Venice is a beautiful city located in northeast Italy that is famous for its intricate transport system of interconnected canals. A perfect setting for a magical Valentines break. It has been described as the most beautiful city built by man and one of Europe’s most romantic cities. Venice is also known for its art, architecture and culture. So you’ll never be short of something to do in the “City of Bridges”.
First, do a bit of sightseeing by taking a romantic sunset gondola ride down the Grand Canal that will take you through the heart of the city and let you soak up the relaxing atmosphere.
The canal is lined with beautiful buildings and churches some of which date back as far as the 13thcentury. You’ll also see the Rialto Bridge that was the only bridge to cross the canal until the 19th century and was mentioned in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”. You could also visit Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari which is one of the greatest churches in Venice. It has Gothic architecture and a beautiful red brick exterior and also houses many excellent examples of Renaissance art, including Titian’s Madonna di Ca’ Pesaro.
Basilica dei Frari (Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari)
Over the centuries the basilica has become a veritable treasure-chest of exceptional works of art.
After the Basilica of St. Mark's, the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is the most remarkable ecclesiastical complex in Venice, as well as being one of the most important Franciscan foundations in Italy. Originally built between 1236 and 1338 by the Franciscan Conventual Friars, the structure was thoroughly re-modelled in the 14th century and given its present more grandiose form of central nave, two side aisles and seven apsidal chapels after Franciscan-Gothic designs. Over the centuries the basilica has become a veritable treasure-chest of exceptional works of art. Any discussion of the main works of art within the church has, of course, to start with what is perhaps the most famous masterpiece of Titian's early maturity: the powerful altarpiece depicting The Assumption of the Virgin. One should also mention Titian's famous Pesaro Altarpiece (1526), and Giovanni Bellini's Triptych with Virgin and Saints (1488) in the Pesaro Chapel in the Sacristy. One of the masterpieces of 15th-century Venetian painting, this latter work invites comparison with a near contemporary that now hangs in the elegant Corner Chapel: Bartolomeo Vivarini's St. Mark's Triptych (1474).
Doge's Palace
The symbolic seat of Venetian power, formerly the seat of the Doge and State Magistratures, the Palace is the supreme embodiment of Venetian civilization. A masterpiece of gothic architecture, it reveals a grandiose stratification of constructive and ornamental elements. The interior, superbly decorated by legions of artists, including Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Vittoria and Tiepolo, offer a range of different experiences: from the vast halls of political power to the refinement of the Doge's chambers, from the gloom of the prison-cells to the luminosity of the loggias overlooking the Piazza and the lagoon. Over the centuries the Doge's Palace has been restructured and restored countless times. The visit to the upper floors starts in the extraordinary courtyard, from where you pass up to the Loggia on the first floor (where the Doge’s Apartments are located) and then to the Institutional Chambers, which are spread over the first and second floor. The visit concludes with the Palace Armory and Prisons. To conclude: The Museo dell’Opera and The Secret itineraries Tour. The visit of the Doge’s Palace is included into a cumulative tour with a single ticket for the Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana.
St Mark’s Basilica
St Mark’s Basilica, a superb example of the Romanesque-Byzantine style with five cupolas, was built (10th cent.) to house the body of the St Mark the Evangelist.
St Mark’s basilica is a unique monument for the profound spirituality it communicates to the faithful and the visitor, and the richness of its history and architecture, embellished over the centuries with precious marbles and works of art from the most remote corners of the eastern Mediterranean; a splendid workshop where great artists have worked, particularly on the extensive mosaics with episodes from the Old and New Testaments and with stories of St Mark. The soft light that enters the basilica from above seems to divide the earthly world from the supernatural one shining from the gilt mosaics in the domes and vaults. Unfortunately, because of the very large number of visitors, only part of this universal jewel can now be enjoyed: on the web site , its religious and artistic contents and the diverse historical implications needed to understand the role played by the basilica over the centuries are presented, clearly arranged by subject and level of analysis. Visitors’ clothing must be in keeping with the holiness of the place.
For security reasons you are not allowed to go into the Basilica of San Marco with luggage (suitcases, rucksucks, bulky bags). A hand luggage deposit free of charge organized by Procuratoria is available at Ateneo San Basso, ( Piazzetta dei Leoncini- calle San Basso).
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
The monumental building, seat of the Arch-Confraternity of San Rocco, was constructed between 1517 and 1560 on the designs of Bartolomeo Bon, but was completed only later by Sante Lombardo and Antonio Scarpagnino; on the façade, elements of the early Renaissance on the ground floor blend with precursors to the Baroque period on the upper floor. Inside, the expansive rooms are decorated by the entire cycle of great canvases by Jacopo Tintoretto, painted between 1564 and 1587, which mark the peak of his artistic career. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco also holds concerts.
Madonna dell'Orto Church
The magnificent brick facade is one of the most interesting in Venice, tracing as it does the transitions from Romanesque to Gothic and from Gothic to Renaissance.
Flanked by the old Scuola dei Mercanti, this monumental church stands on the far northern edge of the Sestiere of Cannaregio in a churchyard that still maintains its original paving of brick laid out in a herring-bone pattern within Istrian stone divisions. Originally built in the 14th century, the structure was heavily modified in the 15th and owes its name to a miraculous statue of the Virgin and Child - now in the San Mauro Chapel - which was found in a nearby garden (orto); in fact, the church is officially dedicated to St. Christopher Martyr. The magnificent brick facade is one of the most interesting in Venice, tracing as it does the transitions from Romanesque to Gothic and from Gothic to Renaissance. The interior of a single nave with two aisles contains numerous works of great importance; in particular, some masterpieces by Jacopo Robusti (better known as Tintoretto), who lived nearby (n.3399 on Fondamenta dei Mori) and was buried here, in the apsidal chapel on the right.
