Venice
Venice
Venice and the islands of the Lagoon, the Brenta and its Villas
Venice all in one: a tourist city, a cultural capital, a commonplace, a myth, including a gondola ride, a concert in the church or an art exhibition in a palace. When you climb up to a bell tower, you can already see the Venice of all times, an endless sea of red roofs and the symbols of eternal power: the Palaces and Churches. It would be too long and obvious to list everything the city offers, so let’s just say that you can follow different itineraries to discover the charms of this magical city.
The tour to the islands offers Murano, with a visit to one of the many famous glass factories, Burano, the most colourful island of the lagoon with its typical houses and famous lace making workshops, and Torcello, the first human settlement in the lagoon: the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, with its magnificent mosaics and the Church of Santa Fosca is still having its past splendor.
Do not forget the date of the famous Venice Carnival, the Redentore (3rd Saturday in July) and the Historical Regatta (1st Sunday in September).
As in ancient times, Padua and Venice are still linked through the Brenta canal by a white and elegant boat called “Burchiello”, which was an eighteenth-century watercraft that daily connected the city of sant’ Antonio and the city of San Marco. The Venetian dolce vita took place on the board of it: nobles and adventurers, ladies and knights, comedians and artists created a singular and varied environment which was very appreciated by curious and attentive foreign travelers, for whom the river journey was like an anticipation of the beautiful Venetian Grand Canal. The Burchiello floats along the River of Brenta, offering a view of over seventy villas, which are rich in frescoes, paintings linked to the famous Palladio (“Malcontenta”) and to the Veronese school in Villa Venier and del Tiepolo. But the most precious one is the Villa Pisani in Strá.