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Piazza San Marco: it is the only square in Venice (the other places having the shape of a square are called "campi"). It is the most famous tourist place in Venice. Napoleon described it as the most elegant salon of Europe. There are elegant cafés, open-air orchestras and elegant boutiques under the porticos of Procuratie.
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Basilica di S. Marco: it is the most famous example of Byzantine architecture in Italy. Its shape is of a Greek cross with five enormous domes, covered by gold, wonderfully shining thanks to the mosaics and the precious metals.
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Palazzo Ducale: this palace is a wonderful example of Venetian Gothic. It was the house of doges (they were crowned with the shining "dogia", a ducal horn, on the highest part of Scala dei Giganti). The main entrance is called La Porta della Carta, on it there was the posting of the documents that could be useful and interesting for the citizens.
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Ponte dei Sospiri: this bridge links Palazzo Ducale to the ancient prisons, called Piombi. This bridge is very well-known all over the world. The name comes from a legend that tells the prisoners sighed while crossing the bridge because they thought it was the last time they could see the world.
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Campanile di San Marco: this bell tower is one of the symbols of the city. Venetians call it El paròn de casa (The landlord). It is 98.6 m tall and it stands in a corner of piazza San Marco, in front of the basilica. At its base there is the elegant Loggetta del Sansovino.
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Ponte di Rialto: this bridge has only one arch and was built by Antonio da Ponte (1592); it is one of the three bridges that cross Canal Grande, together with Ponte dell’Accademia and Ponte degli Scalzi. There is a lively and nice market.
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Arsenale: this place can be considered the first factory of the world, because it represents the most important example of a production facility in the pre-industrial period. During its best period, there were 16.000, they were called "arsenalotti", and they built, equipped and repaired the big Venetian galleys.
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Chiesa S. Maria della Salute: this church was built by Longhena to respect a vow made by the inhabitants that prayed to be freed from the plague in 1630. They had promised to build a new and beautiful cathedral to thank Our Lady for her help. It has an octagonal shape and a hemisphere dome, with a monumental white façade. Inside there is a precious floor made of polychrome marbles and works of art by Tiziano and Tintoretto.
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Chiesa Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari: the bell tower is the second tallest in Venice. Inside there are two aisles and a nave that contain famous paintings by Tiziano. There are also two of the few choir stalls in Italy with historical organs that still work.
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Ghetto: here Hebrew citizens were obliged to live during the period of Venetian republic (as stated by the Concilio dei Dieci in 1516). In 1797 Napoleon demolished the gates but with the Austrian rule, Hebrew people were again forced to live in this area and they obtained freedom only in 1866. This area was not very big; this is why there was the erection of houses with 8 floors, very unusual at those times. Today there are still two synagogues open to the public. There is also a museum, Museo Ebraico that contains sacred furniture and precious books.
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Giudecca: it is the biggest isle in Venice, in the past it was called "Spina Longa" because it has the shape of a herring-bone. On the isle there is the famous Chiesa del Redentore, designed by Palladio and built to thank God for the end of a terrible plague that killed a third of the population in 1576.
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Palazzo Grassi: its erection started in 1749, it was bought by Fiat in 1984 and it is used for art exhibition.
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Casa di Carlo Goldoni: in this Gothic palace, called Centani, Carlo Goldoni was born.
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Cà d’Oro: it is one of the most beautiful palaces on Canal Grande, it is a very important example of Gothic – Venetian architecture. The façade has very elegant pointed windows, pinnacles and exotic and fine marble engravings, influenced by Eastern art.
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Cà da Mosto: it is one of the most ancient Venetian palaces, built in XIII century. The famous explorer Alvise Cadamosto lived there. From ‘500 to ‘700 it was used as a hotel: Leon Bianco hotel, one of the most famous in Venice, where many famous people stayed.
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Teatro La Fenice: this theater has been destroyed various times by fires and has always been rebuilt (the last fire was on 29th January 1996). In this theatre there is an important festival dedicated to contemporary international music.
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Lido: the Lido is a slender slice of land between the lagoon and the sea. It is characterized by Liberty buildings, by the Casino and Palazzo del Cinema, where the international festival of the cinema takes place (Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica). The beach of the Lido is made of natural golden sand dunes and of beautiful water, protected by two dams (S. Nicolò and degli Alberini).
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Biennale: the Venice Biennial Exhibition was inaugurated on 22nd April 1894. It is one of the most important artistic events of the world. It is in the lead in the promotion of new artistic trends, thanks to the organization of international events dedicated to contemporary art.
