You might well wonder what in the world this structure is. I found it just inside a sotoportego, not very far from the Chiesa di San Zulian. Even though I had been told where it was, and what to look for, I almost missed it.
It was apparently used to hold some form of lighting in that dark sotoportego, maybe a candle, maybe a lamp of some sort.
I like the idea of seeing this simple structure, carved who knows how many centuries ago.
These could take over from my love of the pissotte, but I don’t think there as many of these to be found.
And now, from the 21st century, a set of speed cameras monitoring boats on the Giudecca Canal. Smile, if you’re speeding!
Hello World 
I’ll bring my shotgun. I hope it’s not that sort of marriage!
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Little does Maurizio know the forces lined up against him! Poor man, he’s a goner.
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This has gone from a “Holy Water Stoup” to strong arm tactics from the seamy side of town, in short order.
The thing I like best about my blog is the comments!
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Don’t blame you! I like that part on my blog too.
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Leave it to me to “lower the tone” of an otherwise high-brow discussion. 😉
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Yvonne…us Jersey girls have ways to make em talk!
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Jersey girls and old time Arizona girls…he doesn’t stand a chance!
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You are on Michelle. We can get Linda Bailey Zimmerman and Mary K in on it too. The poor guy won’t know what hit him. Then he will have to collapse into the tender embrace of Yvonne’s loving arms and she can soothe his fevered brow. After that, he can get up off of his lazy butt and make her more tramezzini.
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Poor Maurizio, he may as well give up now!
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Well, it would certainly save him from the Bad Crowd. We could also get Siggy into the act. Since he lives in such a tough and dangerous neighborhood, he might be valuable in the “persuasion” process. 😉
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Susie…grand idea!! I’m always up for a good persuading!!
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Well, as a proud card-carrying member of the Bad Crowd, I would be happy to help “convince” him. Alas, I won’t be there until December.
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That’s OK. Constant pressure, like drops of water, will convince this loser, whose only claim to fame so far is his totally hot tramezzini, that the constant blogger is the way to go!
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Maybe Susie and I should gang up on him in December 🙂
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Be gentle, don’t break the hands that make those tramezzini!
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It’s not long now to your nuptials?
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Maybe you can convince him I’d be an asset! He makes such good tramezzini!
Oh, it’s not long until Julie arrives, not the nuptials. 🙂
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You’ll make a lovely bride Yvonne. Where is your tramezzini place? My favorite is Bar Toletta in Dorsoduro. We go there every day when we are in Venezia, sigh. I’m getting hungry now.
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Susie, I had lunch at your Bar today, and very good it was. The reluctant bridegroom is at a bar very near to San Zulian. I might try playing hard to get, perhaps. Or, I can recruit the Bad Crowd to convince the poor guy to reconsider.
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Ooh very interesting Yvonne, my hotel is at the Back of San Zulian so you will have to show me next week. i thought about a holy water font at first, but as you said it was head height, maybe not, I go with your idea of some sort of sconce to hold a light or flame of somekind, any evidence of singe marks on the stone ?
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Yes looking again it looks like scorch marks
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I went back this morning, and got what passes for a definitive answer, in Venice. And, I’m sticking to it! I’ll post it later today, or tomorrow.
I’ll take you to see it Julie, and we can stop for a tremezzino from my still reluctant bridegroom. 🙂 It’s not long now!
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Intriguing. A hole in the wall for some sort of hinge? The semicircular indentation at the bottom appears to be the result of friction. Is it the only one? No other hole on the other side or below?
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There’s nothing for it but another trip, with a more thorough investigation, Daniel. There is supposed to be another one in San Marco, but I sure couldn’t find it.
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Looks perfect for a bird’s nest.
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I agree with bird’s nest…just keep those pesky pigeons out of it.
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In the underground tufa caves of Orvieto, you can see hosts of pigeon nests, carved by the former inhabitants. They would have used the pigeons and their eggs as a food source. They didn’t look all that dissimiliar to this example.
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I second the holy water basin. It looks very similar to the one in my mission church here in S.F., CA. Is there a shrine somewhere nearby or used to be?
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I’ll go back and have a closer look when the weather fines up a bit, Rebecca.
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I tried to find one of those sites where I could write, then strike-over “snoopy”, and then write “inquisitive”, but I soon gave up. So, maybe I lack persistence??
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You do find the most intriguing things my friend.
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Before you mentioned pissotte I was looking at the photos thinking, “Ha, that looks like a urinal, the opposite to a pissotte!” One preventing gentleman from relieving themselves and one encouraging them – looks just like a urinal to me! You certainly find some interesting stuff!
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Well, the bloke would have to be very tall, the niche was about head height for me, Melissa.
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Maybe, back then, men were just very tall!;-)
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Could it be a holy water stoup? Or is there no indentation?
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There wasn’t much of an indent, as I recall, Andrew. I can (probably) take you folks to see, if you want.
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I guess its simply a niche.
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It surely is a niche, Stephen, but the purpose?? Another question with no answer, maybe.
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