In time of peace all the world flocked to Venice. In war time many
changes were necessary. Many of the people who make up the inhabitants
of the earth were barred from the city, not only by regulations, but by
cannon and walls of steel. It required influence even for an Italian to
get into Venice. For an American to enter the city, it was necessary
to get special permission from the Minister of Marine, and he had to
present the best of reasons before that permission was granted.
Several times the city was menaced by the Austrians and once it was
near capture. Time and again, fleets of airplanes dropped bombs,
destroying churches, hospitals and other property, as well as killing
non-combatants.
The strain was more than many of the inhabitants could bear and they
sought safety in flight. The result was almost to drain the city of its
normal population, which was evident in its almost deserted canals and
streets.
The soft, musical voices of the gondoliers were occasionally heard.
A few gondolas were left, but very few, and there was no longer any
singing. The beautiful hotels, where so many of us had lived in comfort
and luxury, were either closed or converted into hospitals.
Most of the shops around St. Mark's Square closed. The famous glass and
lace factories shut their doors. Picture postcards and photographs were
taboo. The Government did not permit them to be mailed.
No damage has been done to the Basilica of St. Mark. A bomb dropped
in front of it, but did not hit it. During the war this famous temple
was, however, but a shadow of its former glory. It no longer glistened
with Byzantine mosaic. Its golden covering was removed or covered
with sandbags. Beside the Doges' Palace was a thing of brick supports,
destroying its beauty. The ugliness of boarding and sandbags saddened
the visitor who recalled the Venice of former days.
Motor and passenger boats plying along the Grand Canal were
discontinued; there were no passengers. A few ferries remained for
those who still lived in the city.
Venice has not been seriously marred. Much damage has been done to
churches and hospitals, but most of this can be repaired. Only a
careful search of the city would reveal the damage done by bombardment.
Within a few churches and buildings art objects have been destroyed
that can never be replaced. It should comfort the lovers of Venice
to know that the city gives no outward evidence of destruction. The
inhabitants will soon return, the hotels will reopen, St. Mark's and
the Doges' Palace will be restored to their former appearance, and
Venice will once again reign in splendor as the Queen of the Adriatic.
[Illustration: PIAZZA DEL POPOLO (PEOPLE'S SQUARE), ROME