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CANADACity Overview ‘Dear old Venice has lost her complexion, her figure, her reputation, her self-respect; and yet, with it all, has so puzzlingly not lost a shred of her distinction,’ wrote Henry James, summing up the central contradiction at the very heart of modern Venice (Venezia). Yes, pollution is a problem, the city is slowly sinking, young people are fleeing in droves and tourism in summer can turn the city into a surreal Disney-esque theme park. Yet, despite all the problems and the fact that its heyday is long gone – a glorious past never likely to be repeated – Venice is still one of the world’s most thoroughly unique destinations, a city that inspires even the most jaded of travellers. To stroll out of the central station and onto a Grand Canal vista of grand palazzi and bobbing gondolas, is one of the great travel experiences, a moment that makes up for all of Venice’s all too evident drawbacks. Quite simply La Serenissima (The Divine Republic) is a place unlike any other on the planet, with a collage of 116 islands connected by 409 bridges, where cars are banned and everyone, including postmen and the police, go by boat. History is writ large in this northeastern Italian city and when visitors ease through the morning mists, on an empty canal with grandiose buildings rising up on all sides, it is easy to slip back through the centuries, to the time of the Doges – the omnipotent rulers, whose influence spread well beyond the Venetian Lagoon. Venice then was an exotic melting pot of East and West, where traders and travellers, including Marco Polo, breezed in and out, pedalling their silk and spices. Venice under the Doges was a land of unimaginable wealth – riches that were spent wisely in crafting some of Europe’s most memorable buildings, from the imposing Doges’ Palace itself through to the grand architecture of St Mark’s Square, famously described by Napoleon as the ‘drawing room of Europe’. Heading away from the main tourist throng – usually confined to a surprisingly small and well-delineated area – another Venice appears, with narrow canals, woman hanging out their washing and small osterias (bars) where locals, for once, outnumber tourists. Venice, often a puzzling and confusing quagmire when viewed on a map, is a joyous city in which to get pleasantly lost and wander aimlessly around, peeling back the layers of history along the way. However, it is in the intense heat of a Mediterranean summer that the city can just get too much and the tourist congregations too large. Many savvy visitors are now choosing to turn up out of season, in the colder months, when swirls of mist and frosty winds descend on the canals. At this time, the beauty of this unique city emerges through quintessential Venetian experiences, such as getting off a vaporetto at a random stop and ambling down a deserted canal, sniffing out an unheralded trattoria or bouncing across the Venetian Lagoon after a Bellini at Harry’s Bar, en route to dinner at the Hotel Cipriani. Getting There By Air Venice Marco Polo (VCE) Tel: (041) 260 9260. Fax: (041) 260 6260. Website: www.veniceairport.it Located just 12km (seven miles) from Venice, Marco Polo airport is the main hub of European and national flights to the Veneto region. It is easily accessible by land or water and when occasionally blighted by fog, planes land at nearby airports in Treviso or Verona. Marco Polo is one of the busiest airports in Italy, handling 4.4 million passengers in 2000. A new three-floor terminal, which can cater for up to six million passengers per year, recently opened. Major airlines: Italy’s national airline, Alitalia (tel: (041) 541 5340; website: www.alitalia.it), connects Venice to Rome, Naples and Catania in Sicily. British Airways and budget airline Go operate daily flights to London (Gatwick and Stansted respectively), while Lufthansa and Air France fly to other major European capitals and business centres. Approximate flight times to Venice: From London is 2 hours 10 minutes; from New York is 9 hours 20 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 10 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 20 hours 45 minutes. Airport facilities: Facilities include branches of Italian banks, with ATMs (bancomat), as well as a selection of bars and eateries. A range of shops selling local handicrafts and specialist food stuffs, a post office, a 24-hour first aid service and a hotel reservations service are also available. Car hire operators include Avis, Europcar and Hertz. Business facilities: Business-class travellers without luggage can check in at the Sala VIP Save lounge (tel: (041) 260 6285; fax: (041) 260 6282; e-mail: marketing@veniceairport.it), where there are televisions and telephones at their disposal. The Travelex Italia Business Centre (website: www.travelex.com) has meeting rooms, conference halls and work stations with secretarial services and other support facilities, such as translation services and mobile phone hire, is available daily 0600-2200. Arrival/departure tax: None. Transport to the city: The most romantic way for one to arrive in Venice (weather permitting) is by motorboat (motoscafo). Travellers pay for the privilege (€9.81) and the ride takes a little longer than the bus but the approach to St Mark’s Square from the water is one that few will forget. The Alilaguna service (tel: (041) 523 5775; website: www.alilaguna.com) departs hourly 0615-2410 and takes one hour. Water taxis (tel: (041) 541 5084) are an altogether more upmarket option, with a price tag upwards of €80. A cheaper alternative is by land, on the ATVO airbus (tel: (041) 541 5180) to Piazzale Roma, which departs every 20 minutes 0835-2330 and costs €2.70 (journey time – 20 minutes). Cheaper still is the ACTV (tel: (041) 528 7886; website: www.actv.it) public bus 5, which costs just €0.77 and departs every 30 minutes 0525-2125 (journey time – 25-40 minutes to Piazzale Roma). Car taxis to Piazzale Roma wait outside the arrivals hall and cost approximately €15-18 (tel: (041) 936 222). Getting There By Water Port of Venice (tel: (041) 533 4111; website: www.port.venice.it) caters for freight traffic and passenger ferries operate out of the modern Venice Passenger Terminal, located to the west of the city centre (tel: (041) 240 3000; website: www.vtp.it). Facilities, including shops, banks and cafes, are available in the terminal. Ferry services: During the summer, Minoan Lines (e-mail: info@minoan.gr; website: www.minoan.gr) operates daily services to and from Patras, on the Greek mainland, stopping (according to schedule) at the islands of Igoumenitsa and Corfu en route. There are also regular ferries to the Italian port of Ancona. The journey to Greece takes approximately 36 hours, including two nights on board. High season prices start at €72 one way, for a seat on deck. The price is double that for a cabin. Passengers must arrive two hours before sailing. For tickets, travellers should book online with Minoan Lines (see above) or through a travel agent within Venice. Transport to the city: The port is within walking distance of Piazzale Roma – the city’s main transport hub – and is connected to the city centre by vaporettos (water buses) no 41, 42, 51, 52, 61 and 62. There is a free shuttle bus to the Piazzale Roma on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Getting There By Road Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrada), designated by the letter ‘A’. The main north–south link is the Autostrada del Sole, or A1, which links Milan with Reggio Calabria in the toe of Italy. Speed limits on motorways are 130kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars and all cars when conditions are wet. All motorways are tolled and driving from Venice to Bologna will cost approximately €10.50. Those on a budget may prefer the strade statali, designated by ‘SS’, which are toll free and are often fast, multi-lane carriageways. The speed limit on these roads is 110kph (68mph), which is simply too slow for the speed-obsessed Italians and therefore a more leisurely drive for the rest of the world. Strade bianchi, small country roads, abound in the countryside around Venice, where visitors often stumble upon Palladian piles and medieval market towns. By law, both driver and passenger must wear their seatbelts, if fitted, or face an on-the-spot fine of €30. Random breath tests can be imposed and the penalties for drink driving are severe – the maximum legal blood ratio is 0.08‰. Speeding fines follow EU standards and are levied between €30 and €300, depending on the speed. Driving through a red light is fined at €60.50. The minimum age for driving is 18. All those without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit. EU nationals taking their own car will need an International Insurance Certificate, also known as a Green Card (Carta Verde). Automobile Club Italiana – ACI (tel: (06) 4998; website: www.aci.it) provides further information. Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club Italiana 116 Routes to the city: The main thoroughfare is the A4, which slices across the top of Italy from Turin, via Milan and Padua, to Venice. This intersects with the A13 from Bologna, which in turn connects with the A1 – the central road artery of Italy, passing through Florence, Rome and Naples. However, travellers who prefer scenery to speed, may enjoy the SS11, which runs from Padua to Venice, along the Brenta Canal. After Mestre, drivers should take the exit marked Venezia and follow signs for the city centre (centro). Once across the bridge (Ponte della Liberta), cars must be left at one of the huge car parks in Piazzale Roma or on the island of Tronchetto. Parking in Venice is expensive at around €20-30 per day. A cheaper alternative is for drivers to leave the car at the San Giulano car park in Mestre (only open in the high season) and catch the train. Approximate driving times to Venice: From Milan – 2 hours; Bologna – 3 hours; Rome – 5 hours. Coach services: International coaches operated by Eurolines (tel: (055) 357 110; website: www.eurolines.com) travel to destinations across Europe, including London, Amsterdam and Paris. ATVO (tel: (041) 520 5530; website: www.atvo.it) operates services to the nearby towns of Treviso, Verona, Padua and Milan. All coaches depart from Piazzale Roma, where there are few facilities, including an information office for walk-up enquiries. Bus passengers should use the nearby train station for other facilities. Getting There By Rail All trains to and from Venice are run by the efficient and good value Italian state railway, Ferrovie dello Stato (tel: (147) 888 088; website: www.fs-on-line.com). Supplements are added to fares according to the type of train boarded (Diretto, Inter-Regionale or InterCity) and fares are calculated according to the distance travelled. Enquiries should be directed to the helpdesk (tel: (06) 8833 9537; fax: (06) 8833 9613; e-mail: helpdesk@sipax.com), open daily 0800-1800. For the thousands of backpackers that pour into Venice each summer, Santa Lucia station (tel: (041) 785 570) is their first port of call, with 2002 finally seeing the introduction of a semi-organised queuing system. Situated at the west end of the Grand Canal, the station was built by the Austrians in the late 19th century, finally uniting the island community with the mainland. The eyesore terminal building is a more recent aesthetic crime. Facilities include left-luggage, a bureau de change, an accommodation booking service and a small tourist office. By law, all train tickets must be validated by stamping them in the yellow machines situated on the platform