a ridicule which time alone would prove [Music] unjust the government of Venice was headed by an autocrat a doge who ruled with all authority until this system weakened through impulsive thoughtless Deeds almost costing the State of Venice her Freedom wealth and trade so the age of secrecy with the do just figurehead of a super secret ruling class the Council of the 10 10 men a year in office who pledged themselves to the protection of all citizen rights the people knew that their interests were well guarded and for this reason accepted without question those laws which silenced Venetian traitors and Spies of Mainland States Justice was Swift and without recourse since before a move was made the counter spies had done their work this way the city was well guarded from all who would destroy the roots of states by infiltration and Corruption both East and West knew well the word venetian it meant a race of merchants Hardy Sailors and diplomats Adept in keeping Independence and reaping the wealth of neutral trade in an era of great Invasion feudal slavery and Wars attracted by a loot so rich there came into existence a swarm of pirates from the dalmatian Coast they stood in wait for cargol Laden ships to pass then would pounce on them with predatory Glee for centuries normal defensive measures proved mostly ineffective so in the year 1000 the Doge waged allout war against them who cut by Bandit meemes the road of their survival the foes were crushed in battle their strongholds overrun this piracy had met its end unhindered trade could be resumed and goods could flow from west to east and east to [Music] west this Victory caused wondrous celebrations and became perpetuated by the wedding of the sea the Doge would lead a grand procession of vessels large and small then dropped into Eternal Waters the symbol of their time a wedding Band of Gold which sank beneath the waves these waves which shaped their lives their treasures and their Creed as she passed the peak of power her talents were diverged to the finer Arts these gave her a greatness which far outlasted her fleets of fighting ships and the glitter of her wealth her art was best reflected in that man the world calls tishan who struck his brush in rhythmic Harmony on countless Priceless canvases to obtain a color unsurpassed with power of expression with ti came bini cetto hio and GE together they formed the nucleus of the great Venetian School of painting the wealth and history of Venice have now become a legend but this art is ever living breathing present [Music] and so the years and centuries rolled on then the Republic met its end with the advance of Napoleon bonapart in the year 1796 when this violent turmoil spent itself under its own Fury the fair city became a part of United Italy before and after the fall of the Republic this Grandeur so hard one could anything but die artists writers and musicians had and would come from near and distant countries to drink of her resplendent Waters The Inspirations of her past the world's Immortal poets wrote their lyrics of these Mystic mirrors of everlasting Glory [Music] time which changes any and all things material seems to have paused before this treasure oh yes the day will come when she too will crumble in distant centuries she too will draw her final living breath as all must die but from her ruins and in the courses of her silent Waters will forever rise her message her poetry her soul [Music]