• The island of St. Giorgio Maggiore, with its magnificent church designed by Andrea Palladio, is one of those places where Venetians don't go very often. There are no shops nor restaurants nor bars or other places of interest, and then not many reasons to spend time there for them. Despite this, S. Giorgio is an essential sight and physical presence for all the people living here. Perhaps unconsciously, my photo, taken while waiting for the "vaporetto" taking me home, reflects this way of thinking about S. Giorgio. It's a blurred image, vaguely unreal, but at the same time familiar and reassuring, like something in the background of our minds that has always been there, and none of us can even imagine Venice itself without it.