before boarding – failure to do so can result in a hefty fine. Rail services: Venice is directly linked by train to Bologna (journey time – 1 hour 35 minutes) and passengers can change here for Florence (journey time – 2 hours 40 minutes) and Rome (journey time – 4 hours 20 minutes). It is also within easy reach of Milan (journey time – 2 hours 45 minutes) and the smaller towns of Padua (journey time – 20 minutes) and Verona (journey time – 1 hour 45 minutes). There are international departures to neighbouring Germany, Austria, to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana (journey time – 5 hours 30 minutes), and the Croatian capital, Zagreb (journey time – 8 hours 10 minutes). There are also regular services to Paris and London on board the legendary Orient Express (website: www.orient-express.com), with a spectacular trip via the Alps and five-star service on board. Transport to the city: It takes roughly 30 minutes for one to walk to St Mark’s Square – a route easily discerned by the stream of tourists. It is a well trodden and interesting introduction to Venice but, for that picture postcard view, visitors should hop on a vaporetto (water bus) and make the first of many watery forays down the Grand Canal – vaporetto 1, 52 and 82 are among the routes serving the station and St Mark’s Square, with vaporetto 1 the all-stopping service, perfect for a first trip along the canal but a tortuous experience for people actually wanting to get somewhere. Getting Around Public Transport For a real sense of the city, a wander through the tiny side streets, over hump-backed bridges and into pocket-sized piazzas is a must for visitors to Venice. But if time is of the essence, visitors should consider using the extensive network of water buses (vaporetti), operated by Azienda Consorziale Transporti Venezia – ACTV (tel: (041) 528 7886; website: www.actv.it). Tickets cost €3.10 per journey, although there is also a 24-hour pass available for €9.30, a good value three-day ticket at €18.08 or, better still, a weekly ticket for €30.99. There are also family day tickets for three (€23.24), four (€30.99) and five people (€38.73). Tickets are available for purchase at most landing stations and selected newsagents and should be punched in the machine prior to boarding. Failure to provide a valid ticket when requested results in a €23 fine, plus the full value of the ticket. Tickets are also valid for ACTV road buses, which operate to Piazzale Roma from Mestre and the airport. ACTV operates a 24-hour service but not on all routes. Traghetti (public ferries) are traditionally used by locals to cross the Grand Canal – there are only three bridges – but sadly are an increasingly rare breed. A poor relation to the gondola, these wooden dinghies nonetheless conjure up some of the romance of old-fashioned Venice. A swift plunge of the oars and the journey is complete but at €0.40 per trip (many locals round up to €0.50) it is worth it for the chance to see Venice just as Marco Polo might have done. For travellers who cannot afford the expense or do not want to succumb to the cliché of taking a tourist gondola ride, a traghetti is a better option, although standing is de rigeur and the ride an unsteady one, not to be attempted after one too many Bellinis. The traghettis are run by the gondoliers co-operative in conjunction with the city council – there are no set routes or times of operation. Taxis Water taxis have to offer the most expensive taxi service in Europe – there is a minimum set charge of around €15 – and the trip will only be a maximum of seven minutes. A brief sojourn along the Grand Canal will cost in the region of €70-80 and on top of this there are surcharges for luggage, extra passengers (over the standard four) and travelling by night. Water Taxis (tel: (041) 541 5084) can be ordered by telephone but will have a minimum of €5 on the clock when they arrive. Co-operative San Marco (tel: (041) 523 5775) also operates a water taxi service. Stands are located at the station, Piazzale Roma, Rialto, San Marco and the Lido. Official water taxis have a black registration number on a yellow background. Visitors are advised to stay away from illegal operators who charge what they want. Taxis of the four-wheeled variety only operate between the mainland and the airport. Since hailing a taxi can prove difficult, visitors find it easier to call for a pickup from a reputable company, such as Radio Taxi (tel: (041) 523 7774), which charges from €10 for short trips. Visitors should beware of unlicensed taxis without the usual sign or meter. Tipping is expected for both land and water taxis, with approximately 10% the accepted norm. Gondolas The Venetian equivalent of a limousine is the gondola. For the ultimate travelling experience, there is nothing like gliding under the Bridge of Sighs, leaning back in plush red velvet seats and listening to the gentle slap of water against the crumbling palazzi walls. First mentioned in the city’s annals in 1094, there are now just 400 of these sleek, flat-bottomed vessels negotiating the Venetian waters. The traditional cabins that once shielded lascivious English lords and their courtesans from prying eyes were done away with long ago. The gondoliers of today must rely on fine weather and long summer days for their business, which may account for the high cost of the ride. For visitors who balk at paying €62 for 50 minutes (more after 2000), the cost can be kept down by doubling up with other sightseers. All gondolas can carry up to six people and fees for additional services – such as musical accompaniment, costing an extra €100-130 – should be negotiated prior to setting off. Gondolas depart from St Mark’s Square, the Rialto, Piazzale Roma and the railway station. Fares are set by a central body called The Ente Gondola (tel: (041) 528 5075) and any complaints should be directed there. Bargaining down the price by 10-15% is possible, particularly in shoulder seasons, although should never be attempted when there is a group of gondoliers gathered together, as this is deemed insulting. Driving in the City No cars are allowed in Venice at all. Even the emergency services operate by boat. Car Hire Cars are not allowed in Venice, although for forays into the surrounding countryside, cars can be hired at the airport or in Piazzale Roma. Major providers include Avis (tel: (041) 541 5030; website: www.avis.com), Hertz (tel: (041) 541 6075; website: www.hertz.com) and Europcar (tel: (041) 541 5654; website: www.europcar.com). All have offices at Piazzale Roma and the airport. Rates are approximately €80 per day. Drivers must be 23 years or over (depending on company policy) and carry an EU licence or full International Driving Permit. Basic insurance is usually included, although drivers are recommended to purchase excess insurance to avoid any excess charges in case of an accident. Bicycle & Scooter Hire No bicycles or scooters are allowed in Venice at all. Business Business Profile The end of the Venetian Republic was a crippling blow to Venice’s economy and one which, to some extent, the city has never really recovered from. It is perhaps Venice’s greatest tragedy that the city that once lorded over much of the Mediterranean and virtually had a stranglehold on southern Europe’s maritime economy, is now such a sad parody of its former self – a tourist theme park that relies on the hard currency of the very visitors who can make it unbearable at the height of summer. Put simply, Venice would die without its 15 million annual tourists, who literally keep the city afloat with their money providing over 70% of the city’s income and over 50% of local jobs. Shopkeepers, hoteliers and restaurateurs all depend on tourism to survive. Sadly, though, this over-reliance on tourism, coupled with the high cost of buying and maintaining property, is driving away young people, who are needed to stimulate alternative growth away from the city. In recent years, there have been mutterings about trying to limit the number of visitors, especially day trippers who contribute little to the city in economic terms. But any decrease in tourist revenue could send the city’s unemployment levels, which are currently around 8.5%, to rise into line with the national average of 10% or above. While tourism reigns supreme in Venice itself, the ‘real’ industries have already moved out to Mestre and Porto Marghera on the mainland. The main economic activity in these heavily industrialised areas is chemical, petrochemical, engineering, textiles and – in one throwback to the halcyon days of the Venetian Republic – shipbuilding. One of the few positive spin offs of tourism is that the traditional industries of glass blowing on the lagoon island of Murano and of lace making on the nearby island of Burano are kept alive. There are few major international companies based in Venice. Big hotel groups, such as Sheraton and Best Western, have a strong presence in the city, as do fast-food outlets, such as MacDonalds and Pizza Hut. There are no major financial institutions, banks or the like, as there is no real point for major players to be based in Venice. The Commitato Venezia Vuole Vivere, Via Brunacci (tel: (041) 549 9111; fax: (041) 935 952), is able to assist with setting up both businesses and business contacts. Venezia Fiere, Campo San Polo (tel: (041) 714 066; fax: (041) 713 151; website: www.veneziafiere.it), provides information on all conference and trade fairs held in the Veneto Region and can also aid those thinking of setting up an event. Lexicon, Viale Garibaldi 7 (tel: (041) 534 8005; fax: (041) 534 9720) offers a wide range of translation services. Business Etiquette Venice is not a young city – few young people are able to afford the sky-high rents and cost of constant renovations, which have forced many citizens over the lagoon to Mestre. Despite its significant student population, the average age of the Venetian citizen is 46 and business accordingly is a somewhat conservative affair. Meetings are usually held over lunch and are a relatively formal affair. Any evening meeting is even more likely to be formal and will include alcohol and local specialities. Those looking to impress are advised to take clients to one of the top hotels for dinner, such as the Cipriani or the Gritti. Business visitors are unlikely to be entertained at home or given a tour of the city’s nightlife – Venetians are domestic creatures who rise early to cross town while the city is still free of tourists and close their shutters around 2100. An island people, they can appear reserved and somewhat aloof. However, Venetians are also extremely proud of their unique little city and visitors may be richly rewarded with an elegant lunch in one of the city’s top restaurants or an aperitif and some of Venice’s famous cichetti (snacks). Formality should be maintained for business matters – Italian associates should always be addressed as Lei (the polite form of tu), unless informed to do otherwise. Dress is conservative – a suit or blazer and tie – and punctuality is respected. Although many executives will speak English, it is advisable to conduct business in Italian, if possible – Italians always appreciate a visitor who attempts to speak their language, however poorly. Normal business hours are 0900-1700, although much of the city (tourism aside) closes down in August, for the annual Italian summer holidays. