Fusina

one
Arty farty B&W. The light is almost always extraordinary at Fusina. Inspires the artist. Not Will, mind, who fails to mention what every other visitor remembers most. It's very unlikely that the author of Othello and The Merchant of Venice actually visited Venice. Will's Venice has shaft-horses, tides and senators. All of Venice's lucrative monpolies had been broken by the time Oxford visited. Venice's fame in the 1570's lay in the fact that 1 in 4 of the people who lived there were courtesans. An early example of economic repurposing. And a possible reason for Oxford spending so much of his time in Italy here.
two
Long lens, I'll admit, but the distance between that lamppost and Piazza San Marco is not 5 miles as Magri and Roe contend. Not even close. 3.8 miles is the exact distance
three
Even with a 17mm wide angle, it looks as if you could swim it. If, like most Venetian residents, you're appalled by the quantity of vast ships in the threatened lagoon, sign the petiton to get rid of them.
four
Bound for Malacontenta. A round trip measuring 15 miles, not 20 as Italian Oxfordians Roe and Magri claim in one of their Eureka moments. The distance, they claim, identifies Villa Malacontenta as Belmont. Well, it doesn't cos' it's wrong.
five
Fusina was the port at which Venice's drinking water was embarked. Some of these port buildings date back to the 13c. This quayside would not have looked much different in Oxford's day. It would have been a very busy place in 1575.
six
The Brenta canal drains into this small lagoon. These boats will take you to Padua and along the well travelled path to the Villa Contarini, where the Doge (not Will's Duke) liked to entertain foreign luminaries. The Villa Contarini is a much more likely location for the casket test, though it's still not on a hill.
seven
The Brenta canal. Like all canals, built for industry not passenger traffic. So slow that today, these narrow waterways are only useful for tourism. Again, a view not much changed since Oxford's time. The lock at Porto Moranzani was under construction and newly canalised the Brenta was ready in 1604 after 104 years planning and hard work.
seven
The Brenta canal. Like all canals, built for industry not passenger traffic. So slow that today, these narrow waterways are only useful for tourism. Again, a view not much changed since Oxford's time. The lock at Porto Moranzani was under construction and newly canalised the Brenta was ready in 1604 after 104 years planning and hard work.
nine
The Brenta canal. Like all canals, built for industry not passenger traffic. So slow that today, these narrow waterways are only useful for tourism. Again, a view not much changed since Oxford's time. The lock at Porto Moranzani was under construction and newly canalised the Brenta was ready in 1604 after 104 years planning and hard work.
ten
The stunningly beautiful Palladio Villa in Malacontenta. Aka Villa Malacontenta, aka Villa Foscari NOT aka Belmont. Small but absolutely perfect. Much too small. Totally unsuitable for casket work on the grand scale. Oxford would have called this a hunting lodge. Or something worse, judging by his self-confessed dislike for things Italian.
Oct

Fusina

By alfa-16

Click bottom right to advance the slides.

This was a Lovely day in late September. All argument aside, this is the way to arrive in Venice. Not over the Bridge and into the terrible car parks. There's ample parking here and regular ferries. Is it five miles to Malacontenta or Piazza San Marco? No it's not. More hopeful but faulty Oxfordian research.

 

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