We selected a short list of interest points in Venice to help you before your arrival: here you can read some informations concerning nice spots you can live once in Venice.

The ghost of Campiello del Remer

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Near the Rialto Bridge, and more precisely in the Campiello del Remer, overlooking the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge you might happen to witness a chilling sight: the body of Fosco Loredan that emerges from the water with the head of his wife Elena in his hands, which he cut off in a fit of jealousy.

The noble Fosco Loredan was jealous of the beautiful Elena, one of the daughters of the brother of Doge Marino Grimani. One evening the doge, from those parts, he heard a woman screaming from fear chased by a man with a drawn sword. The doge immediately ran finding them in their Campiello del Remer. The doge did not even turn around time that Fosco cut off the head to his wife. Marino Grimani, furious, restrained himself to do the same thing on the assassin who begged him to let him live and the ordered him to decide his fate by the Pope. And so he did, he departed, and went to Rome. After five months, the Pope did not want it either receive. He returned to Venice, went into the Campiello del Remer and there, in the Grand Canal, let himself drown.

Veronica Franco, the honest courtesan

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« If we are armed and trained, we can convince men that we have hands, feet and a heart like them, and even if we are delicate and tender, there are men that can be tender even strong men and vulgar and violent and they are cowards. Women have not yet realized that they should behave in this way, this way would be able to fight to the death, and to show that this is true, I’ll be the first to act as a model. »

The Franco was not just an intellectual and a sensual courtesan but also a weaver of Machiavellian political plots.

The Venice Renassaince society recognized two different kinds of courtesans: the honest courtesan, namely the intellectual courtesan, and the courtesan of light, (similar to modern prostitutes) , a courtesan of the lower classes , who lived and practiced the craft near the Rialto Bridge. Veronica reached an excellent level of education: a sign she had to continue to study on their own and treasure everything she learned in Venetian cultural circles in which she was admitted. Starting from the most important one, by Domenico Venier, his mentor and patron.

Customers Veronica were noble, clergy, intellectuals and artists. In 1574 it was added Henry of Valois, who from Poland, where he was king, he was going to Paris to ascend to the throne of France under the name of Henry III. La Serenissima welcomed him with 11 days of celebrations, organized by artists such as Andrea Palladio, Andrea Gabrieli, Paolo Veronese and Tintoretto. The Franco was not only the “gift” of a night offered by the Republic for a valuable ally, but also, due to her intense nationalism, a courtesan spy who could take advantage of the intimacy to steal state secrets to foreign customers and step.

Although Veronica Franco has almost never moved from his home town, except for a pilgrimage to Rome, on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1575 , and for a journey of “business” in Veneto, her life has been full of events and surprises scene. In particular: the challenge with Maffio Venier, the trial before the Inquisition and the proposal to open a school for former prostitutes.

“Bigòi in salsa”, a typical venetian pasta dish

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The “bigòi in salsa” are a first dish of Veneto which, according to tradition, were consumed during the lean days, such as Christmas Eve, Holy Friday and Wednesday of the Ashes.

The bigoli in seasoning sauce are made with a simple but very tasty sauce, consisting of fine sliced ​​onions and anchovies (or sardines) dissolved slowly in olive oil. The bigoli, which are also typical of the Veneto region (for this particoular dish, the black bigòi of Bassano are preferred), are a type of pasta similar in shape to the rough surface of thick spaghetti as well as being prepared with wheat flour, can also be made with whole wheat flour, with or without eggs.

Burano lace

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“One of the most famous legends about Burano narrates that an ancient betrothed fisherman, while he was fishing outside the lagoon, in the east sea, hold up to a siren who tried to entice him by her canto. So he received a gift from sirens’ queen, enchanted by his faithfulness: the siren thumped the side of the boat by her tall, creating a foam from which a wedding veil developed. Came back home opportune in the day of marriage, he gave the gift to his fiancée. She was admired and envied from all the young ladies of the island, whereupon they begin to imitate the lace of the wedding veil employing needle-and-thread more and more thin, hoping to create a even more beautiful lace for their wedding dresses.”

Burano prides itself as the oldest center for embroidered/needle lace, a beautiful Island near Venice. Today many of Burano’s lace work is exhibited in the Museo del Merletto, in Burano’s little square. Lace was such a big part of the Island that the name of a famous lace worker, Cencia Scarpariola, was given to one of its street

The lace is created by 5 steps, each one executed by different people. By 1900, in Burano the lace was embroidered by much fewer people than in 1500 because many young women went to work in the tailors- shops in Murano or Venice. The ones who did, though, started very early, since they didn’t attend school and spent all the time with their mothers who taught them how to do it. At 12-13 years they started to go to school at the Scuola dei Merletti, managed by nuns.