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Often the best plan for sightseeing in Venice is for one to have no plan at all. Those who choose to follow a map soon end up on a one-way street with a watery end. So, for initial sightseeing, it is advisable for visitors to get on one of the main signposted tourist thoroughfares from the train station to St Mark’s Square, either via the Rialto or Galleria dell ‘Academia. As water is so integral to the city, another recommended way for tourists to get a feel for Venice and its layout is to take a vaporetto ride from Piazzale Roma, located in the far east of the city, right along the wide artery of the nearby Grand Canal to St Mark’s Square in the centre. The Grand Canal provides an insight into the very essence of Venice, with all sorts of waterborne craft, from vaporetti and speeding water taxis, right through to the more leisurely traghetti and, of course, the ubiquitous gondola. All along the length of the Grand Canal are some of the most renowned sights in Venice, from the charming arch of the Rialto Bridge and the artistic treasure trove of the Galleria dell ‘Academia to the more modern charms of the canalside restaurants and the avant-garde art Mecca of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Breaking away from the water, there are the attractions of St Mark’s Basilica, the Doges’ Palace, Basilica dei Frari and Scuola di San Rocco. Elsewhere around the Venetian Lagoon there are the enticing islands, such as Murano, famous for its glass, Burano, famous for its lace, and Torcello, famous for looking much like Venice would have before the builders moved in. Tourist Information Azienda di Promozione Turistica (APT) Giardini Ex Reali, San Marco (Venice Pavilion) Tel: (041) 522 5150 or 529 8711. Fax: (041) 523 0399. E-mail: info@govenice.org Website: www.turismovenezia.it Opening hours: Daily 0900-1730. Other tourist offices are located on St Mark’s Square, which is currently being refurbished, the train station and on the Lido, at Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta. Passes The complicated Venice Card (tel: (899) 909 090, calls cost €0.40 per minute; website: www.venicecard.com) is split between ‘blue’ and ‘orange’ variations, with the former including public transport, museums and toilets, and the latter providing similar access but with no transport. Then there are variations between senior and junior cards, with the junior card including those under five years, the disabled and guides. One-day blue cards cost €11 for seniors and €7 for juniors, with orange cards priced at €26 for seniors and €16 for juniors. Three- and seven-day passes are also available. The Venice Card is available for purchase from railway stations and tourist information offices. The Chorus Pass includes entry to 15 of Venice’s churches, including the spectacular Frari church and Palladio’s Santa Sede Redentore. The pass lasts for one year and costs €8, with proceeds going towards the upkeep of some of Venice’s most historic parish churches. This pass is available for purchased at the tourist office, which will also provide a full list of the participating churches and their locations. The excellent value Rolling Venice Card (tel: (041) 274 7645), available to those aged 29 or under and valid for one year, costs just €2.58 and gives a range of discounts at many of Venice’s attractions. Holders of the card are also eligible for a special ACTV pass that, for €12.91, allows for free travel for 72 hours on all ACTV services. The Rolling Venice Card is available for purchase from railway stations and tourist information offices. Key Attractions Basilica di San Marco (St Mark’s Basilica) St Mark’s Square was memorably described by Napoleon as the ‘drawing room of Europe’. Here, visitors can sit at one of the elegant 18th-century coffee houses – Florian and Caffe Quadri, with tables spilling out into the sunlight from the shadows of the Renaissance colonnades – and peer at one of Europe’s most unusual churches, the golden Byzantine Basilica di San Marco. The Basilica was founded in the ninth century, as a shrine for the relics of St Mark, whose body was smuggled from Alexandria in a barrel of salted pork. Formerly a private chapel of the Doges, the church was completely rebuilt in the 11th century, following a fire. Built on a plan of a Greek Cross, its Eastern appearance is enhanced by golden mosaics both inside and out, originally created by craftsmen from the Byzantine court at Ravenna. To see how the church appeared in 1260, visitors should take a look at the mosaic over the left portal – one of the oldest surviving mosaics on the façade. Also on the façade are copies of four bronze horses seized from Constantine’s Hippodrome at the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, which became one of the symbols of the city. The originals are now displayed in the Museo Marciano, inside the church. The interior, lit by the expanse of golden mosaics, houses many of Venice’s greatest treasures. In the chapel north of the main altar is the venerated icon of the Madonna Nicopeia. Once worshipped by the Roman Emperors in Constantinople, she came to Venice in 1204, as their Madonna of Victory, whose blessing was vital for Venetian military campaigns. The golden screen behind the high altar – the crypt in which St Mark is supposed to be buried – is the Pala d’Oro. Decked with sapphires, emeralds and rubies and inset with enamels from Constantinople, it was ordered by Pietro Orseolo, the Doge who was responsible for the rebuilding of the Basilica. Before leaving St Mark’s, visitors should pause to admire the 12th-century pavement, a resplendent mosaic of glass and marble. Now filled with uneven dips, it is a fitting witness to Venice’s unique situation, as the weight of its history threatens to submerge it below the waves. Piazza San Marco Tel: (041) 522 5205. Fax: (041) 520 8289. Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 to San Zaccaria. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0945-1600 and Sun 1300-1600. Admission: €1.50 (Pala D’Oro); €1.50 (Treasury). Palazzo Ducale (Doges’ Palace) The Doges’ Palace – once home to the elected leader of Venice, the Doge, as well as the city’s political nerve centre – is a must for anyone interested in the history of Venice and its former empire. A building seemingly too graceful for the dirty work of government, its pearly façade is best appreciated from the lagoon, in whose milky light her rosy complexion blushes beguilingly. A merging of Islamic and Gothic styles, the façade dates from 1365. In contrast to the stern fortifications of the castle that was formerly on this site, the undefended colonnade and arcaded balcony are a testament to Venice’s confidence and democratic outlook during the Middle Ages. The interior is more Renaissance in style, dating mainly from the 16th century, when Antonio da Ponte was employed to refurbish the palace after the fire of 1577. The first floor is predominantly made up of the Ducal apartments, all but empty except for some exemplary paintings by Titian and Bellini. It is on the upper floors that the business of government took place and it is here that Tintoretto and Veronese were commissioned to create new paintings to highlight the power and wealth of the republic. The Anticollegio (or waiting room) holds some the palace’s best works – Tintoretto’s Bacchus and Ariadne vies for attention with Veronese’s Rape of Europa. Further on, the Sala del Collegio is dominated by Veronese’s ceiling painting of Venice Triumphant above the throne. But it is the Chamber of the Great Council (Sala del Maggior Consiglio), the huge hall on the third floor, spanning the length of the façade overlooking the lagoon, which holds the palace’s most dramatic work. Tintoretto’s Vision of Paradise – painted with the help of his son, Domenico – is the largest oil painting in the world, with a cast of 500 figures. Tintoretto junior is also responsible for the frieze of portraits of the first 76 Doges, made memorable by the blacked-out image of Marin Falier, the only Doge ever to attempt to overthrow the council and install himself as absolute ruler. Falier was beheaded for his pains but his reputation lives on in this silhouetted image. The Doges’ Palace is currently in the process of a five-stage restoration project, with the final completion date constantly changing. Nevertheless, concerted attempts are being made to keep all of the museum areas open throughout the running repairs. Riva degli Schiavoni, San Marco Tel: (041) 522 4951. Fax: (041) 528 5028. Transport: Vaporetto 1, 6, 14, 41, 42, 51, 52 or 82. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1530 (Nov-Mar); daily 0900-1730 (Apr-Oct). Admission: €9.50; €12.50 (with guide). Rialto Bridge Venice is historically centred on Rialto Island, the name of which is derived from the Latin rivus altus, meaning high bank. In the tenth century, a provisions market developed spontaneously on the adjacent island and so, in 1264, the first wooden bridge linking the two landmasses was built. This wooden bridge collapsed in 1444, from the weight of crowds watching a wedding procession. It was replaced in 1588, by Antonio da Ponte’s design for the single stone arched bridge, which beat off proposals by Palladio and Michelangelo. Da Ponte’s bridge retained the covered shops of the original – today the haunt of tacky tourist traps and hawk-eyed goldsmiths but once home to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Visitors may note how the bridge crosses the Grand Canal at an angle, in order to align with the axis of the Ruga degli Orefici (Goldsmiths’ Road). Until 1854, this was the only point at which the Grand Canal could be crossed on foot. Ponte di Rialto, near Piazzale Roma Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Galleria dell’Accademia Many of Venice’s greatest paintings remain in the buildings for which they were created but the most important art gallery, the Accademia, is still worth a visit. Housed in the former church of Santa Maria della Carita and the adjoining Scuola, the collection first opened in 1750. Oils were the favourite medium of the Venetian masters. Frescoes, popular on the mainland, were unsuited to the damp, salty climate of the lagoon and soon perished. Instead, oils painted on wood or canvas – long used in Northern Europe – were exploited to new limits, with the artists demonstrating an unusual sensitivity to colour and light, no doubt partly influenced by the play of light on the lagoon. The small paintings in rooms four and five are some of the finest in the collection. Giorgione’s Tempesta, depicting a naked mother and child sheltering under a stormy sky against the ruins of an ancient city, is full of mystery. Little is documented about the artist and the subject of the scene is unclear but the interplay of dark and light convey a deep sense of drama. The larger canvases by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese in room ten should also not be missed. Titian painted the Pieta for his own tomb, demonstrating his extraordinary ability to create light with his palette. Veronese’s bawdy picture, entitled Feast in the House of Levi, was originally painted as The Last Supper but the artist was forced to amend the subject after charges of indecorum. Visitors should allow time for room 21, to admire the drama and colour of the nine broad canvases in which Carpaccio has dramatically staged the Life of St Ursula. Dorsoduro 1050 Tel: (041) 522 2247. Fax: (041) 521 2709. Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0815-1915, Mon 0815-1315. Admission: €6.50. Basilica dei Frari (Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari) The glorious Gothic Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, constructed around 1330, is primarily associated with the name of Titian, Venice’s painter son who is buried here, alongside the city’s celebrated sculptor, Antonio Canova. Titian made his reputation and crowned his early years by painting the huge altar piece, The Assumption of the Virgin, for the Franciscan brothers of the Frari in 1518. The view through the choir screen and wooden choir to the high altar influenced Titian’s choice of frame and composition. The best way for one to admire it is to walk slowly up the centre of the nave towards the altar. Titian also executed the painting over the Pesaro family altar in the north aisle. The inclusion of the flag and Turk in the painting alludes to Bishop Pesaro’s victory over the Turks at Santa Maura. Titian’s tomb, located in the south aisle, faces the large marble pyramid created for Canova, depicting St Mark’s lion paying homage to the dead sculptor. Ironically, the design, executed by Canova’s pupils, was based on Canova’s own plans for a new monument to Titian. San Polo 3003 Tel: (041) 522 2637. Fax: (041) 275 0578. E-mail: chorus@tin.it Website: www.chorus-ve.org Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 to San Tomà. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800 and Sun 1300-1800. Admission: €2. Scuola di San Rocco (School of St Roch) The renown of the School of St Roch, one of the many lay fraternities established in Venice for charitable works, is the series of masterful canvases by Jacopo Tintoretto that decorate its interior. Founded in 1478, the Scuola was dedicated to St Roch, following a particularly vicious outbreak of plague. Tintoretto won the commission to decorate the entire Scuola in 1564 and spent the next 23 years doing so, becoming a brother of the school. The ground floor holds a series of large canvasses depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin (1582-1587). In the upper hall, connected by Scarpagnino’s staircase, are representations from the Old Testament on the ceiling and New Testament on the walls (1570-1581). The art critic and famous Victorian thinker, Ruskin, reserved his greatest and almost embarrassingly keen praise for the Sala dell’Albergo (1564-1567), where the chapter met. On entering the room, the visitor is confronted with the stunning expanse of Tintoretto’s Crucifixion along the breadth of the opposite wall, one of the world’s great works of art. Tintoretto manages to capture the painterly equivalent of tempo, rendering the darkened landscape busy with vignettes of activity while the divine halo around Christ’s head, his face partly hidden as his head bows in death, dimly illuminates the scene. Savvy visitors attending one of the cultural events in the building can nip through during the interval for a free peek at the master’s work. Campo San Rocco, San Polo 3052 Tel: (041) 523 4864. Fax (041) 524 2820. Website: www.sanrocco.it Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 to San Tomà. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1730 (Mar-Oct); daily 1000-1600 (Nov-Mar). Admission: €5.50. Scuola Dalmata di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni (Dalmation School of St George the Slav) During the Middle Ages, the large Dalmatian (schiavoni means ‘Slav’) population in Venice provided labourers for building ships in the arsenal and sailors for the Venetian fleets. Forming a charitable guild in 1451, they moved their seat to the School of St George in 1480, under the patronage of the Knights of Malta. Vittore Carpaccio, himself of Istrian origin, painted a series of celebrated and brilliantly imaginative canvases, between 1502 and 1508. Located in a dark hall on the ground floor since 1551, the canvases depict scenes from the lives of the guild’s patron saints – St George, St Tryphone and St Jerome. Based on tales from The Golden Legend, the images depict St George killing the dragon, St Jerome welcoming the lion into the monastery, the funeral of St Jerome and the revelation of the death of St Jerome to St Augustine. Carpaccio’s canvases demand attention through a combination of drama and extraordinary detail. The canalside wall, complete with its relief of George slaying the dragon, is in a dire state, however, finally work is underway to shore it up, as well as to stabilise the rest of the exterior. Calle dei Furlani 3259/a, Castello Tel: (041) 522 8828. Fax: (041) 520 8446. Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 52 to San Zaccaria. Opening: Tues-Sat 0930-1230 and 1530-1830, Sun 0930-1230 (Apr-Oct); Tues-Sat 1000-1230 and 1500-1800, Sun 1000-1230 (Nov-Mar). Admission: €2.50. Peggy Guggenheim Collection Peggy Guggenheim’s collection of modern art is probably the most distinguished in Italy. The wealthy American heiress – a generous benefactor who helped promote Jackson Pollock – built up her collection between 1938 and 1947. Following the exhibition of the collection at the 1948 Venice Biennale, she bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, where she lived until her death in 1979, leaving her estate to the Solomon Guggenheim foundation. The collection spans Cubism, European Abstraction, Surrealism and early American Abstract Expressionism, with works by a wide variety of artists, including Pollock, Picasso, Kandinsky and Dalí. The sculpture garden is particularly fine and enjoys lovely views over the Grand Canal. Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Dorsoduro Tel: (041) 240 5411. Fax: (041) 520 6885. Website: www.guggenheim-venice.it Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 from Piazza San Marco. Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1800 (Dec-Mar); Wed-Mon 1000-1800, Sat 1000-2200 (Apr-Nov). Admission: €8. Further Distractions Torcello Torcello appears almost deserted and it is difficult to believe that, between the seventh and 13th centuries, it was home to a thriving community of 30,000, who prospered from the wool and salt trade. The town’s decline began in the 14th century, when silt from the rivers turned the waterways around the island into swampland and brought malaria to the community. A visit to this ghost town provides a fascinating glimpse into the early beginnings and architecture of the Venetian lagoons. The main square can be reached by crossing the Devil’s Bridge – the only medieval bridge remaining in Venice – allegedly built by the devil in a single night. The austere façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, linked by a portico to the Church of Santa Fosca and the Baptistery, conceals lavish mosaic wall coverings. Founded in the seventh century and rebuilt in the ninth and 11th, the complex pre-dates St Mark’s Basilica by two centuries. In the central apse, there is a beautiful representation of the Virgin and the Mystic Lamb, inspired by works in Ravenna. The most magnificent mosaic is on the wall over the main door and is an enormous composition depicting Christ and the final judgement. Torcello Island Transport: Vaporetto 41 and 42. Burano Burano sees its fair share of tourists in the summer months and many Venetians descend on this lagoon island at weekends. But on a quiet, sunny weekday, the island is nothing short of idyllic. Many of its narrow canals are lined with brightly painted houses, said to have been painted originally by local fishermen, so that they could find their way home through the murky lagoon mists. The main industry today is tourism, which is fuelled by the production of traditional lace, on sale from many outlets around the island. Once visitors have purchased the obligatory lace souvenir, the only other pursuits are idling around the charming canals and lazing away the day in the waterfront cafés and restaurants. A meal at Il Gatto Nero (tel: (041) 730 120), a popular trattoria serving food every bit as good as Burano’s more expensive and tourist orientated restaurants, is an experience to remember, although booking ahead is essential to secure an outside table beside the canal. Burano Island Transport: Vaporetto 12. Tours of the City Walking Tours Walks Inside Venice (tel: (041) 524 1706; website: www.walksinsidevenice.com) organises comprehensive English-speaking tours around the city. The company caters for small groups of up to 15 people and charges €57 by the hour (most tours are three hours long). Sights visited depend on the tour taken and include the Bridge of Sighs, the Doges’ Palace and the largely unspoilt Cannaregio District. Tours usually depart from the hotel in which the client stays or from St Mark’s Square (although not necessarily). Other cultural, historic and artistic tours also can be booked at tourist information offices. The tourist office has an excellent range of free brochures outlining suggested walking routes. Boat Tours Venice Walks & Tours, Via Villanova 27 (tel: (041) 296 0282 or 520 8616 to book; fax: (041) 241 0256; e-mail: info@venice-day-tours.com; website: www.venicewalksandtours.com) offers a boat tour of the Grand Canal, although this may seem unnecessary, seeing as the local ferry network is the most efficient and cheapest way of getting out and about on the water. However, no local ferry will include a glass of sparkling wine while whisking its passengers down some lesser known canals in a luxurious motor launch. The 70-minute tour departs Monday-Saturday 1630 (April-October) and costs €40 per person (with a minimum of four and a maximum of eight people per ride). Excursions For a Half Day Padova: Due to its proximity, approximately 35 km (21 miles) west of Venice, Padua is often overlooked as just a cheap place to bed down while enjoying the delights of the larger city. But Padua is a thriving town, singled out by her ancient university – second only to Bologna in age – and the remarkable Cappella di Scrovegni, home of Giotto’s groundbreaking frescoes. Nicknamed La Dotta (‘the Learned’), Padua nurtured the great minds of Livy, Petrach, Dante and Galileo and later became home to one of the chief medical schools in Europe – as witnessed by its crude Anatomical Theatre, the gruesome highlight of any university tour. Despite serious bomb damage in World War II, the arcaded streets surrounding the market squares (Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta) belong to the Middle Ages, when Shakespeare set his play, Taming of the Shrew, here. The market itself is a treat not to be missed, crammed with herbs, vegetables and flowers from the bountiful plains of the Veneto and divided by the Palazzo della Ragione, Padua’s ancient law courts, whose loggia shelters the purveyors of local cheese, hams and bread. The Basilica of San Antonio echoes the Byzantine influence of St Mark’s and is a popular spot for pilgrims who come to venerate the body of St Anthony. This building is something of an architectural elephant, lacking the delicate motifs of its Venetian counterpart, its interior gaudily daubed with mock Byzantine paint work. But the high altar by Donatello, as well as his majestic horseman, Gattamelata (whose statue fronts the church), are well worth a look. However, most visitors come to Padua for just one attraction. The Scrovegni Chapel, sometimes called the Madonna dell’Arena, was commissioned by the moneylender, Scrovegni, as his passport to heaven. It may not have done him much good – the church denied him a Christian burial – but it has enriched the world of art. Giotto executed the chapel at the height of his fame and these resplendent frescoes echo his genius. The walls of the tiny chapel are painted a cerulean blue and vividly depict the Lives of Christ and the Virgin. Bold brushstrokes, a dramatic narrative and a revolutionary perspective combine to form one of Italy’s greatest masterpieces. Tickets include entrance to the city’s art gallery and cost €5. Padua is just 20 minutes by train from Venice. The APT tourist information office, Riviera Mugnai 8 (tel: (049) 876 7911; fax: (049) 650 794; website: www.apt.padova.it), is open Monday to Saturday 0915-1745 and Sunday 0900-1200. For a Whole Day Verona: Wandering around the romantic streets, wistfully swooning past the balcony where Romeo wooed Juliet, visiting the home of the strapping young Montague and finishing with an emotional visit to the tomb where the tragedy of the young lovers reached its fatal conclusion, it is easy to get caught up in the drama of the world’s most famous lovers. On any given day in Verona, tourists can be seen openly weeping with the emotion of it all. Strange then that Shakespeare never even visited the city and that the lovers were entirely fictional – something that many visitors do not seem to be aware of. It is a tribute to Verona’s beauty, however, that the romance still shines through, even when one is aware that it leitmotif is a myth. Today the city offers a spectacular opera season, in addition to the romance and grand passion of its rose-tinted setting. Dominating Piazza Bra, the Arena was built in the first century AD and is considered the best-preserved amphitheatre in Italy, after Rome’s Colosseum. Partially damaged by an earthquake, its pretty pink and white stone belie the brutal sport that it was built for. Today, it is home to the famous outdoor opera festival, offering performances throughout July and August. A wander through the city of Verona offers an abundance of bridges, piazzas and Romanesque churches. San Zeno is the king of Veronese churches, with its zebra-striped bell tower climbing out of the rosy rooftops and marking the spot where King Pepin the Short is buried. The façade is dominated by a 12th-century rose window depicting the Wheel of Fortune, a finely carved porch and a set of bronze doors that retell the biblical stories with such intensity that they have been nicknamed the ‘poor man’s bible’. Inside, standing on the altar, is Mantegna’s triptych – a dramatic painting created for the church, using the play of light from the window on the right-hand side. Verona is located approximately 100km (62miles) west of Venice. The main tourist office, situated at Via dell’Alpini 11, Piazza Bra, near the Arena (tel: (045) 806 8680; fax: (045) 800 3638; website: www.tourism.verona.it), is open all year (Tuesday to Saturday 0900-1900, Monday and Sunday 0900-1500). Situated between Milan and Venice, Verona can be reached by a one-hour train journey from Santa Lucia in Venice. Hotels Hotel prices are subject to IVA (value added tax) at 10% and service charges. These are usually included within the prices given. Breakfast is usually extra, although some hotels may include it in their rates. The prices quoted below are the starting prices for a double room, including tax but excluding breakfast, unless otherwise specified. Business Hotel Bauer The five-star Hotel Bauer is centrally situated on the Grand Canal, within earshot of St Mark’s. The luxury business hotel provides six conference rooms within the hotel and a dedicated convention centre for 80-150 people at the Palazzo Zitelle, on the Giudecca. Many rooms have breathtaking views of the lagoon and, following a US$38 million refurbishment in 1999, the Bauer offers 96 superior or deluxe rooms, 35 palatial rooms, 21 suites and a further 40 unique luxurious suites in its VIP wing, Il Palazzo, The Palace at the Bauer. Rooms are individually furnished, most with large balconies. As one would expect, there are fax and modem points in every room and a fully staffed business centre, supporting every conference requirement. San Marco 1459 Tel: (041) 520 7022. Fax (041) 520 7557. E-mail: info@bauervenezia.com Website: www.bauervenezia.com Price: €260. Hotel Danieli The five-star Danieli overlooks St Mark’s basin, next door to the Doges’ Palace, and incorporates the celebrated Gothic palace of Doge Dandolo, who famously sacked Constantinople. There are 192 double rooms, 29 single rooms and 12 suites, all lavishly furnished with Murano glass chandeliers and original antiques. The magnificent marble atrium and staircase is an attraction in its own right, as is the view from the rooftop restaurant, Terrazza Danieli (see Restaurants). With its own private beach and sporting facilities on the Lido, a business centre, meeting and banqueting facilities for up to 350 people, the Danieli combines luxury service with history and style. Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello 4196 Tel: (041) 522 6480. Fax: (041) 520 0208. E-mail: res072.danieli@starwoodhotels.com Website: www.luxurycollection.com/danieli Price: From €565. Hotel Des Bains This elegant epoch hotel is best known as the setting of Thomas Mann’s classic novel, Death in Venice (1912). With 191 rooms, it is now part of the Sheraton chain and these days there is little time for guests to sit around and contemplate mortality. Facilities include watersports, a private beach, a golf course, tennis and horseriding. The business facilities are also exceptional, comprising five meeting rooms seating up to 600, banqueting facilities, a dedicated business centre, express checkout and a VIP registration for delegates. The car and passenger ferries provide easy access from the airport and mainland, while the private shuttle service to the historic centre of Venice is the icing on this neo-classical cake. Closes for the winter season, from November to mid March. Lungomare Marconi 17, Lido Tel: (041) 526 5921. Fax: (041) 526 0113. E-mail: res078@desbains@sheratonhotels.com Website: www.starwood.com/sheraton Price: From €225. Hotel Sofitel Part of the highly regarded Sofitel chain, Venice’s modern four-star Hotel Sofitel offers 97 rooms that are ideal for smaller business parties. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, direct-dial telephone, radio, TV and mini-bar. The conference room seats up to 48, while the restaurant, Papadopoli, situated in the hotel winter garden, caters for all business requirements. Conveniently situated on the Tolentini canal, near the Grand Canal and parking in Piazzale Roma and the station, the hotel also has its own jetty for water taxis. The décor may be formal and impersonal but professional service and the convenience of access more than compensate. Giardini Papadopoli, Santa Croce 245 Tel: (041) 710 400. Fax: (041) 710 394. E-mail: sofitel.venezia@accor-hotels.it Website: www.sofitel.com Price: From €420. Luxury Hotel Cipriani Italy’s most exclusive hotel remains one of Europe’s finest, with legendary General Manager Natale Rusconi at the helm. Hidden by a thick barricade of trees, this bolt-hole on the tip of the island of Giudecca has been the number one choice of the super rich since it opened in 1958. The hotel’s annual closure for renovations and improvements ensures it stays well ahead of the game. The 91 rooms are scattered with antiques and beaux-arts, while the huge, 33m (108ft) swimming pool is perfect for cooling off after a knock around on the clay tennis court. After arriving by yacht at the private marina, guests can ease into luxury by checking into one of the suites in the main hotel or the Palazzo Vendramin, both with private butler service. The Vendramin wing remains open in the winter, exclusively for business accommodation and functions. The new Palladio Suite is stunning, with a private pier, motor launch and captain at the disposal of those lucky enough to be able to afford to stay in this ridiculously luxurious oasis. Giudecca 10 Tel: (041) 520 7744. Fax: (041) 520 7745. E-mail: info@hotelcipriani.it Website: www.hotelcipriani.it Price: From €767; from €6,500 (Palladio Suite). Hotel Gritti Palace Built in 1525, the five-star Hotel Gritti Palace enjoys a prime location on the banks of the Grand Canal. The former palace of Venetian Doge Andrea Gritti provides guests with luxurious accommodation, from intimate single rooms to the elegant Hemingway Suite. Attention to detail and impeccable service have earned the hotel a world-class reputation. The Gritti’s illustrious visitors have included members of the British Royal Family, Ernest Hemingway and numerous Hollywood stars. Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, 2467 Tel: (041) 794 611. Fax: (041) 520 0942. E-mail: res073.grittipalace@starwoodhotels.com Website: www.luxurycollection.com/grittipalace Price: From €705. Moderate Hotel Agli Alboretti This hotel, named after Raphael’s celebrated painting of the Madonna, on show in the nearby Accademia Gallery, is one of the most pleasant two-star hotels in Venice. Decorated with a maritime theme throughout, with 24 small but nicely appointed rooms, the hotel has a good restaurant with a pretty garden where guests can also take breakfast. All rooms are en suite with air-conditioning and private telephone. Fax and e-mail, as well as laundry and safety deposit, are available at reception. Access by public transport is either from the Accademia or Zattere water bus stop nearby. The hotel is closed in January. Rio terra Antonio Foscarini, Dorsoduro 884 Tel: (041) 523 0058. Fax: (041) 521 0158. E-mail: alborett@gpnet.it Website: www.aglialboretti.com Price: From €119. Pensione La Calcina This small, 29-room hotel overlooking the Giudecca canal, on the Dorsoduro, was once the choice of John Ruskin. All rooms are en suite, with air conditioning, safes and direct-dial telephone but the parquet floors and antique style preserves a certain Old World charm, particularly in the rooms overlooking the Giudecca. The hotel’s best feature is the large terrace over the water, where guests can enjoy breakfast from the buffet. Direct access to the hotel from the Zattere water bus stop is surprisingly convenient, both for the car park at Piazzale Roma (two stops), the station (three stops) and the airport (one hour on the Alilaguna ferry), although Pensione La Calcina feels reassuringly close to the heart of Venice. Dorsoduro 780 Tel: (041) 520 6466. Fax: (041) 522 7045. E-mail: info@lacalcina.com Website: www.lacalcina.com Price: From €93. Other Recommendations Hotel American This small, well situated, three-star hotel is located between the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal. Many of the clean and comfortable rooms have balconies with views over the tranquil San Vio canal. An excellent choice for those who want to escape the throng of the tourist crowds and yet keep the city’s main attractions within easy reach. All of the guestrooms are air-conditioned, have en suite, television and satellite. The hotel also has a first floor terrace and its own bar. San Vio, 628 Accademia Tel: (041) 520 4733. Fax: (041) 520 4048. E-mail: reception@hotelamerican.com Website: www.hotelamerican.com Price: From €130. Hotel Basilea This charming three-star hotel and its two star annex enjoy a prime location on the Rio Marin canal, just a short stroll from the Grand Canal, the train station and the bus station at Piazzale Roma. Guest accommodation comes in the form of single, double, triple and quadruple rooms and all of the rooms and public spaces are immaculately clean. Refreshingly the Basilea has a year-round tariff and rates are posted on the back of the door. Rooms without showers are at least 25% cheaper than the standard rate. San Croce, Rio Marin 817 Tel: (041) 718 477, 718 667. Fax: (041) 720 851. E-mail: reserve@hotelbasilea.com Website: www.hotelbasilea.com Price: From €155; annex rooms from €110 (breakfast included). Restaurants The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Restaurant prices are subject to IVA (value added tax) at 10% but this is always included within the prices given. A 15% service charge is usually added to the bill at the end. It is customary to round up the bill and leave a tip (maximum 10%) as