Glossary of Places - G to O

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G

Garbin

In Venetian language it is a wind from the Southwest.

Ghebbo

It is a small not very deep natural canal thus unsuitable with navigation in the Venetian lagoon but which on the other hand makes it possible to help with the regulation of the tides.

Ghetto

Wells of the Ghetto of Venice Italy
Wells of the Ghetto of Venice
Word ghetto (fusion) comes from Italian geto word. Throaty pronunciation of geto in ghetto would explain by the accent of Ashkenazi Jews native to Germany and to central Europe.

Ghetto could also be a synthesizing geto pun with term could also be with Talmudic ghet term (separation) “area” for the fusion was definitely that of separation, since all Jews must be accommodated in the ghetto.

Every evening they closed the doors of the ghetto. No Jew could circulate in the city.

Gronda

It relates to the estuary, a kind of coast located between the firm earth and the lagoon and which is crossed by numerous waterways, both natural and artificial.

L

Lido

It is a “coastal” offshore bar.

Lista

The calle becomes lista when several alleyways (calli) lead to it such as Lista Vechia dei Bari in Cannaregio.

Lista is also the name given to a band of marble.

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M

Magazzeni

It is the warehouses to store grain and contains reserves in the case of famine.

Maiosi

These are the wooden molds into which they cast the glass in Murano.

Marcapiano

It is a purely decorative horizontal band which marks the external separation between various floors of a building.

Masegni

The typical paving stone on the streets of Venice.

MO.S.E.

The name comes from Moses, the biblical specialist of floods.

It is the great Pharaonic project of flood barriers to try to stop the phenomena of Acqua Alta by installing at the entries of the lagoon (with the mouths of the Lido, of Malamocco and Chiogga) 78 flood barriers floating out of approximately 1600 meters and divided into four sections with enormous trap doors being able to close themselves or open according to whims' of the tide.

The project has been just called into question in June 2006 by a negative vote of the Town council of Venice which requires at the Italian State to re-examine the proposal of the project which is estimated at... 3.5 billion euros with an additional annual maintenance cost of approximately 35 million euros.

Moto ondoso

A pretty name to describe the movement of the waves... But its repetition due to motor boats also destroys the basement of the Palaces and houses along the Rii...

Motonave

It is a big shuttle boat to the other islands of the lagoon.

Motoscafo

Motoscafo in front of the bridge of Rialto Venice Italy
Motoscafo
Motoscafi in the plural, are the narrow and fast motor boats, usually the taxis of Venice.

N

Nizioleto

In literal translation, it is a “small cloth” They are the street signs in Venice, with no thickness since names are directly painted on walls.

This is accomplished by starting with a base of white contrasting color, made in lime first, and then writing the letters of the calle or other street as well as the frame of the nizioleto with black painting.

Nizioleto Bridge of the Tette Venice Italy
Nizioleto Bridge of the Tette
A feature in Venice in comparison with our streets and English roads: it is very rare that the Venetians use the names of famous people.

Names carried on nizioleto primarily duplicate the ancient oral tradition of transferring the dialect to terms and names linked to the everyday happenings or else in the name of the Saint of the local parish or that of a noble family.

In Venice, even Christ, poor “Cristo” finds himself most often relegated to calli or even with the drunkard alleys... They count 14 so calli Cristo in Venice compared to ... 286 names of places devoted to Saints, and this time not only of for alleys and calli, but of "noble" places...

In brief, it is as if it is easier to contact the Saints than God himself.

Negozio

It is simply a store, to negotiate or trade.

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