Italy Pavilion – Part One of Two

The Italy Pavilion may be one of the smaller countries of World Showcase, yet it still packs a lot of charm and details into a little space. While the other nations present a mixture of architectural styles found within their borders, the Italy Pavilion is weighted more heavily toward Venice. It’s not that this design is the most prevalent in Italy, but rather the most recognizable and associated with this peninsular nation.

The founding of Venice is considered to have occurred at the stroke of noon on March 25, 421, with the dedication of its first church, San Giacomo. Today, the city sits on 117 small islands, connected by bridges and linked by canals.

All of the World Showcase nations cross the promenade and have features that extend to the water’s edge, and the Italy Pavilion is no exception. Here, Isola del Lago (Isle of the Lake) was built to represent one of the islands of Venice. This island allowed the Imagineers to include a number of pedestrian bridges, a vital element if the essence of Venice is to be invoked.

For centuries, the gondola was the primary mode of transportation within the city of Venice and during the 17th and 18th century, eight to ten thousand of these flat-bottomed boats plied the waterways here. Today, there are only around 400 and they serve mainly tourists. Contrary to popular belief, gondolas are propelled with oars and are not “poked” or “punted” as the water is too deep. At the Italy Pavilion, several of these imaginative vessels can be seen moored to barbershop-style poles near Isola del Lago.

At Tokyo DisneySea, gondola rides are available in the Mediterranean Harbor portion of the park. It’s very interesting to hear the Japanese cast members sing “O Sole Mio” as they navigate the waterways.

Isola del Lago, which sits on the edge of World Showcase Lagoon, offers fantastic views of Illuminations each evening. But don’t hold your breath to see the nightly spectacular from this spot. More often than not, this area is rented to private groups and access granted to invited guests only.

The entrance to the Italy Pavilion is marked by two massive columns. Atop the column on the right is Saint Theodore of Amasea slaying a dragon. Atop the column on the left is a winged lion. So why do these figures grace these pillars?

Saint Theodore shares a legend similar to that of Saint George. It seems there was a dragon (or crocodile) terrorizing the countryside around Amasea, a city in Northern Turkey. Saint Theodore was able to vanquish the beast with the aid of a cross and saved the city and its inhabitants.

Venice was originally part of the Eastern Roman Empire which was ruled from Constantinople. Since Saint Theodore carried strong ties with Eastern Christianity, he became the first patron saint of Venice. However, as the years progressed and Venice and its importance grew, the city wanted to distance itself from the east. In a display of independence in 828AD, two Venetian merchants stole the remains of Saint Mark from a tomb in Alexandria, Egypt and brought them back to the chapel of Doge. From that time forward, Saint Mark became the patron Saint of Venice.

Today in Venice, two columns can be found in the Piazzetta di San Marco. Atop the western column is Saint Theodore of Amasea and atop the eastern column is a winged lion, a beast closely associated with Saint Mark. Thus, both saints have been remembered. The winged lion has become the symbol of Venice

Following are three sets of two pictures. The first of each set was taken in Venice, the second taken in Epcot. Notice the magnificent job the Imagineers did at recreating these sculptures.

Neighborhoods and towns all across Italy are built around piazzas. A piazza (or square) serves as a gathering spot where people can mingle over a cappuccino, stroll with a loved one, and people watch. The Italy Pavilion carries on this tradition and all of the buildings and structures face onto this communal hub. If only Disney would import a few pigeons, then the feel of Saint Mark’s Square would be complete. On second thought, strike that idea. We don’t need any pigeons at Walt Disney World.

In the middle of the piazza is a raised platform. This platform was designed with performances in mind. However, for a number of years now, this area has been abandoned and shows have been presented closer to the promenade.

When standing in the middle of the piazza, look around and notice the colors. A warm palette was used. Shades of pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows grace the buildings, pottery, and walkways. No other country, not even the areas of Greece and Spain which boarder the Mediterranean, duplicate these hues in quite the same way. These are the colors of Italy.

The two most prominent structures of the Italy Pavilion are Disney’s duplication of the Doge’s Palace and the accompanying 100-foot tall campanile. The Doge’s Palace in Venice, as it stands today, was built between 1309 and 1424 and was influenced heavily by the Gothic and Renaissance styles of architecture. The palace was the residence of the doge (magistrate), the supreme power of the Republic of Venice. Today the building serves as a museum.

