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Venice Guide: the Gondola

17 gen

The Gondola is a traditional flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, once the main means of transport in Venice but today primarily used to take tourists on sightseeing tours of the city. While there were around ten thousand gondolas during the 17th and 18th century, nowadays they amount to just about four hundreds, and almost all of them are used for hire by tourists.

Gondolas were constructed in a typical boatyard called Squero, and some of them are still visitable today, like the Squero di San Trovaso. The boats are hand made using 8 types of wood: fir, oak, cherry, walnut, elm, mahogany, larch and lime, while the oars are made of beech wood and are held in an oar lock called forcola, especially designed to allow several different positions of the oar during rowing.

The left side of a Gondola is longer than the right one, in order to resist the tendency of the boat to turn toward the left at the forward stroke. On the front of the boat is the pettine or ferro di prua (iron of prow), an ornament made from brass, stainless steel, or aluminium. It has six teeth that symbolize the districts (sestieri) of Venice, which are: Cannareggio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo, Santa Croce.

Taking a Gondola in Venice is a bit expensive but you get marvellous views of the city that are really worth it. Sometimes the gondoliere may decrease the price cutting the time and some interesting parts of the journey. Make sure you reach an agreement on price and time before you start and enjoy it!

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Christmas 2010 in Venice

13 dic

Visiting Venice during Christmas festivities 2010 is a unique, exciting experience. Though prices may be slightly higher than in other periods, you can’t put a value on seeing one of the most charming cities in the world smarten up with picturesque Christmas decorations everywhere.

Christmas 2010 in Venice creates a magic atmosphere that has the power to enchant both the young and the old, with its countless calli (streets) glittering with colourful lights by day and night.
A number of Christmas markets are set near the main places of interest of the city, like Rialto Bridge and Saint Mark’s square, where you can find any kind of handycrafts, Christmas gifts, jewelry and sculptures made in the world-famous Murano glass and traditional Italian sweets like Panettone and Pandoro.

In addition to the Christmas markets, several events like exhibitions and concerts are organized this year for the Christmas 2010 in Venice .
Treat yourself with a journey to Venice during Christmas celebrations 2010, and a dream will can come true!

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Exclusive Hotels in Venice

04 dic

For your holidays in the Serenissima choose a Exclusive Hotels in Venice, and treat yourself with a luxurious, exclusive accommodation. Venice splendour as a city is reflected in the most refined hotels of the city, that stand out for the smart interior and exterior design, in perfect harmony with the environment.

Thanks to the privileged position, the Exclusive Hotels in Venice boast spectacular views of the city and its most beautiful benchmakrs, like Saint Mark’s square and Rialto Bridge. Rooms are spacious, bright and extremely comfortable, equipped with all ameneties. Common spaces are stylish decorated and top-class restaurants serve delicious meals according to the finest traditional recipes.

If you don’t want to settle for an ordinary accommodation choose a Exclusive Hotels in Venice, enjoy all the comforts of a first class hotel, and you will feel better than at home.

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Venice guide: Palazzo Ducale

29 nov

The Doge’s Palace or Palazzo Ducale di Venezia is a superb example of Venetian Gothic architecture, once the residence of the Doge of Venice, seat of government and palace of justice, linked to the prison by the Bridge of Sighs. It is situated in Saint Mark’s square, “the drawing room of Europe”, with its two most visible façades overlooking the Venetian lagoon and the Piazzetta.

First raised in the ninth century A.D. as a fortified building, with four sighting towers and high defensive walls, the Doge’s Palace was rebuilt many times thereafter, until it took the current shape in 1324, thanks to a project conceived by Filippo Calendario. The palace was badly damaged by a fire in 1577 but the following rebuilding work respected the original Gothic style, despite the submission of a neo-classical design by the influential Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio.

The pink marble facades enhance the elegant look of the palace, and also decoration is rich and elaborate. The 36 capitals on the lower colonnade of the building have carvings of beasts and flowers, while a number of sculptures represent scenes like the Judgement of Solomon, the Drunkenness of Noah, Adam and Eve with the Archangel Gabriel.

Nowadays the building is preserved as a museum and in the interior, you may admire paintings by Titian, Tintorettoand Paolo Veronese, that glorify the Venetian State.

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Venice Guide: Murano Glass

24 nov

One and a half kilometres north of Venice lies the little island of Murano, where the world-famous Murano glass is produced.

Murano has been an important commercial port since the seventh century but its reputation as a center for glassmaking was born in the Middle Ages. In fact, in 1291 the Venetian Republic ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano, as a consequence of the fear of fires, which represented a serious threat to the city’s mostly wooden buildings. Since then, glassmakers developed and refined many different technologies in the manufacture of Murano glass.

