Punta Della Dogana

C I A O !     Welcome to 

Fantasy Venice !

This dreamlike building,

 rising  from the waters of Venezia/Venice

is the Punta Della Dogana.

Built by Giuseppe Benoni

 between 1676 and 1682.

It is very old, and appears in many 

classic paintings. Here on a Monaco

postal stamp is reproduced a famous

work by Guardi that has been

copied many times

Back when Venice was a proud City State

her ships traded far and wide. 

 Great wealth flowed in to her

with the tides of history.

The Punta

 was for many centuries 

The old Customs House

( locals called it 'Dogana di Mare' )

where ships laden

 with the world's goods

paid their tolls to the

 masters of the City.

 Originally in the 14th century

 a watch tower was built here 

in order to prevent tax evasion.

Incidentally, 

the actual Punta della Dogana itself,

 is the wedge-shaped peninsular 

that the building sits on.

It is at the very entrance

  to the Grand Canal.

Above we approach it from the water

as countless mariners have.

  That is the goddess 

 FORTUNA

 serving as a weather vane

atop a gilded globe

upheld by two Atlases.

( Atlas- i ? ) 

There is much hard work

to bear about this globe of ours,

we all ride on the backs

or farmers, mechanics,

all workers.

But dame fortune

rides at the top of all.

With her weather vane

in the shape of a ship's sail

she knows

which way the winds of luck,

and of change

are going 

before any of us below.

Venice

was indeed crowned by fortune

for centuries.

Now

she is sinking.

Shopping malls

and Starbucks

are threatening to finally

push her

cherubic 

[ Fra Lippo Lippi and  Fra Angelico ]

curls

below the lagoon's

surface entirely.

 

Here's our playful gal,

or is she a cruel mistress?

Evening's descent 

makes even this place

look somehow more magical!

One of those numerous pictures of the pile.

Today the Punta is owned

 by French billionaire 

 FrançoisPinault

and serves as

The Center for Contemporary Art

" . . . As a center for contemporary art,

 the former customs house of the city 

presents a permanent exhibition of works

 from the François Pinault Collection,

 the institution who wanted and sponsered (sic)

the transition of this masterpiece of architecture,

 so emblematic to the city,

 from its eminently commercial function

 to port of contemporary art

 and ideal venue to share it with the world. "

>  <  }  }  ( ° >

In science fiction

often there was a 'Magic Box'

that could tell,

or show the protagonist,

anything they needed 

to know.

Today we have that Magic Box,

it is called:

The World Wide Web.

Every day, YOU

my magical friends

show me wonders:

New York,

England's farm country,

a horse farm,

Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh,

Jerusalem, Perth,
Vancouver,
and Mumbai.

And yes,

your families,

your lives.

It is all magical 

and wonderful!

Occasionally

we see something

that 'sticks'

in our mind's eye.

We dream about it.

Somewhere, on a blog,

I saw this building;

And journeyed there

in my dreams.

This is my fantasy Summer

Road Trip,

across distance &

time.

Thanks for being my Virgil.

Thanks for riding along.

Magic Indeed!

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                 Warmly, cloudia