Travel guide Venice

Caused by natural circumstances,acqua alta regularly flooded Venice. These tides, considered picturesque by tourists, had become more frequent, to the point of worrying residents. This led to the activation of MOSE in 2020, a system of barriers protecting the city after the exceptional tide of November 2019.

Proud of its past and its architectural masterpieces, Venice also knows how to appreciate the world around it. The Pinault and Guggenheim collections and other galleries illustrate the city's passion for contemporary art. Not to mention the Biennale which, every two years, focuses all attention on the latest trends.

Boats of all kinds criss-cross the Venetian canals: firemen, ambulances, taxis, rubbish bins, but also vaporetti, gondolas, reefer boats for transporting fruit and vegetables. Whether you travel by gondola, taxi or vaporetto, you'll have to adapt to the slow, deliciously slow Venetian rhythm anyway

Every year, Venice invites the whole world to its mythical carnival. Along its calli and campi, parades, fireworks and entertainment follow one another. The palaces and public places come alive in an atmosphere that, although less authentic today than in the 18th century, remains spontaneous and jovial.

Calli (from the Latin, callis, street) were the name given to the narrow and tortuous passages between the houses in Venice, where usually the main access to the buildings was through the canals. A term that has since entered common parlance to designate the long(calle lunga) or short(calletta) streets that sculpt the local urban landscape.

These tapas, made of slices of bread filled with fish, seafood, cheese, cold cuts, vegetables and other ingredients, are the essential appetizers that accompany any self-respecting aperitif in Venice. Cicchetti can be enjoyed at the counter of a bacaro or sitting along a beautiful canal with a glass of spritz or prosecco in hand.

In Veneto, the image of the winged lion is certainly the most frequently seen. A symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, it can be found on the city's flag and many of its monuments. He is also depicted with theGospel open, bearing the Latin inscription "Paix à toi, Marc, mon évangélisateur" ( "Peace to you, Mark, my evangelizer").

A Venetian icon, the mask has been part of the daily life of Venetians since the 17th century. Used as a disguise during festivals, but also as a subtle way to hide one's identity outside the carnival period, this object comes in a variety of shapes and colors. Handmade, made of papier-mâché, it is impossible to leave without buying one!

Palazzi means "palace"in the singular. You'll find a plethora of them in Venice and the Veneto region. They represent a variety of architectural styles and periods. They once belonged to local noble families. Most have since been transformed into museums, boutique hotels or chic restaurants.

Venice is said to have some 415 bridges: wooden, stone, iron, etc. There are famous structures such as the majestic Rialto Bridge, the mysterious Bridge of Sighs or the astonishing Ponte Chiodo, delivered without railings... Elsewhere in Veneto, bridges are also used as scenery, as is the case for the sublime Ponte Pietra in Verona.

Called Prosecco di Conegliano or Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, depending on the commune of origin, it is sometimes a very fruity dry wine and sometimes a sparkling wine which then belongs to the spumante family. Prosecco comes from the Veneto region and is mainly grown on the hills of the province of Treviso. Come on, let's toast without further ado! Salute!

With eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Veneto is one of the most valued regions in Italy. It is home to places renowned for their artistic and/or environmental heritage: Venice and its lagoon, Vicenza and its villas, the Dolomite massif, the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, to name but a few.