Today Murano is home to a vast number of glass factories and the Veneto Region protects and promotes the production of artistic glassworks on the island, since glasswork is a significant part of Venetian historical and cultural heritage. Jewelry, vases, bowls, sculptures and any kind of ornaments made of Murano glass can be found in all the many gift shops in Murano and Venice as well.
Tourist interested in the history of glassmaking can visit the Glass Museum, where a wide array of glass samples are on permanent display. Also worth a visit in Murano are the Church of Santa Maria and San Donato, the

.

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Venice Guide: Palazzo Grassi

16 ott

Palazzo Grassi is among the most interesting architectural buildings in Venice.

Situated in the San Marco district, on the east bank side of the Grand Canal, it dominates the surrounding area.

Unlike the majority of Venetian palaces, built in the Baroque and Byzantine styles, Palazzo Grassi is a magnificent example of academic Classic architecture, with a formal facade in white marble.

It was sold by the Grassi family in 1840 and after some years Gianni Agnelli, president of the Fiat Group purchased it.

Palazzo Grassi was turned into an exhibition hall and from then on forth it has always been used as an art gallery, even when French entrepreneur François Pinault purchase it in 2006.

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Events in Venice: “People meet in architecture” Exhibition

16 ott

“People meet in architecture” is the title of the twelfth International Architecture Exhibition mounted in Venice and directed by Kazuyo Sejima, among the major events in Venice in 2010.

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni della Biennale and the Arsenale are the main location hosting the exhibition, from August 29th until November 21th 2010.

Hundreds of architects and engineers from all over the world usually gather on the occasion of this memorable event in Venice, to present and discuss their works in the most prestigious frame of the International Architecture Exhibition in Venice.

The total number of partakers amounts to 53 States,with many nations participating this year for the first time: Albania, Bahrain, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco and Ruanda.

Italy’s own pavilion, organized under the patronage of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and curated by Luca Molinari, is titled “Ailati – Reflections form the Future”.

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Venice Guide: Piazza San Marco

16 ott

The most beautiful nickname Piazza San Marco has been given over the centuries is “the drawing room of Europe”, and this is just one of the many things that have been said in an attempt to describe its majesty.

Piazza San Marco in Venice is among the largest squares in Italy and Europe, and its immense beauty has always attracted and inspired the greatest artists, novelists and painters of all the times.

The present size and shape of the square dates back to the XII century, when Sebastiano Ziani decided to widen the urban space that was had been created in the IX century around the Basilica San Marco.

Nowadays Piazza San Marco is 170 metres long and is still dominated by the Basilica San Marco and the Campanile towering on its side. Other imposing architectural buildings in the square are the Procuratie Vecchie, the Procuratie Nuove, and the Palazzo Ducale.

Being the lowest area in Venice, Piazza San Marco is periodically affected by the Acqua Alta (literally “high water”), with water surging from Adriatic and flooding the square.

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Venice Guide: Rialto Bridge

16 ott

The Rialto Bridge is one of the main symbols of Venice. Crossing the Grand Canal in the very heart of the city, it joins two major districts (sestieri) of Venice: San Polo and San Marco.

The Rialto Bridge, as you can see it now, was designed by Italian architect Antonio da Ponte and built in stone in 1591. Its structure closely resembles the one of the wooden bridge that formerly existed there, which had two inclined ramps to be raised when tall ships passed under the bridge. The present Rialto Bridge does not have the movable central section but has inclined ramps.

Along them, two rows of shops sell any kind of tourist gifts and artisan works, especially jewerly in the world-famous Murano glass.

In the proximity of the bridge is the renowned Rialto Market where every day you can buy very fresh fruits, vegetables and fishes.

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First time in Venice

16 ott

Venice is a splendid city in Northeastern Italy, generally rated among the most beautiful cities in the world, it was also declared world heritage site by UNESCO.

The first time you visit Venice you will be impressed by the distinctive lagoon landscape dotted with a number of Gondola, a kind of characteristic wooden boat, 11 metres long, used as a means of transport in the Grand Canal.

There are some major benchmarks in the city that you must visit in your first time in Venice and these are: the majestic Piazza San Marco, “drawing room of Europe”, Ponte di Rialto, a bridge built during the Renaissance, and Murano, a little isle where the famous glass is produced.

One of the best solutions for your holiday in Venice is to rent an apartment in Venice,  a few minutes walking from Piazza San Marco or Rialto Bridge.

Also many palaces like Ca’ Pesaro, Ca’ Rezzonico, Ca’ d’Oro are definitely worth visiting.

Venice has a capacity to charm anyone who visit it, either young or old ones. Your first time in Venice will be a really unique and unforgettable experience!

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