ENGLISH VERSION (click here!)

Hello, travelers from around the world. ![InShot_20260316_191702981.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmTBpUJfNAHPZJbrEZB9wQpUtKkKXfbhA5Q9vcWNfEutzm/InShot_20260316_191702981.jpg) Not everything in the city is connected to Venezuelan historical figures; some places are part of chapters being written in our history with people from other lands. One example is a plaza dedicated to our Italian friends. They have a small corner set aside on the Vereda del Lago de Maracaibo, right at the park’s north entrance. More than just a plaza, it seeks to unite our roots with those who chose to stay here. ![20260308_105951.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmNXdqGpPHjxXDV8Zk9BZnKTbrkRgbp2ALWoWFVjscE8iK/20260308_105951.jpg) ![20260308_105815.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmUZy38iTDrXaBtZXJR2Uci4yQUe4KCp8mCjCR64kZ6xYq/20260308_105815.jpg) ![20260308_105640.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbVTFM5ZDfhmyaL5WL58sG7udQwyJk8sEaooHCks3uH2x/20260308_105640.jpg) Plaza Italia pays tribute to various renowned figures, but the most notable is the historical figure and Italian Amerigo Vespucci, who, along with Alonso de Ojeda, called Venezuela “Little Venice.” During one of their expeditions to our country, they reached the shores of Lake Maracaibo and encountered the palafitos—houses built by our indigenous people to live on the water—which are still preserved in some areas like Santa Rosa de Agua and which I have shown you on a couple of occasions. ![20260308_105607.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmSd9BdhsytAuqQoQ5UepEjpBiHgGPyq95UgAeimKMszjj/20260308_105607.jpg) It’s a very spacious site, with Venezuelan and Italian flags flying around a small sculpture on a base of Amerigo Vespucci wearing a cap like those worn by sailors in the past, set within a rectangular granite frame, with a background featuring the flags of Zulia and Maracaibo. I really like how they look against the blue sky; it brings out the hues in the colors of this national symbol of both countries. ![20260308_105717.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmd46tf9okbpUtdxGhVUsbsyw6FyxTNqNDn2fdjt4wLxij/20260308_105717.jpg) ![20260308_105657.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmcyyQSCPN8BjCnUTvhepKCuboP8wMJfAbkxYdVioF6RhD/20260308_105657.jpg) ![20260308_105825.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQbo3f5J2HW4nU7GkK3eHNn5aDAczLpFPV2vwLQzZQszB/20260308_105825.jpg) ![20260308_105647.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmW8CcG4aN28DDoHCimbn3gbbpbBuAtZprvyYF3VwNJ4f6/20260308_105647.jpg) ![20260308_105649.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQ2a9sGPtdJ1MsJUzhM4Qn3iUsPCuNgXBKjLfpZt9ryqR/20260308_105649.jpg) Almost hidden among the trees was a work of art featuring maps of Italy and Venezuela made of iron, joined together and adorned with beautiful colors representative of each country. A plaque indicated that it was created by Erick Paredes in 2023; this second monument was built in tribute to the Italian families residing in Maracaibo. ![20260308_105733.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmNc7L1rJbTzwVAKytDyW5xPPpySGz1kvTZ1ZAFnjmRynz/20260308_105733.jpg) ![20260308_105737.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbPGgJqLcUZqMN8neG7kWqRxHeYvjatTyRsEcTZV1fpmb/20260308_105737.jpg) ![20260308_105745.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQme3j9LKhn9wzAYgFj1ZoRnVj7RqFsLNMjj9geKTpZf27z/20260308_105745.jpg) ![20260308_105758.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmWtXZrAdEtEftAzaQv99QAkvLdxfTbprYhmRsnvw6oyf4/20260308_105758.jpg) ![20260308_105801.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYWDxDUTbM28KsqJL6ikoJ845dUS8SFHGW476i5zdp9pp/20260308_105801.jpg) ![20260308_105804.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmRQ1eEZZ6pEUoKLfxvqpVBMr9WEbTYzvx8M2x58uU53Rd/20260308_105804.jpg) Although it is not Venezuelan in origin, the fact that Amerigo called us “Little Venice” was so significant that it gave rise to the name Venezuela, changed a part of our history, and is now part of our cultural heritage. What better way to honor him than with Plaza Italia? ![IMG-20260308-WA0065.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmUoT5kK7krDMChspN1DsYqC9GkhEHXJrVHqEKCXvU8a7L/IMG-20260308-WA0065.jpg)

--- Photos taken with a Samsung Galaxy A35. Collage created in [Inshot](https://v.inshot.com/invite) Content owned by me. Translation by: [Deepl](https://www.deepl.com/es/translator)

