VENICE HIGHLIGHTS TOUR

Piazza San Marco is the very heart of Venice and it has been its civic forum during centuries.
 The broad space, the largest in town encompasses the most important buildings including St. Mark's Church and the Doge's Palace. 

The first one was built in the 9th century as a burial chapel to host the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist and rebuilt later in the shape of a Byzantine temple to become the national church of all Venetians.


 The second was in its origin a Byzantine military garrison transformed in the seat of the Duke of Venice until reaching the present shape to also host the seat of the Venetian government and the supreme court of Justice.
 A massive building to be the general prison was added and connected to the palace by the bridge of Sighs. Visiting these two impressive building you will be introduced to the origins of Venice, its main historical events, its institutions and its art and architecture.

Duration 3 hrs

VENICE WALK & BOAT ORIENTATION TOUR

From anywhere on Venice island the tour starts with a panoramic boat ride to better discover this unique city. Venice is on the water and this will give you the chance to better understand how life goes on here: on the Grand Canal and on some minor canals.

After the boat tour we will explore together a lesser known and mainly residential part of Venice where you will learn about Venice origin and daily life.

We will pass by the Rialto area, commercial hub of Venice in the past.

We will then reach St. Mark's square that was for centuries the civic forum of Venice and encompasses the most important buildings in town: St Mark's Cathedral, the Doge's palace, the Clock tower, the Bell tower and the Bridge of Sighs.

At the end of the tour, I will drop you off at the agreed location and will give you all the indications to go back to your place

Duration 3 hrs

PRIVATE BOAT TOUR TO MURANO, BURANO & TORCELLO

Discover the secrets of Venetian Lagoon by private boat.

The islands of the northern lagoon were the first settlement chosen by the people living on the mainland even before Venice was founded.

Murano is the first island visited during the tour. Originally known as a holiday resort for Venetian noble families, Murano was chosen by the government in 1291 to be the place where to concentrate the glass blowing production to avoid the too many fires caused in town by the furnaces.

Burano is like a fairy tale village with its multi-colored houses. Being a fishermen island, houses were painted in unusual colors using the same color of the boats and fishermen could easily find the way back home in the mist of the lagoon. This island is incredibly famous for the lace production and delicious local cookies!

Last island is the enchanting Torcello nowadays almost abandoned during the winter season but houses the most ancient church of the Venetian lagoon dating back to 639 AD.

 

Duration 4 hrs or more


JEWISH GHETTO
PRIVATE WALKING TOUR

Have you ever thought that the world's oldest ghetto and formerly the highest "skyscrapers" in Europe can be found in Venice!

The Jewish Ghetto in Venice is in the Cannaregio district, a nice residential area in the northern part of the city.

You'll be aware of the historic Jewish influence the minute you enter this area as you will see yellow signs in Hebrew and Italian directing you to the Synagogue.

This charming Ghetto is teeming with artisan workshops, galleries, delis and is best explored at a leisurely pace. Duration 2 hrs (3 hrs if we add fees to enter Synagogues)


THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a must-see spot for art fans visiting Venice. Get in to see the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, see the masterpieces and walk through the Grand Canal palazzo where Peggy Guggenheim once lived. 
Be ready to discover symbols, details, stories, curiosities and technique of the masterpieces and Peggy's life. The museum presents Peggy Guggenheim's personal collection with artworks by the most important avantgarde European artists such as Picasso, Braque, Max Ernst, Miro' and Magritte together with American abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock discovered by Peggy herself.

Duration 2 hrs

EAT & DRINK LIKE A VENETIAN

I will show you how we celebrate our favorite daily "ritual": APERITIF!

Around the market area there is so much to see! Learn about our local products and the fresh fish of our lagoon.

A visit to the market strolling around all the different sections (dairy, meat, vegetable, and fish) is then followed by a super-fast gondola ride to go across the Grand Canal like a real Venetian!

This is an occasion to live like a local and discover our traditions and our culinary habits.

Cicchetti, the equivalent of the Spanish tapas, were created centuries ago to accompany our good local wines and served in the many taverns around the market area: an authentic delicatessen!

The end of the tour can be sweet. . . everyone loves gelato!

The fish market is open from Tuesday to Saturday till 01. 30 pm.

Duration 2 hrs or more


CASANOVA'S LIFE AND ADVENTURES

Treat yourself with an unusual tour , an original itinerary retracing the steps of one of the most famous member of the Most Serene Republic: Mr Giacomo Casanova!

Learn about his life and adventures where they actually took place and, at the same time, discover the habits and traditions of 18th century Venice on an exciting walking tour.

