
Tag: Venice


What is sustainable tourism?
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Use environmental resources maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to protect natural heritage and biodiversity.
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Respect the socio-cultural environment of host communities and preserve their cultural heritage and traditional values.
- Secure long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all the businesses that are distributed in the area.
Massive tourism in Venice
Sustainable tourism in Venice
How to be a sustainable tourist
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Venice is a tiny city. Yes we know there are no cars, but this doesn’t mean there are no rules to be followed. When you are walking down its streets, try and keep your right so that there is always some space on the other side for people to pass. Try not sit on the bridges or on the steps of someone’s house, especially if your idea is eating there as well. Instead look for areas with benches and trees like the one in front of the train station or the beautiful Sant’Elena gardens in Castello district. Venice is like an open air museum so it is our job as locals and yours as visitors, to all play our part respecting and taking care of it.
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Try and avoid restaurants with pictures of food and insisting waiters inviting you in. Choose tiny and cozy places, away from the crowds, that offer a great variety of fish. We are not saying it is not appropriate to have a carbonara in Venice, but make sure that is not the first option on the menu.
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Try and buy traditional products in local shops. To go back to the masks, make sure they are papier-mache and look for business with “paint your own mask” option and maybe a tiny laboratory inside. As far as Murano glass is concerned, the best thing you can do is to purchase directly on Murano island so that you are sure you’re buying something authentic, really hand made.
Future perspectives

Carnival in Venice

Carnival in Venice
Carnival is the most popular festival in Venice, its origins in the city date back to the 13th century when the Doge made it a public holiday. Originally Carnival in Venice started on the 26th of December and lasted for several weeks until the beginning of Christian Lent. Carnival was an occasion of social release. People were gathering together celebrating by eating the most tasty food and dancing all day long.
How Carnival developed?
Throughout the centuries Venetian Carnival has become famous all over Europe. People from other countries arrived in Venice to enjoy the celebrations. That way, Carnival quickly turned into a luxurious festival with elaborated costumes and masks. In that period there were parties all over the city inside the beautiful palaces on the Gran Canal. To attend those parties masks were mandatory! This way you didn’t know who the person in front of you was! You could party with a sailor, a nobleman, an actress, a commoner and you didn’t care! The idea was that of hiding your identity and your social standing in order not to judge or to be judged by anyone. You can guess that anything could happen in those occasions…and when we say anything, we really mean anything! This general freedom also had some negative outbound. Crime began to raise. With the mask on criminals were unpunished, they couldn’t recognize them! That’s why the Republic of Venice started imposing some rules to control Carnival. They forbade to wear a mask in the streets after dark. They also abolished them inside churches, monasteries and convents. We can say that even friars and nuns enjoyed celebrating Carnival!
Carnival and masks
On the bright side that of producing masks became an actual art. Venetian mask makers used their talent and creativity. They made masks with papier mache and decorated them with pearls, feathers and glitters. They could be colorful, extravagant and lavish, never sober! This is a tradition that has survived up to current days. The mask is still the most typical souvenir in Venice. If you get lost in the little alleys you can find laboratory shops and even craft your own mask.
The most famous traditional Venetian masks
BAUTA: it is the quintessential mask of Venetian tradition. It was particularly popular inside casinos (houses for gambling and brothels). As a matter of fact, its beak like shape allowed people to eat and drink without taking it off. It was also a way to disguise your voice.
MORETTA: it was a small black velvet mask. It had French origins and it was exclusively for women. Guess why? In order to wear it, they must held it in their mouth. In this way it was impossible for those women to talk! This silence was a weapon of seduction as it added a huge amount of mystery to the game.
PLAGUE DOCTOR: originally doctors used this mask during plague epidemics. It has got a long beak where they put dried herbs and flowers to avoid breathing the bad smell of their patients! The length of the beak also allowed them to maintain some distance from the corpses.
Carnival today
After many centuries of fun and great celebrations Carnival in Venice ended with the Napoleonic invasion that started in 1797. The darkest pages of Venetian history corresponded to the end of this magnificent Festival. Venetians would have to wait until contemporary times to bring the spirit of Carnival back to life. As a matter of fact, it was only in the 70’s that a group of students and local associations started organizing the first parades with music, costumes and masks. Today the main celebrations are held in Saint Mark’s Square. They still organize splendid balls inside the palaces on the Grand Canal. Tickets can be very expensive but we believe it is one of those lifetime experiences you must live at least once. Unfortunately the covid-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of all public events. But don’t worry, Carnival 2021 will be an online event. For more info, check this link out! Fingers crossed for next year! We are looking forward to meet you soon in Venice to host you in one of our tours and have a nice spritz together…who knows, maybe right during Carnival time!