well, if the meal and service have been good. The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent. They include IVA but do not include service charge or tip. Gastronomic Al Covo Close to the Arsenal, this small restaurant, decorated with 1960s paintings and Murano lamps, specialises in historical dishes of the lagoon. The goby fish, used for the soup or served with gnocchi, is excellent. Alternatively, diners can follow owner Cesare Benelli’s recommendations on the catch of the day. The tranquil location, professional expertise and personal touch add to the appeal. Campiello della Pescaria, Castello 3968 Tel: (041) 522 3812. Fax: (041) 524 0282. Price: €50. Wine: €15. Antica Trattoria La Furatola Off the beaten track, in the Dorsoduro, La Furatola serves wonderfully fresh Venetian seafood. The intimate and wholly untouristy locale is particularly charming in the evening and great to hole up in on a rainy day. Amid the maritime décor, sitting at one of the small tables dressed with white linen, one cannot go wrong choosing from the Venetian house specialities, such as the mantis shrimp, soft shelled crabs and cuttlefish. Calle Lunga San Barnaba, Dorsoduro 2869 Tel: (041) 520 8594. Price: €80 Wine: €20. Harry’s Bar The American Bar made famous by Hemingway obliges most self-respecting travellers, particularly Americans, to make at least one visit. The Bellini, a peach and prosecco cocktail invented here, is always excellent. The ever-crowded restaurant offers just 14 tables, snugly nestling beneath the exposed wooden beams and antique lamps. The house speciality, John Dory with tomato and capers, is recommended. This is a good venue for celebrity spotting. Calle Vallaresso, San Marco 1323 Tel: (041) 5285 7777. Fax: (041) 520 8822. E-mail: harrysbar@albacklick.com Website: www.cipriani.com Price: €120. Wine: €25. La Caravella Off St Mark’s Square, in the Hotel Saturnia, La Caravella is the pride of the Serandrei family. The à-la-carte menu is inventive and seasonal, including historical recipes, such as sea bass with pine nuts and basil. The wood-panelled dining room is most atmospheric in winter, while there is a private courtyard for dining in summer. If all this is not enough, the wine card features more than 230 different wines. Calle Larga XXII Marzo, San Marco 2398 Tel: (041) 520 8901. Fax: (041) 520 7131. E-mail: caravella@hotelsaturnia.it Website: www.hotelsaturnia.it/caravella/restaurant.htm Price: €75. Wine: €25. Ristorante Cipriani Enjoying an intimate, candlelit dinner with a loved one at Cipriani may sound a little cheesy but it really is the quintessential Venice experience. Feast on homemade black noodles served with scallops, clams and broccoli sauce, followed by a rack of lamb in a porcini mushroom and black truffle sauce, as the water from the lagoon gently laps against the quay and the lights of San Georgio and the Lido shimmer in the distance. Complimentary transportation on the hotel’s private launch from Piazza San Marco simply adds to the glamour of it all. Giudecca 10 Tel: (041) 520 7744. Fax: (041) 520 7745 E-mail: info@hotelcipriani.it Website: www.hotelcipriani.it Price: €120. Wine: €45. Business Ai Gondolieri This mid-sized, elegant restaurant near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection specialises in exclusive meats and vegetable dishes. Angus beef and ostrich share the menu with traditional Veneto platters, such as stewed chicken with polenta. Piemontese white truffles are also a mainstay on the menu. The décor is tinged with 1940s style, with wood panelling and overhead fans, while the quiet locale, fine wines and good service appeals to small business groups and gourmets interested in the dishes of mainland Veneto. Closed Tuesday. San Vio, Dorsoduro 366 Tel: (041) 528 6396. Fax: (041) 521 0075. E-mail: aigond@gpnet.it Website: www.aigondolieri.com Price: €50. Wine: €15. La Terrazza Danieli In summer, the rooftop restaurant at the luxury Hotel Danieli (see Hotels) affords Venice’s most famous view from the Riva degli Schiavoni over San Maggiore. When it is important to impress, the opulent surroundings and infallible service make this the natural choice. The tagliatelle with truffles, baked sea bass and tiramisu all come highly recommended. Reservations are recommended. Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello 4196 Tel: (041) 522 6480. Fax: (041) 520 0208. E-mail: res072.danieli@starwoodhotels.com Website: www.luxurycollection.com/danieli Price: €95. Wine: €35. Locanda Cipriani Long a favourite with English royalty and Hollywood stars, this escape on the island of Torcello, has been famous since its discovery by Ernest Hemingway. The courteous service, excellent kitchen and ample space make it ideal for business lunches or dinners. The simple yet elegant restaurant is best enjoyed in June, when the beautiful rose garden blooms and the heavenly vegetable risotto oozes with flavour. Recently, some diners have complained of falling standards, although with the Locanda Cipriani, it has always been a case of paying for the location and the fame factor. Reservations are essential and the restaurant is closed on Tuesday. Piazza San Fosca 29, Isola di Torcello Tel: (041) 730 150. Fax: (041) 735 433. E-mail: info@locandacipriani.com or booking@locandacipriani.com Website: www.locandacipriani.com Price: €70. Wine: €25. Ristorante Al Theatro In the San Marco area, next to the burnt shell of the Fenice theatre, this pizzeria and restaurant offers five rooms across the ground and first floor and an outdoor terrace in summer. The Sala Caccia is the most characterful of the dining areas, with an oak beamed ceiling and simple décor with white tablecloths and white flowers. The civilised surroundings are ideal for large parties on restricted budgets, with a wide menu offering value for money. The scaloppine al Fenice, seared veal cutlets served with fresh seasonal vegetables, are recommended. Campo San Fantin, San Marco 1916 Tel: (041) 522 1052. Fax: (041) 523 7214. Price: €50. Wine: €18. Ristorante Antico Pignolo Hidden in the warren of allies behind St Mark’s Square, Riccardo de Pietri’s luxurious, roomy restaurant is ideal for large business parties and a favourite with Venetian society. The rose and pastel décor befits the distinctly regal atmosphere. Sommelier, Pippo Sgarlata, has the best-stocked wine cellar in Venice, designed to accompany premium Mediterranean dishes, such as prosciutto San Daniele, tagliolini with rock lobster and the vanilla and chocolate soufflé ‘Arlecchino’. Calle dei Specchieri 451, San Marco Tel: (041) 522 8123. Fax: (041) 520 9007. E-mail: anticopignolo@libero.it Price: €120. Wine: €35. Trendy Al Paradiso Perduto This noisy and chic osteria, near the Ca’D’Oro, is a popular evening haunt for Venice’s students and young professionals. Diners can watch live bands while tucking into the large dishes of tasty pasta and surveying Venice’s young and beautiful late into the evening. The spicy fish soup is recommended, perhaps followed by various appetisers from the open bar. Fondamenta de la Misericordia, Cannaregio 2540 Tel: (041) 720 581. Fax: (041) 275 6598. Price: €40. Wine: €10. Enoteca Mascareta This late-night venue (open 1800-0100), with its open layout, wooden tables, and traditional rustic feel, attracts a relaxed crowd of students and young professionals. The peckish can graze on select cuts of cured meat, local cheeses and crostini. After 2300, the place fills up with social drinkers. To fit in, visitors should try a glass of dessert wine and esse (Venetian biscuits). Calle lunga Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5183 Tel/fax: (041) 523 0744. Price: €45. Wine: €15. Le Bistrot de Venise Midway between the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square, Le Bistrot de Venise is a restaurant, an artsy wine bar, a late-night venue and a meeting place for artists and poets, with regular afternoon cultural programmes and artworks covering the walls. The Ristorante del Bistrot serves classical Venetian cooking inspired by 16th-century recipes. Try the speciality, baked eel, with bay leaves and red pepper sauce. The Bar à Vins serves an excellent selection of Italian wines, to complement the food or to quaff while nibbling cheese. Calle dei Fabbri, San Marco 4685 Tel: (041) 523 6651. Fax: (041) 520 2244. E-mail: info@bistrotdevenise.com Website: www.bistrotdevenise.com Price: €45. Wine: €20. Osteria alla Botte This small and traditional hideaway rewards those who manage to find it with a variety of affordable wines sold by the glass, carafe or bottle. The mixed tapas cichete mista offered in the bar includes tasty Venetian staples, such as sarde in soar (marinated sardines) and the simple cuisine served in the small back dining room is both hearty and delicious. The lasagne Al Forno and pasta and fagioli bean soup are highly recommended. Trying a little Italian, no matter how bad, will speed up ordering, which is done on a loudest shout first system when the bar area is busy. Campo San Bartolomeo, San Marco 5482 Tel: (041) 520 9775. Price: €16. Wine: €8. Osteria Al Ponte This cheap University district tavern is nicknamed Alla Patatina after its speciality –chunky rosemary roasted potatoes. The service is basic, the décor cheap and there are no reservations but diners should try and grab one of the few tables and dig into cheap spaghetti with clams. Its popularity with chic and stylish students has made it a buzzing lunchtime hangout. Ponte San Polo, San Polo 2471 Tel: (041) 523 7238. Price: €20. Wine: €10. Budget Al Giardinetto Popular with local gondoliers, this friendly and intimate restaurant is located in a 15th-century chapel of the Zorzi family and boasts vaulted ceilings and a frescoed fireplace. The restaurant offers dining in the vineyard courtyard during summer and is excellent value for money. Venetian staples, such as calves’ liver with fried onions, dominate the menu. Simple and tasty fish dishes, such as spider crab dressed with oil and lemon, are also a good bet. At €14 the tourist set menu is also good value. Ruga Giuffa, Castello 4928 Tel: (041) 528 5332. Fax: (041) 523 8778. E-mail: info@algiardinetto.it Website: www.algiardinetto.it Price: €27. Wine: €10. Da Renato This is povera cucina (poor man’s food) at its best. Renato, the chef and owner, offers a bargain alternative to the gourmet Da Fiore around the corner. His pasta and bean soup is part of an old Venetian tradition, kept on the stove all day to provide an all-in-one meal (piatto unico) for weary gondoliers. The restaurant is highly regarded locally for its food rather than its interior, which is basic and inoffensive. Rio Terà Secondo, San Polo 2245A Tel: (041) 524 1922. Price: €30. Wine: €10. Da Sergio This Venetian equivalent of a working man’s caff is packed to the gills at lunchtimes, thanks to a cheap and cheerful three-course deal for under €20. The menu changes daily, always including a pasta or risotto course, followed by cooked meats, such as stewed chicken. Non-Italian-speakers might feel intimidated in this local haunt but for a taste of down-at-heel Venice, this hits the mark. Calle del Dose, Castello 5870A Tel: (041) 528 5153. Fax: (041) 528 5153. Price: €15. Wine: €10. Pizzeria All’Anfora Despite being on the main tourist track between Piazzale Roma and Accademia, this bustling pizzeria with a relaxed garden terrace remains one of Venice’s unsung eateries. The extensive pizza menu on the wall boasts more than 50 varieties to choose from, with the wafer thin pizzas rating among the city’s best. For those who do not fancy pizza, first and second courses like gnocchi Venetian style are equally delicious. The homemade tiramisu is divine