Basilica di S.M. Assunta di Torcello
The oldest cathedral in the lagoon, it holds many precious mosaics.
Constructed in 639 and expanded in 824, it owes its present-day structure to the partial reconstruction completed in 1008 at the behest of Bishop Orso Orseolo, son of Doge Pietro II. We can read about the relations with Ravenna, which was a liaison city with the East. The church is a three-nave basilica, with 18 columns in Greek marble, divided into twelve sections and has a marble door with 9th-century jambs and architraves decorated with bas-reliefs dating to the 11th- century. Grand Veneto-Byzantine mosaics embellish its interior, beginning with the mosaic on the floor and continuing with the one that decorates the bowl of the apse and triumphal arch, depicting the Twelve Apostles, the Annunciation and the "Vergine Teotoga". To the left of the main altar is an original inscription with the date of foundation of the church, which represents the oldest document of Venetian history. Along the right side are several windows complete with massive stone shutters.
La Salute Church
The Basilica was constructed to commemorate the terrible plague of 1630 -1631 and the consequent votive pronounced by the Doge to obtain the blessing of the Virgin.
The Basilica was constructed to commemorate the terrible plague of 1630 -1631 and the consequent votive pronounced by the Doge to obtain the blessing of the Virgin. The basilica was consecrated in 1687. The young architect, Baldassarre Longhena, was commissioned with the formidable job of planning the church. His project met the grandiose requirements of the Serenissima republic: a church that would glorify the Virgin Mary and at the same time, the Republic. The church has a central layout and is covered by a monumental dome characterised by magnificent volutes that act as buttresses. From the outside, the octagonal layout is distinguished by a like number of architectonic façades with the most magnificent is the one on the main façade, characterised by a splendid entrance way and enhanced by a monumental staircase. To this day, 21 November brings thousands of Venetians on a pilgrimage to the high altar to carry on this long-standing tradition of giving thanks to the Virgin Mary on the feast day dedicated to her honour and perhaps the day most dear to Venetians.
The Accademia Galleries
One of the most important collection of Venitian paintings of 14th to 18th century. The Accademia Galleries and the City of Venice enjoy a long-standing relationships: the halls contain many masterpieces originally held in local churches, schools and public buildings; a visit to the city might be considered an extension to a visit to the Accademia collections (or vice versa) because only this way can the visitor fully understand the significance for the painter of the destination and theme of a particular painting. In some cases, the works on display in the Galleries represent the only surviving evidence of churches that were demolished during Napoleon's domination. Some of the more famous private paintings included in the collection (the San Girolamo by Piero della Francesca, or several Venetian cityscapes by Pietro Longhi, for example) came to the Accademia thanks to the generosity of illustrious Venetian collectors. In 1816, the Accademia Gallery was the recipient of a bequeath from Girolamo Molin; Felicita Renier made her donation to the Museum in 1833 (executive as of 1850); in 1838, Girolamo Contarini devolved 188 of his paintings to the Galleries. The Museum management has consistently increased its collections, including with recent acquisitions.
The island of colour: many artists have used art to express the beauty of Burano, even founding a local school shortly before World War I.
The colourful palette of the single and two-story homes, the soft and rarefied atmosphere of the island landscape with its unique, clear light, reflections, bobbing boats and the boatyards make Burano seem quite different from any other island. There is no showy architecture, but homes nearly all the same size, all painted in bright colours. Here, colour is a great collective decoration, perhaps traditionally entrusted to the women of the island since the men were mainly involved in fishing and boating. The traditional trades are still pursued today, namely lace making and fishing.Legend has it that the tradition of lace-making developed thanks to a fisherman. Having resisted the song of the mermaids in the name of his beloved who was waiting for his return to Burano, the “Queen of the Waves” gave him a crown of sea foam to adorn the head of his future bride. The envious friends of the bride, blinded by the magnificence of the veil, tried to imitate its craftsmanship, thus starting up a school of a centuries-old tradition.The island plays host to the Burano Lace Museum.
Island of Murano
The largest of the Lagoon islands, located about 1.5 km north of Venice, it is famed for the beautiful artistic glass made in its furnaces
The layout of the town is modelled after Venice: a group of ten islands unwind around a vast Grand Canal, whose name changes from San Giovanni to Ponte Longo (which crosses it) to degli Angeli, as it traverses the island. On the Rio dei Vetrai are several ancient furnace-houses that have survived from medieval times, recognizable because they have been built on porticos and which still display the signs of the function that they once performed: home of the owner of the furnace, glass workshop, and raw materials store. To prevent treacherous fires from breaking out in the vulnerable city, a decree was issued at the end of the 8th century ordering all the glass furnaces to be moved to Murano. The inhabitants of Murano thus acquired a truly unique professional specialization. Some of its most important architectural buildings are the Gothic church of San Pietro Martire, Palazzo Da Mula, and Palazzo Giustinian with its Baroque façade which was once an ancient Episcopal site and today holds the rare collections of the Murano Glass Museum. Also noteworth is the church of SS. Maria e Donato, which dates back to 1140 (the inscription is still legible on the floor inside), the same period of the mosaics that carpet the church and are very similar in style to the floor in St. Mark's cathedral.The art of glass making is carried on today at the Abate Zanetti glass school and the Promovetro associated furnaces.
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