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Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Currently, Rio is hosting Carnival, which is Brazil's extravagant parades with fantastic costumes.

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Colorful images from Rio, São Paulo, and more

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This modern city has everything one would want: fantastic foods, and a rich culture.

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Reykjavik's biggest tourist attraction is it's rolling green hills, a beautiful natural wonder.

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This amazing city is filled with amazing food, the olympics soon and k-pop.

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The Korea Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl was set to feature performances by MOMOLAND, Ha Sungwoon and more in April.

Growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus has led to the postponement of one of the biggest annual K-pop concerts in the U.S.

The Korea Times Music Festival announced that its concert scheduled for April 25 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles "has provisionally been postponed due to the increasing uncertainty threat of coronavirus." The annual musical festival, which is in its 18th year, had already announced the likes of K-pop girl group MOMOLAND, solo singer and former Wanna One member Ha Sungwoon and rock band No Brain, with the addition of more acts expected in the coming weeks.

The festival says, "Concert goers can opt for a refund or keep the existing tickets," noting that current tickets "will remain valid and transferable to the rescheduled concert date."

According to official counts at press time, the deadly coronavirus outbreak has affected 81,000 people and killed at least 2,700 worldwide. South Korea is the country with the second-highest amount of cases confirmed, with nearly 1,000 infections to date and 10 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that travelers avoid all "nonessential" travel to South Korea due to the spread of the virus there.

South Korea's concerns over the virus have affected other K-pop business, with artists including TWICE, GOT7 and (G)I-DLE canceling or postponing concerts, tour dates and fan meetings across Asia. Big events like the 2020 Korea Music Awards and the 2020 FACT Music Awards (which had BTS, Monsta X, TWICE and more as confirmed performers) have also been canceled.

The effects have also spread to Europe, with Seventeen canceling the rest of the European and Asian tour dates on their Ode to You world tour. The boy band had just played U.S. arenas like Newark's Prudential Center and Los Angeles's The Forum in January.

The Korea Times Music Festival postponement is the latest Stateside Asian music event to be affected by the coronavirus after the Overpass Music festival in Oak Canyon Park, California -- which featured Malaysia's Yuna, Thailand's Phum Viphurit, and DPR Live and iKON's Mino from Korea -- was postponed from March to Sept. 26.

Many K-pop acts have plans to play America in 2020, with boy bands NCT 127, CIX and 1Team, girl group EVERGLOW and solo singer Changmo all booked for tours or big shows just next month.

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Korea Times K-Pop Music Festival in LA Postponed Over Coronavirus Fears

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Growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus has led to the postponement of one of the biggest annual K-pop concerts in the U.S. The Korea Times Music Festival announced that its concert scheduled for April 25 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles "has provisionally been postponed due to the increasing uncertainty threat of coronavirus."

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Taj Mahal, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

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It is just so beautiful! Do I need to say more?

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The song by Camila Cabelo made it seem pretty cool.

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The exotic animals that live here draw me to this island.

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The colosseum is amazing and holds so much ancient history.

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The fantastic canals and boats that float all over the city is the main attraction.

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Venezia Autentica | Discover and Support the Authentic Venice

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The Grand Canal, called "Canalasso" by the Venetians and Canal Grande in Italian, is the most important waterway of Venice and it splits the city into two sides.

If you look at a view from above of Venice on a map, the Grand Canal is the large reverse-S shape. This canal passes through the center of Venice and divides the typical 'fish' shape of the city, in two.

One end of the canal is in the "sestieri," or districts, of Cannaregio and Santa Croce while the other end leads into the famous Saint Mark's Basin.

The morphology of the Canal evolved between this first settlement and our modern times. Drainages have shown that the city became more compact over time, the canal narrower.

Studies suggest that the initial Canal Grande was wider and flowed between small, tide-subjected islands connected by wooden bridges.

If you're interested in canals and their role in the evolution of cities around the world, the Enciclopaedia Britannica article on canals and waterways is a great source to know more.

First settlements and the evolution of the Grand Canal

It is thought that the Grand Canal in Venice might follow the course of an ancient river, maybe a branch of the river Brenta, flowing into the lagoon.

Data show that groups from the area might have lived beside the formerly-named "Rio Businiacus" even before the Roman age. Under the rule of the Roman and then of the Byzantine Empire, the lagoon became populated and, soon, an important player.

The political and economic power of Venice grew rapidly. As a consequence, in the early 9th century the Doge moved its seat from Malamocco at the Lido to Venice. There, in the safer area of "Rivoaltus," the Venetian Republic could be safe and thrive. It was this decision that gave birth to the city of Venice.

Venetians successfully managed their limited assets and focused on trades. In this regard, the Lagoon of Venice was essential as it gave protection from enemies and the Grand Canal was an ideal terminal for Venetian trades over the seas.

Life on the Grand Canal in Venice, in the past

The Canal Grande in Venice crosses all the city and, halfway through it, leads to the Rialto area.

The first Venetian settlements started right in that area, which immediately became the center of the Venetian trades.

Over time the power and wealth of Venice grew so much that Rialto became the most important market in Europe. This supremacy lasted for Centuries!

