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The Grand Canal is the largest canal in Venice. It is the most traveled canal in Venice because of its size, length, and convenient location to the most popular parts of the city. The canal is shaped like an "S" as it weaves through Venice with the Santa Lucia railway station on one end and the Saint Mark Basin on the other. The Grand Canal is short of 4000m, roughly 3800m long and anywhere from 30-90m wide. Most of the boat traffic on the Grand Canal is in the form of water buses or taxis, but tourists usually prefer to enjoy the canal in gondolas.
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History and Architecture
The Grand Canal used to be a part of an ancient river when people first began to live along its banks. During the rule of the Romans and the Byzantines, the Canal was a very important trade route and was able to harbor many large ships in the lagoon due to its reasonable depth. Merchants would live along the banks and would be easily accessible for business.
Following along the Grand Canal is like traveling through time. The historic architecture along its banks date back to the 13th century. The oldest building along the canal, the Ca' da Mosto, is a 13th century palace during the byzantine empire. 15th century Gothic architecture also populates the canal's border in the forms of the Ca' d'Oro, and the Ca' Foscari; the former being known as one of the most beautiful palazzos in all of Venice, and the latter being the current home of the University of Venice. The more historical recent architecture style during the renaissance period is also very prevalent along the Grand Canal. The great architect Baldassarre Longhena built many of the renaissance style buildings in Venice, most notably would probably be the Santa Maria della Salute. This church is one of the most popular in Venice and is a symbol of the Grand Canal.
Events on the Canal
The Grand Canal is not only historic because of the buildings, but is also home to many annual events that are taken place on the Canal that are centuries old. There are many events that the Venetians celebrate throughout the calendar such as the Carnival at the end of January or the large festival with a fireworks display known as the Redentore. Also on May 11th, there is the annual rowing marathon around around Venice and the lagoon. This event is known as the Vogalonga as people and all different sized boats take part in this annual race.
There are two other main events that take place around the same time of year that have specific significance with the Grand Canal. The earlier event takes place on the first Sunday in September. This event is known as the Historical Regatta ("Regata Storica"). The Historical Regatta is watched by thousands from the banks or from floating stands that are made especially for this day. The race is supposed to reenact the Queen of Cyprus Catherine Cornaro entrance into Venice which took place in 1489. It is customary for the participants to dress up in 16th clothing and drive 16th century style ships. The second annual event takes place only 2 months later on November 21st. For Venetians, this day is used to thank the Virgin Mary for saving Venice from further casualties during the Italian Plague of 1629-1631. The day is spent with a pilgrimage to the Santa Maria della Salute by means of a temporary pontoon bridge across the Grand Canal.
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--Tmcgee722 16:13, 23 June 2008 (UTC)