Piazza San Marco - One of Venice’s Most Elegant Squares
One of the world’s most stunning squares, Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) is the heart of Venice, a vast open space bordered by an orderly procession of arcades marching toward the fairy tale cupolas and marble lacework of the Basilica di San Marco.
Alwyas packed by day with people and fluttering pigeons, it can be magical at night, especially in winter, when mists swirl around the lamp posts and the Campanile.
If you face the basilica from in front of the Correr Museum, you’ll notice that rather than being a strict rectangle, this square opens wider at the basilica end, creating the illusion that it’s even larger than it is.
The Piazza was paved in the late 13th century with bricks laid in a herringbone pattern. Bands of light stone ran parallel to the long axis of the main piazza. These lines were probably used in setting up market stalls and in organising frequent ceremonial processions. This original pavement design can be seen in paintings of the late Middle Ages and through the Renaissance, such as Gentile Bellini’s Procession in Piazza San Marco of 1496.
On your left, the long, arcaded building is the Procuratie Vecchie, built in the early 16th century as offices and residences for the powerful procurators of San Marco. On your right is the Procuratie Nuove, built half a century later in a more grandiose classical style.
It was originally planned by Venice’s great Renaissance architect, Sansovino, to carry on the look of his Libreria Sansoviniana (Sansovinian Library), but he died before construction on the Nuove had begun. Vincenzo Scamozzi (circa 1552-1616), a neoclassicist pupil of Andrea Palladio (1508-80), completed the design and construction. Still later, the Procuratie Nuove was modified by architect Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682), one of Venice’s baroque masters.
When Napoleon entered Venice with his troops in 1797, he called Piazza San Marco “the world’s most beautiful drawing room” and promptly gave orders to redecorate it. His architects demolished a 16th-century church with a Sansovino facade in order to build the Ala Napoleonica (Napoleonic Wing), or Fabbrica Nuova (New Building), which linked the two 16th-century procuratie and effectively encircled the piazza.
Piazzetta San Marco, the “little square” leading from Piazza San Marco to the waters of Bacino San Marco (St. Mark’s Basin), is a landing that was once the grand entryway to the Republic. It’s distinguished by two columns towering above the waterfront.
One is topped by the winged lion, a traditional emblem of St. Mark that became the symbol of Venice itself; the other supports St. Theodore, the city’s first patron, along with his dragon. Between these columns the Republic traditionally executed convicts.
It takes a full day to take in everything on the piazza thoroughly; so if time is limited you’ll have to prioritize. Plan on one to two hours for the Basilica and its Pala d’Oro, Galleria, and Museo Marciano. You’ll want at least two hours to appreciate the Palazzo Ducale. Do take time to enjoy the piazza itself from a cafe table, or on a clear day, from atop the Campanile.
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Thailand History and Geographic Profile
Thailand can be divided into four geographical regions. In the north are mountain ranges and deep valleys in which are the sources of Thailand’s principal river, the Chao Phraya. The mountains are covered with forests of teak and evergreens. In central Thailand is the plain of the Chao Phraya. This is the most densely populated region, and it has the best farm land. In the east is the Khorat Plateau, a high, rocky plain, where cattle, hogs, buffaloes and horses are raised. The fourth region of Thailand is the part that lies on the Malay Peninsula, which is mountainous and contains the main tin and other mineral deposits.
The climate of Thailand is tropical. It is governed largely by the monsoon, a wind that blows from the southwest from May to November, bringing a warm, rainy season, and from the northeast from November to March, bringing a dry and cooler season. The months of April and May, between the monsoon seasons, are the hottest of the year.
Thailand has many wild and beautiful animals, including more than a thousand varieties of brightly coloured birds. It is famous for the elephant, which is the national symbol of the country and is protected by law. The so called white elephant (which is really a lighter shade of grey) is considered sacred. A favorite animal from Thailand is the Siamese cat. Thailand used to be name Siam.
The largest city of Thailand, and the capital, is Bangkok. It is a modern city located about 25 miles inland from the ocean at the delta of the Menam River. It is a harbor and center of commerce, and has a population of more than 1,500,000. Several international airlines connecting Asia with the United States and Europe make regular stops at Don Muang airport, which is one of the largest and most modern in Asia. Other important cities are Khon Kaen, Buriram, and Thonburi.
