Back to Book

The Stones of Venice, Volume 2 (of 3), by John Ruskin

3. TIDES OF VENICE, AND MEASURES AT TORCELLO.

451 words  |  Chapter 54

The lowest and highest tides take place in Venice at different periods, the lowest during the winter, the highest in the summer and autumn. During the period of the highest tides, the city is exceedingly beautiful, especially if, as is not unfrequently the case, the water rises high enough partially to flood St. Mark's Place. Nothing can be more lovely or fantastic than the scene, when the Campanile and the Golden Church are reflected in the calm water, and the lighter gondolas floating under the very porches of the façade. On the other hand, a winter residence in Venice is rendered peculiarly disagreeable by the low tides, which sometimes leave the smaller canals entirely dry, and large banks of mud beneath the houses, along the borders of even the Grand Canal. The difference between the levels of the highest and lowest tides I saw in Venice was 6 ft. 3 in. The average fall rise is from two to three feet. * * * * * The measures of Torcello were intended for Appendix 4; but having by a misprint referred the reader to Appendix 3, I give them here. The entire breadth of the church within the walls is 70 feet; of which the square bases of the pillars, 3 feet on each side, occupy 6 feet; and the nave, from base to base, measures 31 ft. 1 in.; the aisles from base to wall, 16 feet odd inches, not accurately ascertainable on account of the modern wainscot fittings. The intervals between the bases of the pillars are 8 feet each, increasing towards the altar to 8 ft. 3 in., in order to allow for a corresponding diminution in the diameter of the bases from 3 ft. to 2 ft. 11 in. or 2 ft. 10. in. This subtle diminution of the bases is in order to prevent the eye from feeling the greater narrowness of the shafts in that part of the nave, their average circumference being 6 ft. 10 in.; and one, the second on the north side, reaching 7 feet, while those at the upper end of the nave vary from 6 ft. 8 in. to 6 ft. 4 in. It is probable that this diminution in the more distant pillars adds slightly to the perspective effect of length in the body of the church, as it is seen from the great entrance: but whether this was the intention or not, the delicate adaptation of this diminished base to the diminished shaft is a piece of fastidiousness in proportion which I rejoice in having detected; and this the more, because the rude contours of the bases themselves would little induce the spectator to anticipate any such refinement.
Previous Chapter Chapter List Next Chapter

Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. CHAPTER I. 3. CHAPTER II. 4. CHAPTER III. 5. CHAPTER IV. 6. CHAPTER V. 7. CHAPTER VI. 8. CHAPTER VII. 9. CHAPTER VIII. 10. 12. Modern Paintings on Glass, 394 11. CHAPTER I. 12. CHAPTER II. 13. CHAPTER III. 14. 1125. The Doge Domenico Michele, having in the second crusade secured 15. 1. a. b. c. b. a. 11. b. a. c. f. a. a. 16. CHAPTER IV. 17. chapter ii. of the "Seven Lamps," § 18, I especially guarded this 18. introduction to his Iconographie Chrétienne, p. 7:--"Un de mes 19. CHAPTER V. 20. 1. Fondaco de' Turehi, lateral 8. St. Mark's. 21. 3. Casa Farsetti, central pillars, 11. Casa Loredan, upper arcade. 22. 7. Casa Loredan, upper arcade. 15. St. Mark's. 23. CHAPTER VI. 24. 6. Redundance. 25. 1. Never encourage the manufacture of any article not absolutely 26. 2. Never demand an exact finish for its own sake, but only for some 27. 3. Never encourage imitation or copying of any kind, except for the sake 28. 1. Never encourage the manufacture of anything not necessary, in the 29. book I have seen which, favoring the Liberal cause in Italy, gives a 30. CHAPTER VII. 31. 6. In domestic architecture, the remains of the original balconies begin 32. 1. JANUARY, _Carrying home a noble tree on his shoulders, the leafage of 33. 2. FEBRUARY. _Sitting in a carved chair, warming his bare feet at a 34. 3. MARCH. Here, as almost always in Italy, _a warrior_: the Mars of the 35. 4. APRIL. Here, _carrying a sheep upon his shoulder_. A rare 36. 5. MAY _is seated, while two young maidens crown him with flowers._ A 37. 6. JUNE. _Reaping._ The corn and sickle sculptured with singular care 38. 7. JULY. _Mowing._ A very interesting piece of sculpture, owing to the 39. 8. AUGUST. Peculiarly represented in this archivolt, _sitting in a 40. 9. SEPTEMBER. _Bearing home grapes in a basket._ Almost always sowing, 41. 10. OCTOBER. _Wearing a conical hat, and digging busily with a long 42. 11. NOVEMBER. _Seems to be catching small birds in a net._ I do not 43. 12. DECEMBER. _Killing swine._ It is hardly ever that this employment is 44. CHAPTER VIII. 45. 1301. Some remnants of the Ziani Palace were perhaps still left between 46. 25. " Frequentatio Companying with saints. 47. 30. " Perseverantia. Perseverance. 48. 7. To Violence and Fraud. 49. 10. Treachery to those who repose entire trust in the traitor. 50. introduction to Intemperance; a graceful and feminine image, necessary 51. 68. Some historians speak of the palace as having been destroyed 52. 1. THE GONDOLIER'S CRY. 53. 2. OUR LADY OF SALVATION. 54. 3. TIDES OF VENICE, AND MEASURES AT TORCELLO. 55. 4. DATE OF THE DUOMO OF TORCELLO. 56. 5. MODERN PULPITS. 57. 6. APSE OF MURANO. 58. 7. EARLY VENETIAN DRESS. 59. 8. INSCRIPTIONS AT MURANO. 60. 9. SHAFTS OF ST. MARK. 61. 10. PROPER SENSE OF THE WORD IDOLATRY. 62. 11. SITUATIONS OF BYZANTINE PALACES. 63. 12. MODERN PAINTING ON GLASS.

Reading Tips

Use arrow keys to navigate

Press 'N' for next chapter

Press 'P' for previous chapter