but diners in the garden should watch out for the house cats stealing a nibble off the edges of pizzas. San Croce 1223 Tel: (041) 524 0325. Price: €22. Wine: €9. Trattoria Alla Madonna Near the Rialto Bridge, this large bustling trattoria is good value and a favourite with locals and visitors alike. In the daytime, the long tables laid out across the terracotta floor are a great informal place to tuck into a bowl of pasta with fagioli beans. In the evening, the more serious dining gets under way, with seafood specialities such as black squid with polenta and lobster frequenting the menu. The restaurant also offers good meat choices. Calle della Madonna, San Polo 594 Tel: (041) 522 3824. Fax: (041) 521 0167. Price: €30. Wine: €10. Personal Recommendations Alle Testiere This is a good choice for romantics, even if the large window does invite the glances of every passer-by. The speciality is fresh fish, such as grilled razor clams and the excellent misto fritto (mixed fried fish). Proprietor Luca darts among the candlelit tables and will happily advise diners on the specialities of the day in this tiny but atmospheric local. Calle del Mondo Novo, Castello 5801 Tel: (041) 522 7220. Fax: (041) 522 7220. Price: €60. Wine: €20. Al Ristorante Cip’s Club Opened in October 2000, Cip’s Club has an ingredient that is the envy of many Venetian restaurateurs – a stunning view back across the lagoon to St Mark’s Square. A more informal alternative to the Cipriani Hotel’s signature restaurant, Cip’s Club is styled as a pizzeria, grill and dolci bar, serving regional Italian fare, such as pizzas and pasta, as well as afternoon tea, pastries and ice cream. Along with the more relaxed atmosphere come slightly more affordable prices. To make the most of this dining experience offered by Cip’s Club, visitors should choose a mild day, sink into a chair on the floating pontoon and enjoy the unrivalled views. Giudecca 10 Tel: (041) 520 7744. Fax: (041) 520 7745. E-mail: info@hotelcipriani.it Website: www.hotelcipriani.it Price: €100. Wine: €35. Bar Trento A favourite with the stars and paparazzi who visit Venice’s annual film festival, this old style osteria with 1950s furnishings offers a wide array of cicheti (appetisers), including polpette (meatballs) and baccala (salt cod), as well as full meals. Outside of the film festival, Bar Trento only opens for lunch but makes a perfect break from the conference centres or the beach. Via San Gallo 82, Lido Tel: (041) 526 5960. Price: €40. Wine: €15. Caffe Quadri Like a Merchant Ivory film set, Caffe Quadri serves up a big helping of Venetian history, combining as it does a view over St Mark’s Square with palatial furnishings. The refined and competent cuisine draws the crowds, making reservations imperative and pushing up the prices. The saddle of rabbit with speck and shallots glazed in balsamic vinegar is fantastic and the ravioli with veal and white truffle sauce is a must for those who want to splash out – a unique experience worth every cent. Piazza San Marco 120, San Marco Tel: (041) 522 2105. Fax: (041) 520 8041. E-mail: quadri@venice.com Website: www.quadrivenice.com Price: €84. Wine: €28. Harry’s Dolci There is no better place to watch the famous sunset over Venice’s skyline than from the open-air terrace of Harry’s Dolci, located on the island of Giudecca. The highlight of this luxurious and elegant restaurant is the romantic terrance that overlooks the Guidecca Canal. It is also the place to indulge on calorific sweetmeats in the city that first imported sugar to Europe. Famous for its zabaglione (a Marsala-flavoured mousse) and rich pastries, this Cipriani outlet offers both snacks and full meals. Also great on a summer’s day, is sitting outside under the festooned awnings. Giudecca 773 Tel: (041) 522 4844 or 520 8337. Fax: (041) 522 2322. E-mail: harrysdolci@albacklick.com Website: www.cipriani.com Price: €90. Wine: €25. Sport As in all Italian cities, football (calcio) remains the predominant passion among sports fans. The city team, Venezia (website: www.veneziacalcio.it) is enjoying new-found popularity, having climbed back into Serie A after 30-odd years in the doldrums. During the season, the team plays alternate Sunday afternoons at the Pierluigi Penzo stadium (tel: (041) 523 999) in L’Isola Sant’Elena, the easternmost corner of Venice. Tickets cost from L30,000/EUR15.50 and can be purchased at two branches of the Banca Antoniana Popolare Veneta: Campo San Bartolomeo, San Marco, and Strada Nova, Cannaregio. It is the Lido that attracts the golfers, riders and tennis players – although only the most dedicated fitness devotee braves the murky waters of the Adriatic. Golf: The Golf Club Lido, Via del Forte, Alberoni-Lido (tel: (041) 731 333), is considered one of Italy’s top ten golf courses. Located just ten kilometres (six miles) from the centre of Venice, it can be reached by taking the vaporetto to the Lido, then bus B to Alberoni. Facilities include three practice greens and an 18-hole course. The club opens daily 0830-1800 (until 2000 in summer) and is accessible to non-members for approximately L90,000/EUR46.50. Tennis: Ten tennis courts are available to non-members at the Tennis Club Cai del Moro, Via Ferruccio Parri 6, on the Lido (tel: (041) 770 801). Players can reach the club by taking the Lido vaporetto, then Bus B. Courts are floodlit and open until 2300. Guests will pay around L16,000/EUR8.50 per hour and reservations are recommended. A swimming pool and gym are also available at the club. Shopping From the pungent fish market to hand-blown glass factories, Venice may not be focused on shopping style but it certainly has some of Italy’s more interesting gifts. Once a trading post of silks and spices, the city’s shops are now filled with carnival masks, Murano crystal and hand-painted fabrics. There is no set shopping district, although most of the fashionable haunts, including Max Mara, Sisley and the recently opened Calvin Klein, are situated on or off the main drag between the train station and St Mark’s Square. As well as the international designers, all of the big Italian names are present – Versace, Armani, Missoni, Gianfranco Ferre and Valentino – as well as a few more unusual clothing lines, such as Emilio Ceccato, Sottoportego di Rialto, San Polo, who specialises in gondolier’s outfits. Of the carnival masks, the best can be found at Emilio Massaro, Calle Vitturi, San Marco, where shoppers can watch them being made. The islands of Burano (lace) and Murano (glass) are also prime excursions for speciality shoppers. Glass is the most celebrated of the city’s industries. From chandeliers to jewellery, all manner of shapes and objects are reproduced in the delicate colourful glass. Prices vary enormously but tourists should expect to be fleeced in the elegant shops around St Mark’s Square and even on the island of Murano. Carlo Moretti at L’Isola, Campo San Moise, San Marco, and Lucio Bubacco, Calle Rughetta, San Polo, are two of the best designers. For the ultimate novelty gift, visitors should head for Giacomo Rizzo, Calle San Giovanni Crisostomo, Cannaregio, where there is a selection of local produce, including gondola-shaped pasta. Countless outlets around Venice cater for those with a penchant for overpriced and poor quality art, while there are some hidden gems, such as Galleria D’Arte L’Occhio, Dorsoduro 181, with large prints and originals by innovative Italian artists on sale. Of the markets in Venice, the Fish Market (open Thursday to Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday) is the most memorable. Tucked away under the arches alongside the Rialto Bridge, visitors should aim to catch it in the early morning, when the dawn mists rise off the lagoon and piles of shimmering fish glisten in the sunlight. Dedicated bargain-hunters should also look out for the flea market, which appears infrequently in the Campo San Maurizio. Food shops in Venice often close on a Wednesday afternoon and many gift and clothes boutiques stay shut on Monday morning. In general, shops are open 0900-1930, with many smaller shops closing between 1300 and 1600. Sales tax is 12-14% depending on the value of the good purchased. Non-EU citizens should retain receipts for goods over €155, in order to reclaim their VAT (IVA) at either Venice’s main airport or at nearby Treviso Airport. Global Refund Italia (tel: (0331) 283 555; fax (0331) 283 698/9; e-mail: taxfree@it.globalrefund.com; website: www.globalrefund.com) provides further information. Culture Venetian culture survives on the crumbs of its grandiose past. It rests firmly on its laurels as the home of Vivaldi and the centre of the world for music in the 16th century. Musicians dressed in foppish costumes entertain visitors with one-off renditions of Baroque music in local churches, while string quartets vie for space in St Marks Square. La Fenice, the home of Venetian opera and theatre, was devastated by a fire in 1996. Gone are the days when Carlo Goldoni, the prolific Venetian dramatist, produced 16 works in one year and had the critics rolling in the aisles. The theatre scene these days is a middle-class affair, with its cap firmly set at the Euro-laden tourists. With the declining population and young people choosing to leave, Venice’s homegrown performance groups are virtually non-existent. The city has to rely on outside artistes to spice up the cultural scene. Only the cinema keeps abreast of contemporary traditions when, every September, Venice welcomes the moneyed and the honeyed to the International Film Festival. For information and listings, A Guest in Venice is published fortnightly in summer and monthly during the winter season and is available from decent hotels. Information is also available online (website: www.doge.it). Tickets for major cultural events are available for purchase from Ciaoticket (tel: (848) 888 444; website: www.ciaoticket.it). Music: The temporary home for La Fenice, the PalaFenice, Tronchetto island (tel: (041) 786 511; fax: (041) 786 580; website: www.teatrolafenice.it), is a grand name for what amounts to a large tent. That said, the PalaFenice does hold over 300 more people than the original opera house and is conveniently reached from St Mark’s Square by vaporetto (marked La Fenice), departing 45 minutes before each performance. The opera season is somewhat overshadowed by neighbouring Verona but the standard of the music is high. Tickets cost from €20 and are available for purchase at the venue from two hours before each performance or at a temporary box office alongside the Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia (a local bank), in Campo San Luca, between 0830 and 1300. Other music venues in the city include the Frari church, San Polo 3003, which offers recitals from May to October (excluding August) every Friday at 2100, and La Pieta, Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello, known as the Vivaldi church, because it stands alongside the Ospedale where the composer taught. Not surprisingly, this is a popular and atmospheric spot for renditions of Vivaldi. Tickets costing around €20 are usually available on the door or at hotel receptions. For a serious art and music splurge, visitors should reserve seats in the Scuola di San Rocca, Campo San Rocco, San Polo 3052, where the Accademia of San Rocco (website: www.musicinvenice.com) gives regular performances of Baroque music on period instruments. Tickets cost upwards of €25 and visitors can book these in person or by telephone (tel: (041) 523 4864). Theatre: For any aficionado of Venetian commedia dell’arte, a visit to the Teatro Goldoni, Calle Goldoni, San Marco (tel: (041) 240 2011; website: www.teatrogoldonive.it), is