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This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

Transforming a Water Gate #1

A quick transformation today, where one of the functional water gates of Venice goes from blah to ahhh.

“Typically, steps disappear into the waters of the canal”

There are many, many water gates throughout Venice. These water gates are water-level entrances to businesses and homes that sit on the 175-odd canals of Venice. Deliveries of people and goods have come through these doors for centuries. Some are very basic -- just for goods -- and some are a bit more fancy -- for people who want to arrive by boat, rather than by foot.

Many of the water gates are difficult to photograph, as there is no visual access to those gates from across the small canals from which they have their access. But, I have been able to capture photos of many, like the one that is the focus of today's article.

Typically, steps disappear into the waters of the canal. These steps allow for fluctuating water levels created by the tidal affects in the Venation lagoon -- whether the water levels are high or low, one steps out onto stairs.

Here is the original snapshot of this water gate, with its spiderweb-inspired door insert. My only disappointment in this layout is the age of the doors...I would have preferred older, weathered doors...but I'll work on it. This snapshot is a bit wonky, as I couldn't get a head-on photograph. And I can't say that I like the downspouts intruding into this scene are of interest for the final image. And then there's the bit of white card on the right-hand door.

Just below, you can see the next step in the photo's transformation. The image has been straightened so that vertical lines are vertical and horizontal lines are horizontal. I've also removed the downspouts to the left, as well as a bit of window.

It's now time to age the photo a bit through the addition of richness, which I create with color, luminosity and sharpening.

I was pretty happy with what I had at this point, but I thought that the doors were kind of lost...they needed some lightening and a bit more texture. I also wanted a bit more mid-tone contrast, so I did those things and you see the final result, below.

Now, take a look at the original snapshot above and the final version below. Quite a transformation, huh? Now I've got that more-ancient look for which I always strive. I hope you enjoyed the transformation process.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Eat Here: Ristorante Antico Martini

“This restaurant has been in continuous operation since 1720, which means that it is approaching its 300 year birthday! ”

One of the charms of Italy is its food. With one exception, I've always enjoyed every meal. Today's article is about one of our favorite Venetian restaurants -- Antico Martini.

Here is a photo of the restaurant late at night. The photo shows one of the four dining areas -- this one the Terrace -- and it was taken from the campo that Antico Martini shares with the La Fenice opera house.

[click an image for larger view]

Like most Venetian restaurants, Martini is open late for dinner, because that's when Italians tend to eat. This makes it an ideal place to eat after an opera, which we did after a fabulous performance of our favorite, La Boheme.

Any idea who the first party to make an Antico Martini reservation via the internet might be? We have that distinction! Long before restaurants created their own systems or began to use those such as Open Table, we used just plain, old email. The owner at that time, the charming Emilio Baldi, had a table set with a nice bouquet of flowers and the prosecco was on the house to celebrate the occasion.

Here is a photo of the main entrance to Antico Martini, on Calle Veste, just over a small bridge.

The location of Antico Martini is especially nice if one is going to the opera at La Fenice, which is right next door.

Like most all of the Venetian restaurants, seafood is the predominate fare. And the seafood is fresh and delicious. Local chefs visit the Rialto Market each morning to gather the makings for the day's meals. You can read more about The Rialto Market in one of my previous articles.

Here are a few photos of our times at Ristorante Antico Martini, starting with a couple of toasts to you and yours.

I've mentioned the seafood served in Venice before...and I will continue to do so. Here is an appetizer of very thinly sliced fish, caught just the previous evening. I'm not a sushi fan, but I had no trouble with this outstanding item. Notice how the candle light shows through my next bite!

One of our favorite things is having the fish presented, then de-boned, and then set before us. Here you see our server de-boning one of our dishes.

And here is our prize!

Antico Martini also has an excellent wine list. Here is a bottle of Valpolicella I enjoyed one evening. Note the 'legs' on this glass of red!

Here are a few photos of other dishes we've enjoyed at Antico Martini.

Always save room for dessert!

How about a limoncello digestivi to end the meal?

