Blue Plaques of Venice

If you ever have the chance to visit Venice you will understand why the decadent city has been an inspiration to so many. Over its long and glorious history Venice has had so many famous residents, my favorites being the artists, writers and poets.

Currently there is no unified system set up or marks of commemoration to identify the former residences of Venice's past. So, I am taking it upon myself to establish the Blue Plaques of Venice. For those of you unfamiliar with the term Blue Plaques, it is a foundation established in the United Kingdom whose job it is to select buildings and places that are linked to famous and influential people. Every year blue plaques are placed on the buildings or other structures in commemoration.

If the city of Venice does decide to pick up on this, I think a fitting "plaque" would be a stone relief of a lion, the symbol of imperial Venice and all around very Venetian.

The following buildings are some of my favorites for commemoration.

- Palazzo Barbaro
The Palazzo Barbaro was actually two separate palaces along Venice's Grand Canal. All ready in love with charming Venice, Henry James lived in Palazzo Barbaro when he began writing the Aspen Papers. The Palace also served as the setting for his work The Wings of the Dove.

In 1908 Monet also stayed at the Palazzo Barbaro and from his room he was able to paint some of his most beautiful works. The Palazzo Contarini, directly across the canal was the subject of a couple paintings as well as the Doge Palace, and San Giorgio Maggiore.

John Singer Sargent, an American artist, gave us an entirely different view of Venice. While staying in Palazzo Barbaro in 1880 he preferred to paint the alleys and "streets" of Venice.

- Pensione Wilder at 4161 Riva degli Schiavoni
In what is now the Pensione Wilder, Henry James stayed during his first extended trip to Venice. In his fourth floor rooms he finished writing Portrait of a Lady the essays Venice: An Early Impression