VENICE 2023
What can be said about this city that hasn’t already been said…
Celebrated by artists, Venice is both beautiful and fragile, a victim of its own success, perhaps. The Serenissima draws crowds, especially during events like the Carnival.
Despite its age, Venice has much to offer, thanks to its incredibly rich heritage.
It’s no coincidence that it’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you're visiting Venice for the first time, the one piece of advice I’d give is to prepare your trip at least a little , the city has a unique and unusual way of functioning.
Personally, I checked out this site among others : https://www.veneziaunica.it/fr
Arrival at Marco Polo Airport on February 14th
for the Carnival, of course, but I also had other plans for this week-long stay.
There are several ways to reach Venice from the airport, but it’s best to choose based on where you're staying.
Since my accommodation was just a 6-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square, I opted for the ALILAGUNA Blue Line, which serves that area.
The ticket costs €15 and can be quite enjoyable in good weather.
The photos shown here were taken during the ride.
These sites can help you decide:
https://actv.avmspa.it (vaporetto)
I arrive in the afternoon at San Marco Giardinetti, that’s my stop.
Now I just have to find the hotel. Not so easy when you don’t know the area, and I pass other tourists like me, phones in hand, trying to find their way. It’s true that once you’ve passed St. Mark’s Square, the tone is quickly set…
Lots of small streets and alleys that look alike, and you end up going in circles a bit but don’t worry, you get used to it quickly.
Once I’ve checked in, I head back to the square with my camera, leaving my suitcase untouched for now, it can wait.
There’s plenty to see in Venice beyond the Carnival, but it all depends on how long you’re staying, what you’re drawn to, and what you’re hoping for.
You might have to make some choices.
1-Piazza San Marco
Scouting and first photos.
There’s an entrance fee for the Basilica, the Campanile, and the Doge’s Palace.
Queues are long throughout the day, especially for the Basilica.
It’s possible to book your ticket online to get in faster.
Lines can also form for the Campanile and the Doge’s Palace, though generally to a lesser extent.
2-Il Carnevale
It will take up a good part of your time.
The square is a strategic location during the carnival, where you will find the largest concentration of people in costume, but you will also see them in other squares or sometimes come across them on street corner.
This year's theme: the zodiac and the four elements: earth, air, fire and water.
They "wander" around all day, but it’s not uncommon to come across them even after nightfall.
3-Isole della Laguna
The weather forecast predicts a change for the worse.
So I decide to move my visit to the islands forward by a day.
You can choose a guided tour, there are plenty of options, but the visit is time-limited (a common complaint among tourists, by the way).
Personally, I didn’t go for that option, wanting to make the most of the visit and the good weather.
MURANO :
To get there, you first need to reach the Fundamente Nove vaporetto stop.
A bit of history:
In 1201, the Venetian Senate issued a decree requiring glassmakers to move their furnaces to the island of Murano. Numerous fires had broken out in Venice due to the glass furnaces, and locals were concerned about the risk to their wooden houses. Thus, the glassmakers of Venice were forced to transfer their furnaces and workshops to Murano, which later became famous for the talent of its artisans. Each glass factory still fiercely guards its secrets, passed down from father to son.
BURANO:
To get there from Murano, take the vaporetto from the Faro stop.
During peak times, there may be a wait, so patience is key but this island is not to be missed. Without a doubt, it's the most beautiful in the lagoon.
A bit of history: The island of Burano was founded by merchants and fishermen from the Roman city of Altino, who sought refuge here to escape barbarian invasions.
To recognize their homes during the thick winter fog, fishermen’s wives painted the walls in bright colors.
Even today, residents are required to repaint them every year.
The island is also renowned for its needle lace, made using a unique technique called Punta in aria.
4-Peggy Guggenheim Foundation
A bit of history
Peggy Guggenheim, heiress to a powerful American family and passionate about art, created one of the most important collections in the world. And what a collection!
After traveling the world, meeting some of the greatest artists of the international contemporary scene, and founding early museums in London and New York, Guggenheim fell in love with Venice.
At the end of World War II, she decided to settle there.
In 1948, she purchased Palazzo Venier, which became both her private residence and the place where she could preserve and exhibit part of her immense collection of paintings. Until her death in 1979, the house-museum was open to the public free of charge, by her own will, allowing everyone to enjoy the beauty of art, from Cubism to Surrealism, American Modernism to Italian Futurism, Expressionism to Abstract Art.
Upon her death, she bequeathed the museum to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York, and her ashes were buried in a quiet corner of the garden.
These are a few of the pieces I saw during my visit.
5-Ca'Pesaro
The municipal collection of modern art in Venice began in 1897, alongside the second edition of the Biennale.
In 1902, the City of Venice designated Ca’ Pesaro, a prestigious Baroque palace recently donated to the city by Duchess Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa , as the permanent home of the International Gallery of Modern Art.
To get there, take vaporetto line 1 and get off at the San Stae stop.
Here are some of the works from Ca’ Pesaro.
The upper floor of Ca’ Pesaro Palace is home to the Museum of Oriental Art in Venice.
It houses an impressive collection of objects brought back by explorer Henri de Bourbon, Count of Bardi, during his travels in Asia.
From 1887 to 1889, he spent extended periods in Japan, Indonesia, and China.
The first room sets a shogun-like atmosphere, with Japanese armor and a striking array of spears and swords.
6-Walks around the city
These walks will allow you to discover new perspectives of the city, watch a craftsman create a traditional mask, admire masterpieces by glassmakers displayed in shop windows (there are a few in Venice), enjoy a gondola ride, and of course, indulge in a gelato, simply divine.
7-La galleria dell'Accademia
Smaller than the one in Florence, it nonetheless houses the world’s most important collection of Venetian paintings, dating from the 14th to the 18th century.
Rooms XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, and XXIII are currently closed to the public until August 27, 2023.
Among the featured artists are Tintoretto, Antonio Canova, Francesco Hayez, Giorgione, Vasari, and others.
8-Museo Storico Navale
While strolling through the Arsenale district, one cannot miss this museum, which belongs to the Italian Navy.
It traces the maritime history of Venice through an impressive collection of ship models, including the Bucentaur, the ceremonial vessel of the Doges, wooden parts from galleys, pieces from galleons, and ancient navigation instruments.
Also worth noting is the beautiful shell collection.
A must-see for enthusiasts or simply the curious.
My trip is coming to an end, but having seen only a fraction of Venice, it's likely that I'll return.
I conclude this travelogue with these two charming ladies, met one morning on an almost deserted Piazza San Marco. Despite the thick fog, they posed with enthusiasm for this photo.
That’s the spirit of Carnival, a shared joy.