Hola, viajeros de todo el mundo. ![InShot_20260316_191702981.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmTBpUJfNAHPZJbrEZB9wQpUtKkKXfbhA5Q9vcWNfEutzm/InShot_20260316_191702981.jpg) No todo lo que esta en la ciudad forma parte personajes históricos Venezolanos, algunos sitios forman parte de capítulos que se escriben en nuestra historia con personajes de otras tierras, una forma de saberlo es una plaza dedicada a nuestros amigos Italianos, tienen un rinconcito dispuesto en la Vereda del Lago de Maracaibo justamente en la entrada norte del parque, más que una plaza busca unir nuestras raíces con quiénes decidieron quedarse aquí. ![20260308_105951.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmNXdqGpPHjxXDV8Zk9BZnKTbrkRgbp2ALWoWFVjscE8iK/20260308_105951.jpg) ![20260308_105815.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmUZy38iTDrXaBtZXJR2Uci4yQUe4KCp8mCjCR64kZ6xYq/20260308_105815.jpg) ![20260308_105640.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbVTFM5ZDfhmyaL5WL58sG7udQwyJk8sEaooHCks3uH2x/20260308_105640.jpg) La Plaza Italia es un homenaje a distintas personas de renombre, pero el más resaltante es el personaje histórico y Italiano Amerigo Vespucci quién junto a Alonso de Ojeda llamaron a Venezuela la pequeña Venecia, en una de sus expediciones a nuestro país llegaron a las orillas del Lago de Maracaibo y se encontraron con los palafitos, viviendas que fabrican nuestros indígenas para habitar sobre el agua, que actualmente se mantienen en algunas zonas como Santa Rosa de Agua y que les he mostrado en un par de ocasiones. ![20260308_105607.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmSd9BdhsytAuqQoQ5UepEjpBiHgGPyq95UgAeimKMszjj/20260308_105607.jpg) Es un sitio muy amplio, con banderas de Venezuela y Italia izadas alrededor de una pequeña escultura sobre una base de Amerigo Vespucci con un gorro de los que llevaban los navegantes en el pasado, dentro de un marco de granito en forma rectangular, con un fondo con las banderas del Zulia y de Maracaibo, me gustan mucho como se ven con el cielo azul de fondo, hace resaltar los tonos en los colores de este símbolo patrio de ambos países. ![20260308_105717.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmd46tf9okbpUtdxGhVUsbsyw6FyxTNqNDn2fdjt4wLxij/20260308_105717.jpg) ![20260308_105657.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmcyyQSCPN8BjCnUTvhepKCuboP8wMJfAbkxYdVioF6RhD/20260308_105657.jpg) ![20260308_105825.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQbo3f5J2HW4nU7GkK3eHNn5aDAczLpFPV2vwLQzZQszB/20260308_105825.jpg) ![20260308_105647.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmW8CcG4aN28DDoHCimbn3gbbpbBuAtZprvyYF3VwNJ4f6/20260308_105647.jpg) ![20260308_105649.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQ2a9sGPtdJ1MsJUzhM4Qn3iUsPCuNgXBKjLfpZt9ryqR/20260308_105649.jpg) Casi escondida entre los árboles se encontraba una obra de arte, donde se observan unidos los mapas de Italia y Venezuela hechos con hierro, lleva lindos colores representativos para cada país, una placa nos indicaba que fue realizada por Erick Paredes en el 2023, este segundo monumento se realizo en homenaje a las familias Italianas que reciden en Maracaibo. ![20260308_105733.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmNc7L1rJbTzwVAKytDyW5xPPpySGz1kvTZ1ZAFnjmRynz/20260308_105733.jpg) ![20260308_105737.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbPGgJqLcUZqMN8neG7kWqRxHeYvjatTyRsEcTZV1fpmb/20260308_105737.jpg) ![20260308_105745.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQme3j9LKhn9wzAYgFj1ZoRnVj7RqFsLNMjj9geKTpZf27z/20260308_105745.jpg) ![20260308_105758.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmWtXZrAdEtEftAzaQv99QAkvLdxfTbprYhmRsnvw6oyf4/20260308_105758.jpg) ![20260308_105801.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYWDxDUTbM28KsqJL6ikoJ845dUS8SFHGW476i5zdp9pp/20260308_105801.jpg) ![20260308_105804.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmRQ1eEZZ6pEUoKLfxvqpVBMr9WEbTYzvx8M2x58uU53Rd/20260308_105804.jpg) Aunque no es Venezolano el hecho de que Amerigo nos llamara la pequeña Venecia fue tan importante que le dió origen al nombre de Venezuela, cambió una parte de nuestra historia y ahora se encuentra formando parte de nuestro patrimonio cultural. ¿Que mejor manera de darle honor que con la Plaza Italia? ![IMG-20260308-WA0065.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmUoT5kK7krDMChspN1DsYqC9GkhEHXJrVHqEKCXvU8a7L/IMG-20260308-WA0065.jpg) --- Fotografías tomadas con un Samsung Galaxy A35. Collage realizado en [Inshot](https://v.inshot.com/invite) Contenido de mi propiedad. Traducción por: [Deepl](https://www.deepl.com/es/translator) _Noalys Salas_ _2.026_ [//]:# (!worldmappin 10.66077 lat -71.59448 long d3scr)

Amerigo Vespucci- training ship