Redentore Festival

Best food in Venice

The best 10 churches in Venice

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The best 10 churches in Venice
There are 137 churches in Venice, they can be considered as museums of the city. They contain works of the greatest artist, were designed by the main architects and reflect all the different architectural styles that affected buildings in Venice over the centuries.Some of them have mysterious legends, myths about their foundation, secrets hidden inside their paintings and statues.
Come and discover them during our tours! In the meantime, here’s a list of the best 10 churches that you can see in Venice.
Saint Mark’s basilica
This is the most famous churches in Venice. The construction started in 828 but the works to add magnificence to this church will last a few centuries more. The Basilica today reflects different styles: Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance; it’s a treasure chest of all the most important facts and victories of Venice. The marbles, the gold imported from the East, all the statues and columns brought back as spoils of war, they all contributed to create the gorgeous Basilica that became one of the symbols of the city. Visit the inside, with its 4,000 square meters of mosaics, it will be an astonishing experience! You will learn more about the church during our paid tour of Saint Mark Square. Entrance: FREE. Inside specific sites you need a ticket: Saint Mark’s Treasure, Golden Pall, Museum on the first floor.
Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari: or simply Basilica dei Frari. Frari in Venetian dialect means friars. It is one of the biggest churches in Venice. The Franciscan Friars built the church in 1250. That’s why from the outside the style looks pretty simple: Italian Gothic style with red bricks and few decorations, to respect the rules of the Franciscan order, based on poverty and simplicity. But on the inside this church is an authentic jewel: it contains artworks of Titian (Pesaro Madonna and Assumption of the Virgin), Giovanni Bellini, Bartolomeo Vivarini and Donatello. Titian is buried here, his grave is in front of the funeral monument of another great artist: Antonio Canova. Entrance: 3 €
Santa Maria della Salute
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, also known as the Salute: the most beloved by Venetians. This Basilica was built as a vow after the plague that struck Venice in 1630. Designed by the architect Baldassare Longhena, it was completed in 1687, today with its beautiful Baroque style it dominates the final part of the Gran Canal. You will learn more about the church during our free tour in the Southern part of Venice. Entrance: FREE.
Chiesa dei Miracoli
Church of Miracles: a hidden treasure in the middle of Venetian alleys. They built this church between 1481 and 1489 to host a painting of the Virgin Mary. They considered it to be responsible of some miracles. The church is a masterpiece of Renaissance style, decorated with precious marbles and stones. Today it’s the favorite church for weddings. All brides want to get married inside it because of the gorgeous pictures they can take there. But the waiting list is very long, you need to book the church at least two years in advance! You will learn more about the church during our free tour in the Northern part of Venice. Entrance: 3€
The Jesuits
Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta or dei Gesuiti: located in Cannaregio district, they built this church thanks to the religious order of the Gesuits during the 18th century. The inside is really astonishing, ceiling and paving are decorated with baroque style with green and white marbles, the altar is the masterpiece of the church. Inside there are paintings of Titian, Tintoretto and Palma il Giovane. A lot of visitors miss this church because of its location. You will learn more about the church during our free tour in the Northern part of Venice. Entrance: 1€
San Zanipolo
Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo: the biggest church in Venice. They also call this church “the Venetian Pantheon”. Inside there are the graves of some heroes of the Republic of Venice: soldiers and commanders, Doges and other important members of Venice society. If you are interested in the history of the city and want to know more about it, this is a good place to start! The campo in front of the church is one of the most beautiful in Venice! Entrance: 3 €
Madonna dell’orto
Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto: another jewel of Cannaregio district, built during the 14th century and originally dedicated to Saint Cristopher. There is a legend that explains why the name of the church was then changed into “Madonna dell’Orto”, literally “Virgin of the garden”, discover it during our tours! This church contains a lot of paintings made by the great painter Tintoretto who lived nearby and this was his favorite church in Venice. His grave is inside the church, close to the main altar. Entrance: 3€
San Pantalon
Chiesa di San Pantalon: one of the most simple churches from the outside. The facade is still incomplete, but on the inside there is a surprise: it contains the biggest canvas in the world. A huge ceiling painting represents the history of the martyrdom of Saint Pantalon, made by Giovanni Antonio Fumiani who painted it from 1680 to 1704. Entrance: FREE
Santa Maria del Giglio
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Giglio: they first built it in the 10th century and then rebuilt it in the 17th century. The nobleman Antonio Barbaro financed it. They represented him together with his brothers on the facade of the church. There you can also see six columns, their bases are decorated with the maps of the six cities where Antonio worked during his life. Inside the church there is only painting in Venice made by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. Entrance: 3€
San Simeone Piccolo
Chiesa di San Simeone Piccolo: with its green dome, this church will be the first thing that you see when you arrive in Venice from either the bus or the train station. The church is very simple, but we recommend that you ask the custodian to visit the crypt. The crypt of this church is a unique example in Venice, with a small candle you can walk around the small tunnels and see the old frescoes on the walls…an experience that you won’t forget! Entrance: FREE, to visit the crypt the entrance will cost 3€.
If you are interested in visiting many churches, you can buy the Chorus pass: it’s a ticket that will give you access to 18 churches. The pass costs 12€ for adults (8€ for students) and you can buy it inside the churches, at the tourist information offices or online.