Untitled (96) c. 1890

This sepia-toned photograph by Ferdinando Ongania captures Venice’s Piazza San Marco, dominated by the Basilica and its towering campanile. These structures are laden with symbolism. The Basilica, with its Byzantine domes and ornate facade, represents Venice's connection to both the earthly and the divine. Its architecture, reminiscent of Eastern churches, evokes a sense of pilgrimage and spiritual transcendence. Look at the campanile; it rises as a phallic symbol asserting dominance. Similar towers appear throughout history, from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the minarets of Islamic architecture, each serving as a visual assertion of power, and a link between the heavens and earth. The emotional impact of this photograph stems from the vast, empty piazza. It is a stage where the drama of Venetian life unfolds, inviting us to reflect on the passage of time. These architectural symbols persist, subtly altered, throughout history, each iteration building upon the last.