Sottoportego

photo by Sean Antonioli


While Sean Antonioli was living in Venice, he took a lot of great photos.
I've posted many of them here, and most of them feature gondolas or other boats.

Today's image is of something else which is "very Venetian".
It's the Sottoportego.
defined by some guidebooks as "a place where the street goes through a building", these curious passageways allow pedestrians to continue walking, despite the fact that a building is standing in their way.
There's a nice expose on these "under passages" at this website:
http://www.bellereti.com/jzimm/Venice/Sotto.html

The sottoportego is many things:
- it's a clever solution to what may be an otherwise bad architectural decision,
- it's a good example of the Venetian ability to adapt,
- it can serve as a great landmark because sottoportegos are unusual, and aren't located on every corner,
- it's living proof that Venice isn't located in earthquake country,
- and it's a great place to stand and stare, looking at how all the buildings come together in that one spot. Many of the buildings in Venice are hundreds of years old, and building methods and styles can often be seen in contrast if one bothers to stop and look.