veneto
italiano deutsch espaniol
english francais japanese
Piccola Universita Italiana Tropea Piccola Universita Italiana Venetia
banner banner
www.italianculture.net
artecinemagiornalimusicalingua
designcucinaletteraturaoperavacanze
modavinimuseiteatrohome
veneto
belluno
vicenzatreviso
veronapadovavenezia
rovigo

archeologia
bibliotheche

cultura
meteo
musei
notizie
transporti
turismo

sponsored by
 

Veneto Region

Even in our days, the history of the Veneto region still seems mysterious and arouses our curiosity. Culture blends in perfectly with the wonderful scenery of Lake Garda, the beautiful villas scattered across the green countryside, the enchanted mountains of the Dolomites with their spectacular peaks and one of the most beautiful cities in the world: Venice.
In an incredible position on the Lagoon of Venice, stands a group of small islands linked by canals crossed by fascinating bridges, like the famous seventeenth-century Bridge of Sighs, so called because of the lamentations of the prisoners on their way to face the State inquisitors, and the Rialto Bridge, on the Grand Canal, from the balustrades of which there are lovely views. Wonderful Saint Mark’s Square is in the centre of the city, overlooked by the impressive Byzantine Basilica, one of the buildings with the richest marble and mosaic decorations in the world, alongside the Doge’s Palace, an exceptional example of Gothic architecture. A passageway leads underneath the renaissance clock tower, the Torre dell’Orologio, to the Mercerie district, a jumble of alleyways full of shops, and an ideal place for shopping. You can make your visit very pleasant by taking a ride in a gondola or stopping at one of the famous historical cafes, like the Caffè Quadri or the Florian, the meeting place of famous literary figures such as Proust, Dickens and Byron. or at Harry’s Bar, which Hemingway was so fond of: here you can drink an excellent Bellini, an aperitif made from a lightly sparkling white wine called prosecco and white peach juice.
If you would like to see the works of Titian, the remarkable painter whose paintbrush the great Charles V bent down to pick up when it fell, you should go to the Frari basilica and to the church of Santa Maria della Salute where Tintoretto’s wonderful painting, the Marriage Feast of Cana is also kept. Tintoretto is also famous for the decoration of the walls and ceilings of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
Then there is La Pietà, Vivaldi’s church, where the great composer was once musical director and which became famous because of his magnificent performances.
To get an idea of the great naval power of the Republic of Venice in bygone days you can make an interesting visit to the enormous shipyard in the Arsenale district, while Ca’ d’Oro (the “golden house” because its facade was once gilded), a building in Gothic-Venetian style with oriental influence in the facade, is one of the most beautiful in the city: it has a picture gallery with Mantegna’s Saint Sebastian and Titian’s Venus at the Mirror.
Venice is the venue of important cultural events such as the Art Biennial, and the International Film Festival at the Lido, a well-known seaside resort. The sparkling costumes, fanciful masks, open-air balls and processional floats of the Carnival make this festival, dating back to the 11th century, the most beautiful event of the year. Also interesting is the Feast of Saint Mark, on 25 April, celebrated by a gondola race, and the Regata Storica (historic regatta), in September, a procession of period boats along the Grand Canal.
An excellent alternative to the city is a pleasant trip to the islands of the Lagoon, which can be reached by waterbus (vaporetto) or taxi. A few minutes take you to Murano with its famous glass factories, or Burano, a fishing and lace-making island, famous for its multicoloured houses, and to old Torcello with a Cathedral build in 639 A.D.. The Church of the Redeemer, designed by Palladio, is the main attraction on the island of Giudecca and south of the Lagoon lies the picturesque city of Chioggia, a lively port, with the Murazzi: the old seawalls.
Another very interesting city is Verona, full of romantic streets that recall the romantic story of Romeo and Juliet. This is a lively city, with many elegant shops and luxurious cafes where you can have a pleasant chat and maybe sip a glass of excellent local wine: the famous vineyards of Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella are not far away. The most fascinating sight in Verona is the Arena, a 1st century A.D. amphitheatre that can seat up to 25000 spectators for operatic performances, including Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, naturally “under the stars” and “by candlelight”. Outside Verona you can take a boat on Lake Garda, where the views are delightful, or travel along the famous “route of the red wine”.
And if Verona is famous for operas and plays, Vicenza is famous for Renaissance architecture, in particular the magnificent villas by Andrea Palladio, the famous architect who, as a matter of fact, dotted the whole Veneto region with villas commissioned by the aristocratic families of his day. The best know are Villa Valmarana, for the wonderful frescoes by Tiepolo, and La Rotonda.
Padua with the Scrovegni chapel, frescoed by Giotto, and Treviso, where the houses have balconies overlooking the canals, are also most beautiful cities.

For more information click on:
Veneto Region ENTER

italian language course com

italian language schools com

banner

Notice

©italianculture.net 2007 · italiano · deutsch · espaniol · english · francais · nihon-go · webdesign: claudia Krug