How the People are Governed
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, which means that it has a king, a parliament that makes the laws, and a constitution that protects the rights of the people. There is a prime minister, who is the head of the government, and a Council of Ministers who assist him or her. The first constitution of 1932 was suspended in 1958 after repeated disorders, and a constitutional assembly was formed in 1959 to draft a new and better constitution. Thailand is divided into provinces called changwats, each of which is governed by a commissioner who is responsible to the Council of Ministers.
Everyone must go to school between the ages of 7 and 14. There are many elementary and high schools, and there are five universities, including a medical school. Three of these are located in the capital, Bangkok. There are also military, naval, and police academies. More than half of the people of Thailand can read and write.
Thailand in the Past
In ancient times Thailand was a land of independent city-states. These were usually at war with the Mongols and the Burmese. The greatest of the city-states was Ayutthaya, which became strong in the 1300s and won much territory from neighboring states. Marco Polo visited Ayutthaya, and many other Europeans came to trade with the Siamese, including Dutch, English, and French. After four hundred years of prosperity, Ayutthaya was invaded and conquered by the Burmese, in 1767.
Another city-state arose at Thonburi, and in 1782 a Thai king arose who was the founder of the present Thailand dynasty, or family of kings. He was Rama I, and he established Bangkok as his capital. During the 1800s European nations were establishing claims to territories all around Thailand. The king was forced to give up Laos and Cambodia to France, and parts of the Malay Peninsula to Great Britain, but Thailand never gave up its independence.
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Sphere: Related ContentThailand - Land of Lush Wonder
Thailand is a kingdom in southeast Asia on the Indochinese and Malay peninsulas. Through most of its history Thailand was called Siam. The people call themselves Thai, which in their language means “the free people.” In 1948 the Thai government changed the name of the country to Thailand.
Thailand has an area of about 511,770 square kilometers, which makes it not quite as large as the American state of Texas. About sixty one million people live there, which is nearly three times as many as the population of Australia.
The People of Thailand
The first people in the region of Thailand were Negritos, a Negroid pygmy people. The Negritos became mixed with invading Mongols and tribes from China to produce the modern race of Thai. There are two main groups in the population, the true Thai and the Lao. Thailanders are rather short, but well built. They have brownish skin and straight black hair.
Thailanders are an independent and courageous people, and there are no caste divisions in Thailand. All the people, including the women, have equal rights. Thailand is a very musical country, although its music sometimes sounds strange to Western ears, and the people are artistic dancers.
Schooling in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education. A free basic education of 12 is guaranteed by the Thai constitution, and a minimum of nine years’ school attendance is mandatory.
Thailanders are noted for their artistic abilities, ranging from the making of jewelry to the architecture of the beautiful Buddhist temples. There are many religious festivals in Thailand, with colorful costumes and ceremonies.
The people speak the Siamese language, which is a member of the Indochinese family of languages. Religion plays a very important role in Thai life. Religion is considered an essential pillar of society, it is not only the major moral force of Thai family and community but has also contributed to the molding of freedom loving, individualistic, and tolerant people for many centuries.
Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand, but there is total religious freedom and all major religions can be found in practice. There is absolute freedom of religion - Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths are practiced and protected by the constitution. Buddhism is the faith of 95 percent of the population, 4 percent are Muslims, 0.5 percent and Christians, and the remainder Hindus, Sikhs and other religion.
Despite the fact that Buddhism is the faith of majority, both the king and the government uphold and support all the religions accepted by the people. Amidst rich diversity of beliefs, until recently people of Thailand have always lived together in peace and harmony.
How they Live
Thailand is largely a nation of farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen. The principal foods of the people are rice and fish. Nearly all of the farm land is planted with rice. In addition to the large quantities eaten by the people, Thailand exports a large quantity of rice as well as electronic products. Other farm crops include cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and sesame seeds. The rivers of Thailand are full of fish, and large catches also are made in the Gulf of Thailand (previously the Gulf of Siam). Much of Thailand’s wonderful food contains seafood dishes.
Three-quarters of Thailand is covered with forests from which come the country’s famous teakwood, as well as bamboo, ebony, rosewood, boxwood, and Palmyra palm. The forests provide important quantities of lac (a resin deposited on trees by the lac insect) , rubber, oils, dyes. and tanning bark.
Thailand has large and varied mineral resources, the most important of which are tin, wolfram ore, coal, copper, antimony, gold, iron, manganese, molybdenum, silver, lead, gypsum, and lignite. There is a growing hi-tech economy and foreign countries have been encouraged to build factories there for the production of chemicals, textiles, and other goods.
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