not to be missed. Renamed to mark the playwright’s death in 1867, this beautiful theatre offers a comprehensive repertoire of Venetian classics, including works from the rib-tickling Goldoni. Opening nights are often booked well in advance and seats must be reserved at the box office. It is advised that tickets be picked up at least an hour before the performance, in order to avoid disappointment. Visitors in search of more alternative theatre should look to Teatro a l’Avogaria, Corte Zappa, Dorsoduro (tel: (041) 520 6130), the home of experimental theatre since 1969. Venetian professor Giovanni Poli, who died in 1979, was the guiding light behind contemporary theatre in Venice and has a strong following in the city. In keeping with his groundbreaking ideas, the theatre has no ticketing system but merely asks spectators to make a donation. Dance: Classical ballet forms part of the season at the PalaFenice (see above) but otherwise dance performances in Venice are thin on the ground. Film: The city has been the setting for many famous films, including Luciano Visconti’s Death in Venice (1971), Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1973) and, more recently, the adaptation of Henry James’ Wings of the Dove (1997). The Accademia, Calle Gambera, Dorsoduro (tel: (041) 528 7706), is one of Venice’s oldest and best-loved cinemas, with a good range of flicks from American blockbusters and European independents to arthouse (especially on Wednesday and Thursday). More recently, however, it has been overtaken in the popularity stakes by the brand-new Giorgione Movie D’Essai, Cannaregio 4612, Rio Tera de Franceschi – a two-screen miniplex holding over 300 seats and showing films in the English language every Thursday. Cultural events: Two cultural names dominate the Venetian calendar – the Biennale and the Venice Film Festival. The Film Festival was originally founded by Mussolini in 1932, as a reflection of Italy’s increasing global importance and despite the low-key influence of Italian cinema, the event remains the second most important film festival in the world, after Cannes. The cinematic merry-go-round takes place around the end of August and lasts ten days. All the action is centred on the Lido where the paparazzi rub shoulders with directors and starlets in pursuit of the Leon D’Or – the festival’s highest accolade. Films are shown in the Palazzo del Cinema, Lungomare G Marconi, and the Astra, Via Corfu, although tickets are only available by queuing at the door. A programme of events should be available in advance at the tourist office. The Biennale (website: www.labiennale.org) is a forum for contemporary art, frequented by the enfants terribles from all over the world. From early Italian Futurists like Marinetti to America’s Robert Rauschenberg and Benetton’s Oliviero Toscani, the Biennale courts controversy at the many events they organise throughout the year. Literary Notes Venetian-born novelists are an obscure bunch, although many other writers, such as Henry James, have used the city as a backdrop for their novels. Literary powerhouse William Shakespeare set Othello and Merchant of Venice here, while Thomas Mann’s masterpiece, Death in Venice (1912), is one of the most resonate portrayals of 19th-century Venice, set in a particularly insalubrious Lido. Other books worth seeking out for their atmospheric descriptions of the city are Ian McEwan’s The Comfort of Strangers (1981), Frederick Rolfe’s The Desire and Pursuit of the Whole (1986) and James Cowan’s A Mapmaker’s Dream (1996), which centres on the famous map in the Libreria Sansovino. More recent works include Margaret F Macdonald’s Palaces in the Night (2001), a look at the artist Whistler’s time in Venice, and David Rosand’s Myths of Venice – The Figuration of a State (2001). Mary Laven’s Virgins of Venice (2002) is a fascinating delve inside the world of life inside a Venetian convent in the Renaissance era. Nightlife Visitors expecting debauchery and nefarious nights in the licentious ‘city of revel’, which Venice was once dubbed, will be disappointed. With so few young people able to afford to live in the city and most places set up for tourists, the city’s nightlife often lacks real soul. In short visitors to Venice will be hard pushed to find entertainment beyond their plate of cuttlefish and risotto. Most of the action takes place in the early evening, when Venetians take their daily stroll or passeggiata along the Riva degli Schiavioni or to their neighbourhood campo. Sometimes they stop off for an aperitif – preferably a glass of chilled prosecco, the local white wine that fizzes on the tongue. For a quick tipple, the swankiest venues are concentrated around St Mark’s Square, where you can spend your Euros with decadent abandon. Other more bohemian areas are in the back streets of Cannaregio and San Polo, where you can swill a beaker of local wine alongside fishermen and students. The average price of a beer in Venice is €3-5. Punters have to be over 18 to drink and most pubs close at either 2400 or 0100, however, some places stay open later, especially those attached to hotels. Due to problems with noise pollution, Venetian nightclubs are virtually non-existent and those that do exist operate a well-honed entry system that favours short-skirted women. More places open on the Lido, in the summer, when you can rub shoulder pads with Hollywood’s glitziest. However, for the rest of the year, the best of the city’s bright lights are the lanterns on the boats, twinkling in the lagoon. For information and listings, A Guest in Venice is published fortnightly in summer and monthly during the winter season and is available from decent hotels. Bars: Harry’s Bar, Calle Vallaresso, on the western edge of St Mark’s Square, is the home of the legendary Bellini – a cocktail of prosecco, fresh peach juice and a dash of grenadine. No introduction to Venice – or prosecco – is complete without one. The bar is owned by the Cipriani family and has played host to Hollywood’s most rich and glamorous. The two grand old dames, Florian and Quadri, on St.Mark’s Square, with a €4.50 per person cover charge, may seem exorbitant for a coffee but a bottle of wine with nibbles and a carafe of water comes in at around €40-45, which is not bad value for two when you add in the live classical music and the stunning panorama of one of the world’s most famous squares. Campo Santa Margherita has, in recent years, become the haunt of Venice’s young and beautiful, with its smattering of trendy cafés and bars and slightly grungy ambience. Margaret Duchamp is one of the liveliest options on the Campo, with outside tables, a trendy interior and a decent pint of Guinness. The recently refurbished Taverna Da Baffo, Campo San Agostin, has once again become one of Venice’s most popular haunts. An added bonus is that as it is not yet featured in the printed guidebooks, the venue is relatively tourist free, leaving Venetian hipsters an unmolested location for their nocturnal revels. The tables outside close at midnight but punters should beware at all times, the crotchety old woman upstairs has been known to shower rowdy revellers with buckets of ice cold water. Osteria alla Postali, Fondamenta Rio Marin 821, run by a Venetian ex-pilot, is a great place to lounge next to a cosy canal, sipping a campari bitter and watching the gondolas drift by. Casinos: Venice has one casino but two locations. In summer, the Casino Municipale di Venezia welcomes beach bums and film stars to its home in the Palazzo del Casino, on the Lido. In winter, it closes its doors and retreats to the more refined surroundings of Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, on the Grand Canal – the last resting place of Richard Wagner, who died here in 1883. Games at both include roulette, blackjack, as well as video poker. Gamblers should be willing to dress up and put up. They also have to be over 21 years and a passport is required. Clubs: Since these are few and far between in Venice, most young people head for Mestre, where there is more space and less noise restriction, or further afield to the student town of Padua. But if you are stuck in Venice and you want to dance the night away, the best option is Disco Club Piccolo Mondo, Calle Contarini-Corfu, Dorsoduro, where house music is enjoyed by a mixed clientele and entrance is around €7.50. Or try the Casanova Music Café, Lista di Spagna, Cannaregio, the latest Venetian hotspot for rubbing groins with Latin smoothies. Expect to pay €10.50, which includes a free drink. Live music: Venues for live music in the city are scarce. Two of the best known are the late opening (until 0200) Bacaro Jazz, Salizada del Fontego dei Tedeschi, San Marco, for hot jazz and a cool clientele, and Paradiso Perduto, Fondamenta Misericordia, Cannaregio, a late-night joint that’s popular with students. The wonderfully named Pizzeria 900 Jazz Club, Campiello del Sansoni, San Polo, is a nightmare to find but well worth the effort for the quality Italian and international live jazz. City Statistics Location: Veneto, northeast Italy. Country dialling code: 39. Population: 70,000 (city); 180,000 (Mestre – metropolitan area). Ethnic mix: Predominantly Italian, with Slovene-Italian and Albanian minorities. Religion: 98% Catholic, 2% other. Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin or three-pin plugs are standard. Average January temp: 2°C (36°F). Average July temp: 23.5°C (75°F). Annual rainfall: 854mm (34.2 inches). Special Events New Year’s Day Swim, a chilly swim in the Lido, 1 Jan, Lido Carnivale, famous carnival culminating with an exclusive masked ball and mass dancing for the locals and suitably attired tourists in St Mark’s Square, in the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, Feb/Mar, city centre Festa di San Marco, gondola race in honour of the city’s patron saint, 25 Apr, Sant’Elena to Punta della Dogana La Sensa, re-enactment by the city’s mayor of the Marriage to the Sea ceremony, first performed by the Doge, Pietro Orseolo, who sailed out into the lagoon and cast a golden ring into the sea, Ascension Day, May, Venetian Lagoon Vogalonga, 32km (20-mile) boat race from St Mark’s Square to the island of Burano involving any rowing vessel and any number of crew, Sunday following Ascension Day, May, Venetian Lagoon Festa del Redentore, Venetians celebrate their deliverance from the plague of 1526, with a pontoon of boats, fireworks display and picnics on the water, third weekend in Jul, pontoon laid across the Giudecca Canal to the Palladio’s Redentore church from Sant’Elena to Punta della Dogana Venice Film Festival, one of the world’s leading film festivals, Aug-Sep, Palazzo del Cinema, Lido Regata Storica (Historic Regatta), procession of historic vessels along the Grand Canal, followed by a race between the city’s top oarsmen and gondoliers, first Sunday in Sep, Grand Canal Festa Di San Martino, children patrol the streets in trick-or-treat style, 11 Nov, city centre Festa della Salute, the church of salute (good health) was built to celebrate the passing of the plague of 1630, 21 Nov, pontoon is built across the Grand Canal to the Church of Madonna della Salute Cost of Living On 1 January 2002, the Italian Lira was replaced by the Euro. One-litre bottle of mineral water: €1.50 33cl bottle of beer: €2 Financial Times newspaper: €2.50 36-exposure colour film: €5 City-centre water bus ticket: €3.10 Adult football ticket: From €16 Three-course meal with wine/beer: From €25 1 Euro (€1) = £0.68; US$1.07; C$1.62; A$1.80; L1936.27 100 Lire (L100) = €0.05 Currency conversion rates as of February 2003 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.