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Hidden corners

The lucky little anchors

The Ponte di San Canzian and the portico of the Traghetto: the ancorette hang from the house pillar, on the pale wall beyond the arches
The Ponte di San Canzian and the portico of the Traghetto: the ancorette hang from the house pillar, on the pale wall beyond the arches Photo: Abxbay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

From that pillar hang two small hooks of rusted iron, and they are not leftovers from a boat: you touch them. Passers-by reach out a hand, set them swinging for a moment and carry on. Venetians call them ’ancorette’ - little anchors - and swear they bring luck: the wall around them is worn by generations of fingers.

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