Ships filled with merchandise, weighing more than 400 tons, sailed along the Canal Grande to and back from Rialto. In fact, Venice was also the major center of trades of the Mediterranean.

Therefore, it's unsurprising that the Grand Canal was also the place of birth of the " Fondachi, " big buildings acting as warehouses and inns for the hundreds of merchants coming from every part of the world.

Life on the Grand Canal in Venice, today

Today, the Canal Grande is still the most important and busiest canal in Venice.

In the morning, workers' boats cruise either it to bring fruits, vegetables, and fishes to the Mercato di Rialto, or to deliver goods and parcels.

During the day, the Grand Canal is busy in particular with gondolas and taxis. Tourists, in fact, enjoy taking a taxi ride or gondola ride on the Grand Canal to enjoy the view and see the most spectacular palace in Venice. Some private boats cruise the Grand Canal too, but they represent but a small percentage of the traffic.

Of course, also public water busses takes advantage of this broad canal to serve residents and visitors 24/7.

But the Grand Canal is not just used as a road:

it is also the place of some local celebrations throughout the year!

In fact, it's here that major events such as the "Regata Storica" and the Rowing Club's Carnival take place.

Also some minor regattas and social gatherings take place on the Canal Grande. For example, the Befana and the Santa's Regattas, and Venetian frescoes: picnics on boats with plenty of music and food.

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All the bridges on the Grand Canal in Venice

Because of its width, only 4 bridges cross the Grand Canal, in Venice. Each bridge was built in different eras and has a completely different style. Let's discover them!

The Constitution Bridge

On one end of the Canal Grande in Venice is the most recent bridge, created in 2008, called "Ponte della Costituzione," Constitution Bridge in English. However, this bridge is also known by the name " Calatrava Bridge, " from the name of the Spanish Architect Calatrava who drew the project.

This bridge connects the districts of Cannaregio and Santa Croce. To be more precise, it links the Train Station and Piazzale Roma, the last part in Venice reachable by buses and cars.

Since its construction, it's possible to save a few minutes walking time when crossing between these two areas.

Nonetheless, it is the least liked and most controversial bridge in Venice for three reasons.

First of all, the bridge costed far more than expected. Secondly, the bridge is not optimized for the soft ground of Venice. As a consequence, it has to be continuously monitored since it's pushing the two sides of the canal apart with implications on the bridge's own stability. Thirdly, its design with glass steps makes it extremely slippery and, therefore, dangerous both in the winter and in the summer.

For all of the above reasons, some Venetians call the Ponte della Costituzione with a much less noble name: "Ponte dea M-a," or "S-t Bridge."

If you have a passion for constructions, here's a Youtube video which shows how the Constitution Bridge was put up in Venice.

The Barefoot Bridge

After the "Ponte della Costituzione" is the " Ponte degli Scalzi "("Barefoot Bridge"), a big stone bridge located just to the left of the Train Station. Just like the "Ponte della Costituzione" also this bridge connects the district of Cannaregio on one side, and the district of Santa Croce on the other side.

Until the more recent Ponte della Costituzione, the "Ponte degli Scalzi" was the last bridge to be built on the Grand Canal, in 1934.

It was built during Fascism in Italy, and it replaced an older iron bridge that had been made during the Austrian domination.

The Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge, halfway through the Grand Canal, is undoubtedly the most important bridge in Venice.

It was the only bridge on the Grand Canal at the times of the Venetian Republic. The other bridges on the Canal Grande we see today were built decades or centuries later.

The Ponte di Rialto on the Grand Canal in Venice connected the heart of the political power of the Serenissima in the district of Saint Mark's with the heart of the economic power of the city in the district of San Polo.

The first structure was built in wood in 1250. It was drawbridge and, therefore, it allowed big sail ships to sail along the entire length of the Grand Canal in Venice and reach Rialto which once was both the market and the port of the city.

The wooden bridge changed over time but was damaged severely in multiple occasions over the centuries.

Finally, in 1591, Antonio da Ponte built the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal entirely made of stone and we are blessed to admire it still today.

We shot a 360° video about the Rialto Bridge that you can watch here.

The Accademia Bridge

The last bridge we meet is the Accademia Bridge, the only wooden bridge crossing the Grand Canal in Venice.

It derives its name from the nearby Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, the Fine Arts Academy of Venice, which was founded in Venice in 1807.

In fact, while this very important crossing between the districts of Dorsoduro and Saint Mark's had been suggested as far back as 1488, the bridge was never built during the Venetian Republic.

A first version of the Ponte dell'Accademia, made of steel, was finished in 1854 during the Austrian occupation of Venice.

However in 1933, during Fascism, the Austrian-made steel bridge was destroyed and replaced by a wooden bridge.

Since wood needs more maintenance than stone, the Accademia Bridge has to be continuosly renovated and in some cases even to be fully replaced, such as in 1986.

The last renovation, financed by the Veneto born Luxottica Group, took place in 2017-2018.

