Articles about Venice
Last Sunday, February 3rd 2013, the Carnival of Venice started for real. It was supposed to have officially started on Saturday, but torrential rain and pretty strong gales turned the day into a flop! I am not sure there were many masks around Venice on Saturday! All most important events got cancelled, like the Parade of…
This blog is dedicated to Venice, its history, its wonders and the love I have for this amazing city. But I have many friends who share this passion for the Serene Republic and through writing and photography they try to inspire other people to love this city and look beyond the crowds, the cheap…
Everyone who has been to Venice at least once must admit that it is a unique city: the labyrinth of canals, its narrow alleys, the beautiful palaces, the absence of cars. It can be wrapped in mist caused by damp, or covered by snow or flooded by hoards of tourists from all over the world,…
The Venice Carnival is officially starting on 26th January, but in Venice it unofficially started on 7th January. From Monday 7th January, all the local bakeries and patisseries have been displaying and selling frittelle and galani, the typical Carnival Venetian sweets, for the pleasure of locals and tourists alike. I simply adore frittelle, so much…
Well, it is that time of year again when the most beautiful city in the world (in my humble opinion) gets even more enchanting and fascinating, with flashes of colors, music and smiles everywhere. Yes, the oldest Carnival in the world, the Venice Carnival, is here! Come over at least once in your lifetime and…
As most of people know, Venice is an ancient city, almost like a museum on water. It is rich in art, history and culture itineraries. Depending on the time available, you can choose to do very interesting things with your kids, no matter their age, with workshops and visits to child friendly museums, alternating…
Among the most bizarre Venetian Carnival masks, the Plague Doctor is the most recognizable because of the long nose which resembles the beak of a stork. One of the major plagues in Venice was definitely the black plague that struck the city on several occasions. This disease killed half the population of Venice during the…
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting a great American artist and photographer, Linda Bailey Zimmerman, and to discover through her photos another wonderful side of Venice: that special one which only artists manage to catch and reproduce. It always amazes me how artists can look at exactly the same thing as us common people…
Many years ago during the days preceding 6th January (Epiphany), all farmers in Veneto used to gather mounds of bundles of branches and corn canes in the centre of their farm courtyards and on the evening of 5th January, they used to place on top of these mounds a dummy made up of old clothes,…
One of the most ancient and typical dishes in Venice is baccalà mantecato (creamed cod) often served on a slice of grilled white polenta, both in Venetian houses and in Venetian taverns (osterie). This post talks about the origins of this delicious dish (the source is an article by Sebastiano Giorgi in Guida alle Osterie…
A quick introduction on the origins of Venice as written by www.venicewiki.org and translated and adapted by me. The first mention about the lagoon of Venice dates back to the fourth century B.C., when an ancient Greek geographer, by the name of Scimno di Chio, mentions 50 small towns all located within and along the lagoon…
A place of worship and highly spiritual, the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta is located on the fascinating Torcello Island, one of the oldest settlements in the Venice lagoon and the cradle of Venice itself. The origins of this ancient church date back to the distant 7th century, built on behalf of the Ravenna Exarch…
The Carnival of Venice is fast approaching. Here is a list of just some of the numerous events which will take place this year from 4th February 2012 till 21st February 2012. For the full official calendar visit: Carnevale di Venezia 2012 Saturday 4th February Grand toast at the wine fountain: Piazzetta San Marco Venetians…
San Pietro’s Church in Castello Positioned on the small island of Olivolo, in a strategic position towards the East and protected to the North and the South by two strips of land which forms a small bay, there is the beautiful church of San Pietro di Castello. This used to be the site of the…
Venice: beautiful, unique but expensive. So what’s the best way to sample all the variety of Venetian cuisine without breaking the bank? Simple: go on a Bacaro Tour of the city! Try the famous Venetian cicchetti (little snacks similar to Spanish Tapas) in the Osterie (also called Bacari), typical Venetian inns where often…
Why is Venice the city of the Masks? First of all let’s define what is a Maschera (mask): in the Venetian culture the term “maschera” refers to “putting on a beard and mustache” and “maschera” was also the nickname given to women who disguised themselves as men and men who disguised themselves as women. Soon the…
Italy is by far one of the best places to visit because of its beautiful buildings and extravagant tourist attractions. There are dozens of places to visit in this outstanding country, but there are only a few that truly make the trip worthwhile. People everywhere flock to this part of Europe everyday, and all…
The “Altane” are structures located above the rooftops of Venice characterizing the architecture of the city, a sort of wooden terraces supported by pillars. If you have the opportunity to stand on a church tower or rooftop of a building, or if you just look up while walking through the calli of Venice, for…
Next Thursday, on 17th March 2011, Italy celebrates its 150 Anniversary as a united country. This is happening in the middle of a very difficult political and economical crisis. You would have thought that this anniversary would have been the occasion to put all this behind and start fresh. But I am not…
I remember last year around this time complaining because the Carnival of Venice had changed and was not anymore as I remembered it, see my post Venice Carnival: bring back the old days! Well, this year I am much much happier. Even though the Venice Carnival is still a major setting for people…
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