Venice and its glories portrayed for FORA members
Some 51 FORA members attended a beautifully-illustrated talk on Venice by FORA member Trevor Goodchild -- who has an MA in Italian Studies -- on February 15. The venue was St Andrew's church, a Grade II listed building. Guests gathered beforehand in the church hall to chat and enjoy a glass of wine anonymously donated. Then, the chattering group fell quiet as they entered the silent, candle-lit church to the haunting music of Vivaldi, Venice's greatest composer.
During the talk, Trevor gave an illustrated tour around Venetian canals showing some of the buildings,palaces,and churches that line them. He described how the city state of Venice had emerged from its lagoon to become a republic that lasted more than a thousand years, and how during its golden age Venice was the greatest maritime and commercial power in the Mediterranean. Afterwards, he offered travel and accommodation suggestions. And for those who wanted to get the feel of the city and be entertained from the comfort of their own sofa he suggested a number of Venetian detective novels.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the talk and the chance of meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. Overheard: one guest confiding she had a catch in her throat when the doors were thrown open to reveal the flickering magical view of St Andrew's and its vaulted roof and stained glass windows. Another thought that the church was as beautiful as any to be found in Venice. If you would like a copy of Trevor's Venice suggestions, contact me on info.fora@hotmail.com. Carla Reid-Adam