archatlas:
Venetian Floors Sebastian Erras
Tourists in ...
Venetian Floors Sebastian Erras
Tourists in Venice stroll around with their noses stuck up in the air, enraptured by the lavish buildings. But they are losing half of the show.
If they looked down, they would spot a carpet of stones, marble, mosaic and glass. Venice has the most sumptuous floors in the world. Why? “In a city built on water” – the travel writer John Julius Norwich pointed out – “the endlessly shimmering reflections of churches and palaces constantly attracted the gaze [of Venetians] downward”. So they made that vision even more joyful through luxurious floors. Paving is a serious issue in Venice: stone keeps out damp from the lagoon and drives the summer’s heat away. The German photographer Sebastian Erras has walked around Venice to capture its most beautiful floors. “I was curious to discover a new side of Venice that is probably not so well known, as people usually don’t pay attention to floors”, he says. Erras is famous for a similar project he carried out in Paris.
