Place to visit in Venice (Venezia) is so much. That is a hauntingly beautiful city. At every turn you’re assailed by unforgettable images – tiny bridges arching over limpid canals; chintzy gondolas sliding past working barges; towers and distant domes silhouetted against the watery horizon. Its celebrated sights are legion, and its labyrinthine alleyways exude a unique, almost eerie atmosphere, redolent of cloaked passions and dark secrets.
Many of the city’s treasures date to its time as a powerful medieval republic known as La Serenissima.
San Marco
Basilica di San Marco
With its Byzantine domes and 8500 sq metres of luminous mosaics, Venice’s basilica is an unforgettable sight. It dates to the 9th century when, according to legend, two merchants smuggled the corpse of St Mark out of Egypt in a barrel of pork fat.
When the original burnt down in 932 Venice rebuilt the basilica in its own cosmopolitan image, with Byzantine domes, a Greek cross layout and walls clad in marbles from Syria, Egypt and Palestine.
Campanile
The basilica’s 99m-tall bell tower has been rebuilt twice since its initial construction in AD 888. Galileo Galilei tested his telescope here in 1609, but modern-day visitors head to the top for 360-degree lagoon views and close encounters with the Marangona, the booming bronze bell that originally signalled the start and end of the working day for the craftsmen (marangoni) at the Arsenale shipyards. Today it rings twice a day, at noon and midnight.
www.basilicasanmarco.it, google map
Palazzo Ducale
This grand Gothic palace was the Doge’s official residence from the 9th century, and seat of the Venetian Republic’s government (and prisons) for nearly seven centuries. The Doge’s Apartments are on the 1st floor, but it’s the lavishly decorated 2nd-floor chambers that are the real highlight.
These culminate in the echoing Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Grand Council Hall), home to the Doge’s throne and a 22m-by-7m Paradise painting by Tintoretto’s son Domenico.
www.palazzoducale.visitmuve.it, google map
Ponte dei Sospiri
One of Venice’s most photographed sights, the Bridge of Sighs connects Palazzo Ducale to the 16th-century Priggione Nove (New Prisons). It’s named after the sighs that condemned prisoners – including Giacomo Casanova – emitted as they were led down to the cells.
Gallerie dell’Accademia
Venice’s historic gallery traces the development of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries, with works by Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and Canaletto among others.
The former Santa Maria della Carità convent complex housing the collection maintained its serene composure for centuries until Napoleon installed his haul of Venetian art trophies here in 1807. Since then there’s been nonstop visual drama inside its walls.
www.galleriedell’accademia.org
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
After losing her father on the Titanic, heiress Peggy Guggenheim became one of the great collectors of the 20th century. Her palatial canalside home, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, showcases her stockpile of surrealist, futurist and abstract expressionist art with works by up to 200 artists, including her ex-husband Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock (among her many rumoured lovers), Picasso and Salvador Dalí.
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Guarding the entrance to the Grand Canal, this 17th-century domed church was commissioned by Venice’s plague survivors as thanks for their salvation. Baldassare Longhena’s uplifting design is an engineering feat that defies simple logic; in fact the church is said to have mystical curative properties. Titian eluded the plague until age 94, leaving 12 key paintings in the basilica’s art-slung sacristy.
San Polo & Santa Croce
I Frari
A soaring Italian-brick Gothic church, I Frari’s assets include marquetry choir stalls, Canova’s pyramid mausoleum, Bellini’s achingly sweet Madonna with Child triptych in the sacristy and Longhena’s creepy Doge Pesaro funereal monument. Upstaging them all, however, is the small altarpiece.
This is Titian’s lauded 1518 Assunta (Assumption), in which a radiant red-cloaked Madonna reaches heavenward, steps onto a cloud and escapes this mortal coil. Titian himself – lost to the plague in 1576 at the age 94 – is buried here near his celebrated masterpiece.
www.basilicadeifrari.it, google map
Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore
Built to celebrate the city’s deliverance from the Black Death, Palladio’s Il Redentore was completed under Antonio da Ponte (of Rialto bridge fame) Inside there are works by Tintoretto, Veronese and Vivarini, but the most striking is Paolo Piazza’s 1619 Gratitude of Venice for Liberation from the Plague.