Among the characters that populate the history of Venice, Casanova is definitely the most famous . . . The star of countless love affairs, traveling through Europe of the Enlightenment, spy on behalf of the Republic and untiring writer: Casanova certainly marked his era, becoming a symbol of the Venetian XVIII century tied to the greatest glory of the Venetian Republic, but also to its worst vices and transgressions . . . and the century of moral decay, heralding the end of its long history.

Duration 2h30

CA’ REZZONICO 
A must-see magnificent attraction

You cannot miss this Venetian Baroque palace if you wish to understand how a noble family lived in the 18th C. 

The Rezzonico Palace on the Grand Canal was a private home up to 1935 (Robert Browning died here) and still retains several original frescoed ceilings, especially impressive in the ballroom. 

Now a museum that gives the feeling of a house of the 18th C., it displays paintings by Canaletto, Guardi, Longhi, pastels by Carriera, extravagant wooden sculptures by Brustolon, Rococo’ pieces of furniture, German Meißen and Venetian porcelain, and last but not least colorful Murano glass chandeliers and etched mirrors, all in an exceptional restored setting as the museum was reopened only 2001 after decades of restoration.

Duration 2 hrs     


OLD & MODERN ARCHITECTURE ON GIUDECCA ISLAND 

People often think that Venice is a city where architectural development has stopped with the fall of the Republic; a city that has not been touched by modernity. On the contrary, throughout the 19th and 20th century, there have been intensive debates on new urban plans that would help to develop the economy; thousands of buildings were pulled down and reconstructed with a modern design. In particular, the Giudecca island, where in the past there were many orchards, gardens, and monasteries and was not as densely populated as Venice, was the place where the major industrial changes occurred. Breweries, shipyards, chemical factories, the Junghans watch factory, and the huge Mulino Stucky (a former mill) changed the physiognomy of the island. A walk on the Giudecca reveals all these layers: the traditional architecture, the industrial transformations of the 19th century and how famous modern architects, including Aldo Rossi, Alvaro Siza, Gino Valle, and Cino Zucchi, transformed former industrial areas into contemporary buildings that nevertheless remain in synergy with the island’s traditional architecture.

Duration 3 hrs.

THE BLACK PLAGUE AND SAN ROCCO'S GUILD 

In time of Pandemic, you will be probably surprised to discover that nowadays restrictions to face the spread of Covid -19 are similar to those invented by the government of the Venetian Republic to fight the Black plague.

 What was plague; where did it come from?

 On the basis of a 14th-century chronicle, the Black Death is widely believed to have reached Europe from the Crimea as the result of a biological warfare attack.

 Not only restrictions like social distancing or masks were used but worship as well.

Faith was a powerful way to fight the disease.

 One of the Saints worshipped to fight the Plague was Saint Roch from Montepellier to whom Venetians erected a church and a Brotherhood after his relics were smuggled to Venice in 1485.

 Located in San Polo district Saint Roch guild is a building housing one of the most imposing cycles of paintings from one single artist in Venice: Jacopo Tintoretto.

 It is a unique site, where over 60 paintings are preserved in their original setting in a building that has hardly undergone any alteration since its construction.

Duration 2h30

MOCENIGO PALACE AND PERFUME MUSEUM

The last Mocenigo generously left in 1954 his private home to the city. The Mocenigo Palace in the district of Santa Croce provides the visitor an idea of the interior of a palace in Venice with frescoed ceilings, Venetian glass chandeliers and terrazzo floors. It is the seat of the museum of textiles and costumes and offers a new itinerary dedicated to the history of perfume and fragrances at the time of la Serenissima. 
Duration 2 hrs

THE SECRET TRAILS OF THE DOGE’S PALACE, BRIDGE OF SIGHS & PRISONS 

We will explore the secret part of the Doge’s palace. 
From the humid cells on the ground floor named ‘wells’ we walk up – many steep steps – in narrow passageways to the plain room of the Great Chancellor in charge of the administration, to the Upper Chancellery where all papers were kept and over to the Torture Chamber. 

 Then we reach the small prisons under the roof named ‘leads’: the first cell where Giacomo Casanova was imprisoned 1755 and the second one from where he escaped in an incredible way! Decades later he wrote a book about his successful flight; it become a best seller.

We tour then the classical late Renaissance rooms of the Doge’s Palace, cross the Bridge of Sighs and reach the so called New Prisons.

Duration  2h30

Any tour can be arranged, and tailor made to better suit your needs and taste.

It is possible to put together multiple itineraries and activities

Discounts for small groups (max 8 people - kids 0-6 Free)

Contact me for more info.

All the clients will be covered by AXA TRAVEL INSURANCE  NUM. 405284154