20 Great Things to do in Venice 6/20 - Art

Tour the Venetian masters of art

Venice is a unique and precious repository of art. From the late Middle Ages until the mid 18th century, artists of the highest caliber left thier mark all over the city and works by Venice's grand masters Titian (c1488-1576), Tintoretto (c1518-94), Canaletto (1697-1768) and Tiepolo (1727-1804) can still be viewed in situ today. See Titian’s glorious 'Assumption' above the high altar at I Frari, Tintoretto's epic masterpiece 'Crucifixion' at Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and Tiepolo's monumental frescos at the Pietà and Ca’ Rezzonico.

For a one-stop-shop of Venice’s foremost artistic treasures, head for the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

20 Great Things to do in Venice 4/20 - View over Venice

Get a bird's-eye view of Venice

At almost 99m (325ft), the Campanile is the city’s tallest building, originally built between 888 and 912 (in July 1902 it collapsed, imploding in a neat pyramid of rubble. It was rebuilt exactly 'as it was, where it was', as the town council of the day promised). Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III rode a horse to the top of the original in 1451; these days visitors take the lift. The view is superb, taking in the Lido, the whole lagoon and (on a clear day) the Dolomites in the distance.

Photo By: Marco Secchi

But my favourite view is from the Campanile of San Giorgio.....you can get there taking the Vaporetto n2 and is just one stop. The entrance is from the beautiful Church, and usually you should be able to admire as well Tintoretto  the Last Supper, 1592-94, one of the last works the artist painted. If is not there....write to Mr Vittorio Sgarbi one of the worst curator of the Italian Pavillion at Biennale...that decided to get it on loan to "sex up" his own very poor choice of "art" for 2011 Biennale Arte

P&O Cruise Ship "Oriana" enters Canale della Giudecca

Celebration for St Roch in Venice

The Confraternity of Saint Roch, founded in 1478 and immediately recognized by the Council of Ten, received the relic of Saint Roch's body in 1485.

Between 1517 and 1549, the Confraternity moved to one of the most prominent and captivating buildings in the city, one that preserves the extraordinary, original work of Tintoretto. The Confraternity of Saint Roch, which was made an "Arch brotherhood" in 1789 by Pio VI, has continued its activities without interuption to the present day.

A traditional celebration take place every year on the 16th of August

20 Great Things to do in Venice 12/20 – Tour of Venice

A Venice tour has been a sought-after experience since the golden age of travel, when people set off on Grand Tours of the European continent. Its lasting allure is a testament to just how unique and unforgettable Venice is - as you look for a Venice tour to suit you, make sure it includes these elements:In addition to providing a deeper experience of the most famous sights, allows you to relax and enjoy your surroundings without the stress of needing to arrange all the varied elements of your trip. And in a city as labyrinthine as Venice, it can help to have a little added guidance so that exploring on your own is truly a pleasant experience.* Art. Venice is a work of art in its own right, but the visual delights ensconced within the city's many museums should not be missed. You'll find plenty of classical treasures, as in the collection at the palazzo Ca'Rezzonico, but the Venetian art scene is as welcoming to modernity as it is to classicism - as evidenced by the Venice Biennale festival. A Venice Tour allows you to see works that run the gamut of styles and periods in the famous Peggy Guggenheim collection.

* Architecture. The fading grandeur of Venice's canal houses makes for an intriguing atmosphere everywhere you go in the city, but there are also some standout structures that shouldn't be missed. Perhaps foremost among them is the Basilica di San Marco, which is beautiful outside and nothing short of breathtaking inside. San Marco's glittering Byzantine mosaics bring Venice's history to life in stunning visuals. Also on the docket should be the legendary Bridge of Sighs and the marble halls of the Scuola Grand di San Rocco, decorated by one of Venice's most famous residents, Tintoretto.

* Wine. Italy and wine production are inextricably linked - and for good reason. On your Venice tour, you have a unique opportunity to taste the lighter side (in color, not taste) of Italy's wines. Tauck's Culturious experience takes you to visit makers of pinot grigio, Prosecco and grappa in the Veneto region, giving you insight into the cultivation, production and enjoyment of these white-grape-based beverages.