Architecture on the Canal Grande

The Grand Canal is famous worldwide for the centuries-old palaces which stand on both sides of the water. Most of them date from the 13th to the 18th century, a time in which existed the Venetian Republic.

These magnificent buildings show the wealth Venetian families had at the time of the powerful Venetian Republic.

The palaces on the Canal Grande belong to different times, styles, and movements.

In fact, the Grand Canal boast Palaces with Venetian-Byzantine, Venetian Gothic, and Venetian Baroque style. Other palaces have elements of the Renaissance or from Neoclassical architecture, and some have even elements of the Modern era.

Altogether, it's an eclectic mix and an impressive display of architectural and artistic know-how.

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The history of Venetian palaces along the Grand Canal

The palazzi (singular "palazzo") were palaces built to serve as house of the rich and noble Venetian families. Today, only few families still live in a palazzo on the Grand Canal.

The spectacular beauty of the Palazzi is due to one amusing fact: the competition between the palace's owners.

In fact, families wanted to have the most beautiful, impressive and richest building around.

This desire and constant work to have the most beautiful palace was sort of a competition to which all rich Venetian families took. This rivalry deeply and positively affected the aspect of the buildings on the Grand Canal.

Several Venetian palaces on the Grand Canal are from the 18th Century. But why?

After the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, Venetian families lost much of their economic power. Naturally, the constant race for renovations of the palaces on the Grand Canal came to an end.

In some cases, financial shortages at the end of the Republic led some buildings to be left unfinished. Two such examples are the facade of San Marcuola's church and the famous Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. The latter then became the home of Peggy Guggenheim and her collection.

After the end of the Republic, several historical palaces were pulled down.

Some buildings remained but were converted to other uses. Their appearance, however, was preserved

Venetian palaces, today

Today, only a few people live on the Canal Grande. Most of the palaces that can be admired are now either hotels, museums, or public administration buildings.

Until the late 20th century, most of the more prominent palaces were still owned by the city of Venice, the Italian State, or by Italian institutions.

"Palazzi", however, are not the only kind of buildings that can be found on the Grand Canal.

The fonteghi along the Grand Canal in Venice

The other typical building that can be found along the Canal Grande in Venice is the "fontego," or "fondaco" in Italian.

A fondaco was a building which was both the warehouse and the home of foreign merchants in Venice.

As Venice became an ever stronger hub of trade, the number of foreign merchants working in Venice increased. Consequently, so did the number of the foteghi.

The Venetian Republic highly valued its fonteghi.

In fact, on the ones hand fonteghi provided merchants with storerooms and lodging. On the other hand, they made it easy for the Republic to keep a close eye on the trading activity and enforce the payment of taxes.

How did the Fonteghi in Venice look like?

Like many things in Venice, also the "fonteghi" had a structure which was typical and was optimized for their function.

The curia, a porch, covers the bank of the Canal and facilitates the ships' unloading. Here, the merchandises could be taken from the boat and brought to a corridor flanked by storerooms or to a courtyard at the back of the building.

Similarly, on the first floor, a loggia as large as the porch illuminates the hall into which open the merchants' rooms. The façade is thereby divided into an airy central part and two more solid sides. A low mezzanine with offices divides the two floors.

"Fonteghi" could also house lateral defensive towers ( torreselle), as in the Fondaco of the Turks.

Famous Fonteghi on the Grand Canal in Venice

The Fontego dei Turchi, which dates back to the 13th Century, has been heavily restored in the 19th Century and hosts today the city's Museum of Natural History.

The Fondaco dei Tedeschi, once the Germans' lodging and warehouse, gives a good idea with its impressive size of the number of foreign merchants working in Venice.

Today the Fondaco dei Tedeschi doesn't serve its original purpose anymore and has been transformed into a luxury department store.

Other constructions on the Canal Grande

Also several public buildings were built along the Canal Grande in Venice. That is especially true around Rialto area, which once was the hub of the commercial activity in Venice.

These palaces aimed at facilitating the trading activity of the city and were as diverse as commercial and financial benches (Palazzo dei Camerlenghi and Palazzo dei Dieci Savi, rebuilt after 1514 fire) and even a mint, the "Zecca", where money was coined under the authority of the Republic.

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Venezia Autentica | Discover and Support the Authentic Venice

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Everything about the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy [ARTICLE + 360° VIDEO]

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The Grand Canal, called "Canalasso" by the Venetians and Canal Grande in Italian, is the most important waterway of Venice and it splits the city into two sides. If you look at a view from above of Venice on a map, the Grand Canal is the large reverse-S shape.

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My choir was going to travel here this summer but we changed it to Norway. The culture here is much different than America's and I want to experience it.

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I would die if I could visit these strange statues.

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There is so much history here that I want to experience.

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A famous architectural masterpiece where amazing singers perform daily.

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The Big Apple! I want to live here when I'm older at some point.

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THE 15 BEST Things to Do in NYC - 2023 (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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Things to Do in New York City, New York: See Tripadvisor's 4,201,487 traveler reviews and photos of New York City tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in September. We have reviews of the best places to see in New York City. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.

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A very popular tourist destination where color building look over a beautiful fjord.