At World Showcase, the Imagineers did a fantastic job of building a scaled down version of the Doge’s Palace. In some cases, the details are identical and it would be difficult to tell the original from the copy. And in cases where features vary from the original, the flavor and style are so close that few would notice the differences.

Take a look at these pairs of pictures. The first is of the original palace in Venice and the second is that of the Italy Pavilion.

Campanile is an Italian word meaning “bell tower.” The campanile which stands in Saint Mark’s Square is 323 feet tall and 39 feet wide. The tower’s initial construction began in the 9th century and it was used as a watchtower for the nearby dock. Over the centuries, the tower has been damaged several times due to fires and earthquakes. When the campanile was converted from a watchtower to a bell tower, five bells were installed, each with a designated purpose. The largest rang at the beginning and end of the workday, one rang at midday, another rang to summon members to council meetings, a fourth proclaimed a session of the Senate, and the last announced executions.

Once again, the Imagineers did an outstanding job of creating a duplicate for the Italy Pavilion as seen in the second picture.

Atop the campanile is the Archangel Gabriel. This replica of the original is covered in gold. However, this was done for practical reasons as well as for beauty. Since gold does not tarnish, it is cheaper to use this precious metal rather than refurbish the angel on a regular basis. The castles at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom also use real gold on a number of their adornments.

Those familiar with Saint Mark’s Square may notice that Disney’s version is a mirror image of the original. This was done for two reasons. First, the Imagineers did not want to simply duplicate the original, but rather give the World Showcase version a personality of its own. Secondly, if the structures had been placed in their “proper” position, the mass of the Doge’s Palace and the nearby American Adventure created an imbalance. Placing the campanile between these two buildings created better symmetry when viewed from afar.

At the far end of Disney’s Doge’s Palace is a carving of a grotesque face. In ancient times, faces like these could be found all over Venice. The citizenry could anonymously (probably in the dark of night) drop slips of paper into the open mouths of these faces and report their neighbors of wrongdoings or voice complaints about the government. The face at the Doge’s Palace was specifically intended to be used to report financial crimes such as tax evasion. The first picture was taken at Doge’s Palace, the second and third at World Showcase.

For those of you who thought this face was inspired by La Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth) as seen in the 1953 movie “Roman Holiday,” sorry.

There are two shops within Disney’s Doge’s Palace. Il Belle Cristallo (The Beautiful Crystal) sells clothing, fine leather goods, and jewelry. In addition, the complete line of fragrances offered by Acqua di Parma is available here. Gentleman take note, there are four scents created especially for men. Sample swaths are on hand for all of the perfumes. The cast members in this section of the shop work for Acqua di Parma and are highly knowledgeable about the product. Since you’re visiting Disney and not a department store, you will receive only information and not a high pressure sales pitch.

In another section of Il Belle Cristallo, Prada offers a fragrance exclusive to Epcot and their New York store. Once again, the cast members in this section of the shop work for Prada and are more than happy to answer questions without encouraging you to buy.

La Gemma Elegante (The Elegant Gem) shop is located in the back half of the Doge’s Palace. Here you’ll be dazzled by an overwhelming display of Venetian masks, all of them for sale.

Venetian masks are believed to date back to 1163 when Doge Vitale Michieli was victorious over Ulrich II of Treven. To celebrate the event, a party, called Carnevale was given. At the celebration, all of the attendees donned masks to hide any form of identity between social classes. Eventually, the church incorporated the event into Christianity and the Carnival of Venice became an annual festival beginning forty days before Easter and ending on Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday). As time went on, Venetian masks found their way into local theater productions and characters’ occupations and stations were identified by the mask they wore. In other cases, Venetian masks were used to help a person interact with members above or below their station, thus giving them an equal footing in transactions or encounters.

I think my favorite staircase in all of Walt Disney World can be found between the Doge’s Palace and Tutto Italia Ristorante. These steps are not open to the public and I suspect that only storerooms and offices can be found on the second floor. Still, my mind conjures up wonderful treasures and discoveries if only Disney would allow me to climb to the top. Part of this has to do with my vivid imagination, but a lot of this has to do with the skill the Imagineers use to turn an everyday element into something magical. This style staircase and bridge is typical of what you might find in Verona.

That’s it for Part One of the Italy Pavilion. Check back tomorrow for Part Two.

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