And it seems that Craig’s Longhorns have won their football game today…another reason to celebrate!

We have eaten at Antico Martini seven times and for sure, the next time we go to Venice it we will make our eighth visit.

Here is the web link to Ristorante Antico Martini

And here are two very happy patrons of Ristorante Antico Martini.

And in-laws Leslie and Craig are so happy about Antico Martini that they are jumping for joy!!!

We are always happy to introduce friends to Antico Martini...so join us?!

Ciao for now,

Steve

Transforming a Blue Boat

Just a quick transformation today to remind you what I do with snapshots taken in Italy, to take them back into that more ancient time for which I strive.

Here is the original photo of a blue boat in the Cannaregio sestiero (district).

If you've read many of my transformation articles in the past, you will notice several issues that displease me here -- specifically the modern objects that I loathe in my Venice photos. And there are several modern objects in this photo. Like a boat motor and metal conduits that just did not exist in my timeless Venice. And I don't like that piece of window to the right. So, they have to go. Here is the photo without those distracting elements.

Distracting elements removed from the photo

There seems to be an imbalance in the photo just above. I don't like that large blank area to the top right. It needs something of interest. I'm thinking that another stone balcony would work well here. So, I duplicated the balcony to the left, flipped it horizontally so that the perspective would be correct, and placed it to an appropriate place to the right. Below is the new image.

New balcony added to the top right of the photo

Now we're getting close. I need to add a bit of mood to the image, so I darken it some and add some texture, to get this image below.

Mood added by darkening and texture...but a few distractions remain

At this point, I noticed a few more distractions and I just have to remove them. There is a boat registration number on the boat that I doubt would appear in times gone by. And there are a few more items, like a small piece of rope on the window to the right, and some items at the bottom of that same window. Oh, I also note that there is a light bulb above the door. And that bright wood behind the door's wrought iron is too bright. Here now is my final photo.

There you have it...but as usual, I also like to create a digital painting version of many of my photos...so here is that photo, also.

That's it for today...just a simple transformation of a Venetian scene with a blue boat.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Transforming the Pozzi

Last week, I showed you several of the water wells that can be found around the city of Venice. Though these wells, or pozzo (singular) and pozzi (plural), are not used today, they have a certain historical significance for the Venetians.

“The last pozzo is the most challenging...there is no way to remove these elements — right?”

The photos you saw last week were a far cry from what I stared with out of the camera. So, this week, I give you a look behind the curtain to see what transpired to get the photos more presentable for you. After all, you may remember that my goal is to present to you a Venice of bye gone eras. This means that I have to meet the challenge through manipulation. So, here goes...

Pozzo #1

In this first snapshot, you can see that the pozzo is not the center of attention. It has to compete with a doorway, doorbells, and conduits of various sorts. Want to see a larger view of a photo, just click on its image.

Below, the distracting elements have now been removed.

Finally, a richer texture was added and the pozzo was isolated by blurring the newly-created background a bit.

Pozzo #2

This beautiful floral-themed pozzo is found in a nice, quiet courtyard. The original snapshot was off-kilter a bit, and it had a distracting background.

Below, I've worked on the background to simplify it so that more focus is given to the pozzo.

Finally, the background has been darkened and placed out of focus, and the pozzo has been given a richer texture.

Pozzo #3

Here is another pozzo that is found in a campo with distracting elements -- in this case, iron-barred windows -- I'll show you more on these windows in the future.

1 - Distraction abounds beyond this pozzo

Below, you can see that the windows have been removed, as if by magic.

Finally, as before, the pozzo is given focus through isolation and texture.

Pozzo #4

This last pozzo is the most challenging...just look at all of that stuff in the background of this busy campo. We have plants (palm trees, no less), windows, urns, lions, and even my reflection in the door of the Venice Best Western hotel. For sure, there is no way to remove these elements -- right?

1 - A busy courtyard with busy, distracting elements

As if by magic, I was able to reproduce enough of the wall stonework to fill in the background...but I have to admit that I had the help of Harry Potter as I worked this magic.