* Food. The food culture of Italy is incredibly varied and often fiercely regional. A well-planned Venice tour takes you to exceptional trattorias and cafes where the splendors of Venetian cuisine - particularly its seafood - are yours for the tasting. And don't miss the opportunity to stroll through the city's fresh food markets to see the quality and diversity of ingredients used in local dishes.

One of the Tour I recommend is here

Who Really Discovered America?

A 14th-century voyage across the North Atlantic; a 16th-century publishing event; and a 21st-century quest are the subjects of a book by Andrea di Robilant, a distinguished scholar of Venetian history.

The modern story follows the author’s investigations after stumbling upon an old book in the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice while looking for something else. An American-­educated Italian whose previous titles include the well-received “Venetian Affair,” di Robilant admits to an “obsession” with the shadowy figures who emerged from his initial inquiries. The old book turned out to be a travel narrative and map published in Venice in 1558 and written by one Nicolò Zen. Piecing together archival scraps, di Robilant discovers that Zen was a nobleman (the young Tintoretto painted the family palazzo), a hydraulic engineer and a minor historian. Zen’s hometown, Venice, previously a sea power, was shifting to a land-based economy at the time of his birth in 1515, and had taken control of most of northern Italy. A new doge, Andrea Gritti, was presiding over a period of renewal that stimulated the appetite for knowledge of a world emerging from medieval darkness. Di Robilant is excellent on the contextual background and its relevance to the text under scrutiny.

Zen’s book told the story of a voyage undertaken by his great-great-great-grandfather Antonio Zen and Antonio’s brother Messer Nicolò, Venetian aristocrats who may (or may not) have sailed around the North Atlantic in the 1380s and 1390s. Travel narratives were popular in the Age of Discovery, and the book about this ancestral journey sold well. (Zen wrote it, unusually, in Italian rather than Latin.)

The book can be ordered on Amazon : Venetian Navigators: The Voyages of the Zen Brothers to the Far North

On the trail of Tintoretto

An exhibition honouring 16th-century Venetian master Tintoretto opens in Rome today Saturday, following the painter's career from his days as an ambitious disciple of Titian to a bitter old age. "Tintoretto was the most controversial painter of his time," Melania Mazzucco, one of the organisers, told reporters in the Italian capital.  Tintoretto, whose real name was Jacopo Robusti, owed his nickname to his father who was a manufacturer of dyes ("tinta" in Italian). He became one of the greatest practitioners of the Venetian style.

Tintoretto used to live meters away from Campo Dei Mori where he used to walk probably every day

The exhibition, which runs until June 10, begins with one of his monumental works "The Miracle of the Slave" (1548), measuring 4.16 metres by 5.44 metres (14 feet by 18 feet) and normally jealously guarded in Venice. The choice of putting a slave at the centre of the painting instead of the saint who is rescuing him was considered scandalous at the time.Another masterpiece in the show is "The Theft of the Body of Saint Mark" (1564) showing a group of Christians in Alexandria taking away the saint's body from a bonfire that has been miraculously extinguished by rain. Apart from religious and mythological subjects, Tintoretto also painted hundreds of portraits -- a source of revenue from aristocrats, writers and celebrities that he used for contacts and protection. Tintoretto's pride was legendary: he once turned down a knighthood from French king Henry III because he did not want to kneel down and he refused to allow his beloved daughter Marietta to leave his home. His final years were cruel to the painter. Marietta died in 1590, followed by his son Giovanni Battista. His last self-portrait shows a somber and humbled Tintoretto, his face marked by the harshness of life. His last child died in a convent in 1652, leaving him without descendants.

Tribute to Lorenzo Lotto - The Hermitage Paintings At The Accademia Gallery

Switching alliances. After having been so passionate about Jacopo Robusti (Tintoretto) at the point that one of the reasons I choose my present house in Venice was due to being close to the Tintoretto's house and workshop I find myself deeply in love with Lorenzo Lotto. Traitor!

The Hermitage Paintings at Accademia Gallery on November 23, 2011 in Venice, Italy. The exhibition, which includes two very rare and previously unseen paintings, opens from the November 24 2011 to February 26, 2012 in Venice