Once Upon a Time in Venice
A timeless city of more than 100 tiny islands surrounded by the vast Venetian Lagoon.
Venice is an enchanting city that casts visitors under an intoxicating spell. It’s dreamy and romantic, with an undercurrent of mystery and drama. And while Carnival is only once a year, its mood is present year-round. The Grand Canal is the center of activity, with gondoliers singing to the passengers in their boats. The magnificent Piazza Sam Marco is another must-see hub. Along the winding streets, you’ll find stylish cafes and gelaterias, souvenir shops and small businesses, plus Renaissance palaces and Gothic churches. After you've climbed the Campanile and visited the Gallerie dell Accademia, stroll through the surrounding neighborhoods, where locals eat Cicchetti and drink their vino in unfussy bars and restaurants.
Cultural heritage: the myth of Venice
Reacting to their physical environment and to a variety of cultural influences—from Italy, northern Europe, and the East—the Venetians consciously designed their city as an exceptional place. They regarded it as a divinely ordained center of religious, civic, and commercial life, a community blessed by St. Mark, protected by its lagoon, and governed by a balanced constitution incorporating monarchy, aristocracy, and republican liberty. Historians refer to this perception as the “myth of Venice.” The architecture of the city, especially in the Renaissance, purposely emulated republican Rome, and the great rituals of state—the doge’s procession from his palace to the basilica or the annual Marriage with the Sea, when the doge cast a gold ring into the lagoon as a “sign of true and perpetual dominion”—publicly expressed the myth.
San Marco
The administrative heart of the Venetian republic was at San Marco, in the buildings surrounding the piazza and the Piazzetta (“Little Square”). This spectacular piece of town planning depends on its impact on the articulation of paved open spaces, monumental buildings, carefully situated monuments, and the reflective waters of the lagoon.
Music
O Sole Mio (It's Now Or Never) by Jack Jezzro
Relaxing Italian Instrumental Music
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