After a considerable amount of time and effort, I present to you the final photo, below. I doubt that you noticed, but there is a bit more water issuing forth from the spigot than the trickle of the original snapshot.

3 - The final photo with its rich texture and color -- along with a more generous stream of water

Well, that's it for this weeks transformation. Though the Venetians no longer have to rely on these pozzi, rest assured that they treasure them. And, I'm proud to present them to you in a more positive light.

Photo Tip: When photographing an object like these pozzi, get low before you snap the photo. The subjects will be much more interesting than if photographed looking down at them. And this works especially well when photographing children!

Ciao for now,

Steve

Venetian Pozzi

What is a pozzo or pozzi, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Read on.

Venice is a city that sits in a saltwater lagoon. It is an island...well, several islands...like about 117 islands. The point is that fresh water is very difficult to find when you are on an island surrounded by saltwater. That's where the marvelous invention of the pozzi come in.

This is perhaps the most gorgeous of the pozzi, and it is well preserved. The 'F' of the stonework probably stands for Franchetti, as this pozzo is found at the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, next to the Accadamia bridge. — This is perhaps the most gorgeous of the pozzi, and it is well preserved. The 'F' of the stonework probably stands for Franchetti, as this pozzo is found at the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, next to the Accadamia bridge.

A pozzo is a well, where pozzi is its plural. A typical well is created by digging or drilling down until one finds fresh, potable water. This has been done for centuries. But in Venice, if one digs down to water, it will be that same old saltwater that surrounds and permeates the city of Venice. So, how is a Venetian well different that those of the millennia?

The Venetian engineers who designed and constructed the pozzi knew at what level the lagoon's non-potable water sat under the buildings and open spaces (campi) of Venice. The foundational 'ground' elevation of Venice was created by driving millions and millions of tree trunks into the mud of the lagoon. The church of Santa Maria della Salute that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago had over one-million trees just for its own foundation. These pilings and the soil packed around and on them were used to raise the ground level upon which the city was built to a consistent level.

This pozzo has a lifting pulley for lifting water buckets, as well as a spigot with basin, for which the plumbing is a mystery to me.

These engineers knew that they could dig out the area under the campi to a certain level to create huge stone-lined cisterns for storage of rain water. After excavation of a campo, stonework was laid down on the bottom. Stonework was also laid down to form the walls of these large cisterns, as well as a loose stone cylinder which would make up the pit of the well . Then, the stone-lined excavation was filled with sand and covered with loose-fitting paving stones. Finally, a stone well (you know, like a wishing well) was set up in the middle of the campo right above the stone cylinder. Got it? If not, here is a nice cross-sectional drawing of a typical pozzo.

Cross-section of a typical pozzo of Venice. Illustration from Wikipedia by Marrabbio2

So, all that was needed now was for the rains to fall upon the city of Venice. That rain water seeped through the loose-fitting paving stones of the compo and collected within the sands of the cistern. Viola' -- water for the citizens of Venice.

This pozzo is well protected in a courtyard. The lion motif is emblematic of Venice, as it is the symbol of Saint Mark.

I love the amphora of this pozzo. It also has an iron covering mechanism.

Very simple...very functional...and the water will taste as sweet.

This pozzo has a leaf patter similar to the second of the pozzi shown above. The cross and shield embellishment seems to reflect Venice's relationship to the Crusades.

Another well-decorated pozzo, this one in a botanic motif.

Though very old, this pozzo has another of the spigots with basin. I suspect that today, it is connected to the Venetian system of fountains which dispense excellent water from the Italian alps.

I hope that you have enjoyed finding out a bit about how the Venetians kept hydrated over the centuries. Today, excellent, fresh water is brought down from the Italian alps, which one can actually see from the campanile of Venice on a clear day.

Each of the photos you see above took a good while for me to get it to the point of being presentable to you. Again, my goal is to give to you an ancient Venice -- a Venice of another time. In next week's article, I'll show you a number of before-and-after transformation which lead to these pozzi images.

Ciao for now,

Steve