VENICE
Romantic and mysterious. Ethereal and imposing. The most seductive and photogenic city in the world. A historic maritime city with countless names. The “Queen of the Adriatic Sea"; “La Serenissima”; the “City of Canals”; the “Floating City”. The birthplace of Marco Polo, Casanova, Vivaldi, Goldoni; the cradle of explorers, merchants and artists; the beloved destination of travellers of the 18th century; a living work of art that floats through the centuries in the peaceful waters of the Venetian lagoon. A city that is full of grace; full of charm. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Built on top of 117 small islands of the Laguna Veneta that are connected by 177 canals and more than 400 bridges, the capital of the Veneto area in Northern Italy unveils its unique history to the visitor. An important naval and mercantile force in the Mediterranean during the Medieval times and the Renaissance, the Most Serene Republic of Venice, was a sovereign state for ten centuries (8th -18th). The republic was ruled by the doges and was the financial centre of a mighty maritime empire that was connecting the West to the East. The city’s untold wealth, luxury and unlimited prosperity is reflected in the arts and local architecture that remain today an unparalleled cultural heritage. From the famous “Venetian school” of arts - painting, architecture and music – to the development of traditional arts, Venice was the artistic laboratory of the world. Today, the traces of glory that have passed down through the ages are seen throughout the city. They may have faded but they still preserve an “enchanting decadence” that tells the story of the city’s bygone glory.
The passion for arts, the handicrafts tradition and the business acumen still characterize the natives today. The Venetian idiocrasy is an amalgam of cosmopolitan, eclectic taste, elegance, warm expressiveness and carefree simplicity that magnetizes the visitor who is already dazzled by the beauty of this city. The best way to get to know the real Venice is to set off without a fixed schedule and just wander around the backstreets and small squares of the city’s less touristy neighbourhoods. Picturesque Castello with its evergreen gardens, the Biennale, the Arsenale and the washings hanging above the canals. The quite Cannaregio of the Jewish Ghetto. The artistic and youthful Dorsoduro, home to the Accademia di Belle Arti (academy of arts) and the city’s liveliest nightlife.