There is also a Museum of Lace in Burano that shows unique pieces of lace.

The Murano glass

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Murano glass is a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano. Located off the shore of Venice, Murano has been a commercial port as far back as the 7th century. By the 10th century, the city had become well known for its glassmakers, who created unique Murano glass.

The process of making Murano glass is rather complex. Most Murano glass art is made using the lampworking technique. The glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures. As the glass passes from a liquid to a solid state, there is an interval wherein the glass is soft before it hardens completely, allowing the artisan to shape the material.

Today, Murano is home to a vast number of factories and a few individual artists’ studios making all manner of glass objects from mass marketed stemware to original sculpture. The Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) in the Palazzo Giustinian houses displays on the history of glassmaking as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day.

The venetian Gondola

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The Venetian gondola is considered the most beautiful boat in the world and universal symbol of the city of Venice. The beauty of the gondola is given by the sinuous and elegant lines, wonderful environment in which it moves, but also by its uniqueness in building: it iis 11 meters long and weighing 600 kg, the result of a construction technique so excellent that it can be steered with agility and ease by one person and with only one oar.

Every detail of the gondola has a specific symbolism, especially metal ones, where it binds the formal elegance with practicality and utility. The iron prow of gondola, called “fero de bow” or “dolfin”, serves to balance the weight of the gondolier and is shaped like a “s” that should simulate the performance of the Grand Canal. Under the main blade has a sort of comb consists of six teeth (tines) that reminds of the six distriscts (“sestieri” in Venetian) of Venice.

Venetian “cicchetti”

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It is an appetizer, consumed usually in the morning when there is no time to lose.
In Venice, the cicchetto is bound inextricably to an “ombra” (“shadow”), ie a glass of wine. This local institution seems to take its name from the habit of merchants to place the barrels of wine in the shadow of the bell tower of San Marco to keep the wine cool, still in the lagoon city is said to “andar a ombre” (“go for shadows”) when wants to indicate the ritual of the mid-morning snack.
There are many bacari (wine bars) where you can find the cicchetti, the composition of which varies depending on the time of year. It is a little taste of fish or meats, hot or cold, resting on bread.
Sipping the “ombra” is possible for example to taste salt cod, sardines in sauce, clams, sea snails, just boiled octopus and nerves (gristle of veal boiled and served in vinegar and oil).

The “Spritz”

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Spritz is a cocktail of Austro-Hungarian origin (the name comes from the German verb “spritzen,” which means “to spray”) it was born from the simple mixture of carbonated water and wine, as the Austrians could not withstand the high alcohol Venetians wines. Become established over time in the bars especially in the Veneto region, the drink has changed the recipe: water has become “soda” and wine “spumante”. But it is above all added at least one third ingredient, which varies according to the inspiration of the barman and can be Aperol, Campari or Select. Because of its nature and popular for its strong regional connotation, spritz it has struggled to impose themselves on the national market until (with the complicity of the decisive Aperol campaign) has broken through the wall of mistrust, conquering the rest of Italy and today his way through the cocktail buffet, steals the show to caipirinhas and caipiroske, puts together lovers of wine and cocktails, reaching halfway to alcoholic taste and texture.

A delicious recipe: “Sarde in saòr”

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The Sarde in saòr are a really tasty appetizer of Venetian cuisine, this is a bowl of fried sardines which are served with caramelized onions cooked with vinegar, pine nuts and raisins.

The saòr is a method of preservation of sailors in ancient times in fact, when it was necessary to keep the fish on the ships for a long time, they used this particular preparation that allowed you to keep the fried fish good for several days. The sarde in saòr are in fact even more if tasted good after at least 24 hours of rest.

Pawel Althamer at the Venice Biennale

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This year at the Venice Biennale you will find also Pawel Althamer, who has been dedicated an entire hall within the arsenal. This Polish artist has focused on the fragility of the human soul through video, sculptures and performances since his debut. In some cases he has tested the limits of his own body participating in his artwork: he has experimented with LSD, with truth serum, hashish and cold water the limits and different scenarios of his mind.

Since he was young he has worked with sculptures, starting by using hair and intestines to create them. Everything evoked the human body through organic materials. This theme is also covered in the Biennale installation.
Pawel Althamer has prepared Venetians, a series of 80 sculptures realized in plastic material that symbolize the inhabitants of Venice. They are figures eternally waiting for something, all grouped in a spectral portrait of the city.

If you want to see Pawel Althamer at the Biennale in Venice, do not forget to book your stay with Albergo Marin!