Murano
Murano has been the home of Venetian glass-making since the 13th century. Today, artisans ply their trade at workshops along Fondamenta dei Vetrai. To learn about local manufacturing traditions and enjoy a collection of historic glassware, visit the Museo del Vetro near the Museo Vaporetto stop.
www.museovetro.visitmuve.it, google map
Burano
Burano, with its cheery pastel-coloured houses, is renowned for its handmade lace, which once graced the décolletage and ruffs of European aristocracy. These days, however, much of the lace sold in local shops is imported. google map
Torcello
Torcello, the republic’s original island settlement, was largely abandoned due to malaria and now counts no more than 10 permanent residents. Its mosaic-clad Byzantine cathedral, the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta google map
Festivals & Events
Masquerade madness stretches over two weeks in February before Lent. A Grand Canal flotilla marks the outbreak of festivities which feature masked balls, processions, public parties in every campo (square), and all manner of dressing up.
Venice Biennale
Europe’s premier arts showcase since 1907 is something of a misnomer: the Venice Biennale is actually held every year, but the spotlight alternates between art (odd-numbered years) and architecture (even-numbered years). google map
Festa del Redentore
Walk on water across the Giudecca Canal to Il Redentore via a wobbly pontoon bridge on the third Saturday and Sunday in July, then watch the fireworks from the Zattere.
Venice International Film Festival
The only thing hotter than a Lido beach in August is the film festival’s starstudded red carpet, usually rolled out from the last weekend in August through the first week of September.
www.veniceinternationalfilmfestival
Marco Polo Airport Tourist Office
www.veneziaunica.it Tourist information at the airport, google map
Ryanair flies to/from Treviso Airport, google map
Accommodation
Down a lane from glitzy Calle Larga XXII Marzo, this ivy-covered retreat quietly outclasses brash designer neighbours with its delightful tearoom and breakfasts around the garden fountain.
Guest rooms feature antique mirrors, fluffy duvets atop hand-carved beds, and tiled en-suite bathrooms with apothecary-style amenities. Damask-clad superior rooms overlook the garden. Strollers and kids’ teatime are complimentary; babysitting available.
Novecento
Sporting a boho-chic look, the Novocento is a real charmer. Its nine individually designed rooms ooze style with Turkish kilim pillows, Fortuny draperies and 19th-century carved bedsteads. You can mingle with creative fellow travellers around the honesty bar, while outside, its garden is a lovely spot to linger over breakfast.
Corte Vecchia is a stylish steal, run by young architects Antonella and Mauro and a stone’s throw from Peggy Guggenheim, Accademia and Punta della Dogana.
Choose from a snug single with en suite, or two good-sized doubles: one with en suite, the other with an external private bathroom. All are simple yet understatedly cool, with contemporary and vintage objects, and a tranquil, shared lounge.
Pensione Guerrato
In a 1227 tower that was once a hostel for knights headed to the Third Crusade, the smart guestrooms here haven’t lost their sense of history – some have frescoes or glimpses of the Grand Canal. Sparkling modern bathrooms, a prime Rialto Market location and helpful owners add to the package. No lift.
www.hotelguerrato.com, google map
Eating
Recalling a cosy, woody bistro, La Bitta keeps punters purring with hearty rustic fare made using the freshest ingredients – no fish, just meat and seasonal veggies.
Scan the daily menu for mouthwatering options like tagliatelle with artichoke thistle and Gorgonzola, or juicy pork salsiccette (small sausages) served with verze (local cabbage) and warming polenta. Reservations essential. Cash only.
With its menu of seasonal vegetarian creations and classic meat dishes, this cosy, woody restaurant consistently hits the mark. Herbs and spices are used to great effect in dishes such as cinnamon-tinged pumpkin flan and chicken curry with yoghurt, lentils and rice. The small interior can get toasty, so reserve canalside seats in summer.
Nightlife 🎻🍷
Timon– Find a spot on the boat moored out front along the canal and watch the motley parade of drinkers and dreamers arrive for seafood crostini (open-face sandwiches) and quality organic and DOC wines by the ombra (half-glass of wine) or carafe.
Folk singers play sets canalside when the weather obliges; when it’s cold, regulars scoot over to make room for newcomers at indoor tables.
Harry’s Bar– Aspiring auteurs hold court at bistro tables well scuffed by Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Truman Capote and Orson Welles, enjoying the signature bellini (Giuseppe Cipriani’s original 1948 recipe: white peach juice and prosecco) with a side of reflected glory.
Upstairs is one of Italy’s most unaccountably expensive restaurants – stick to the bar to save the financing for your breakthrough film.
Place to visit in Venice is so much, but Piazza San Marco is the most crowded public square and one of the most happening places to visit in Venice, located in front of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace