WHY VENICE?

Very rarely and unexpectedly, the place you are seeing for the first time is just like you always imagined it. In Venice, this works for me every time I visit. And I have visited many times since 1995. This city is pure magic. Of all the places in the world, Venice is where I wish to live. And if and when I do, I won’t need to go anywhere else.

Fondaco dei Tedeschi: Warehouse to shopping mall

Built as the accommodation for German merchants, the Grand Canal edifice of Fondaco dei Tedeschi near the Rialto Bridge has also been a customs hall and a post office before becoming a department store.

Florentine drawing or Venetian colour?

In Renaissance painting, in contrast to Florentine disegno, where “drawing” best approximates nature, stands Venetian colorito where “colour” and its judicious application best captures life. How do they compare?

Chairman Mao in Venice, courtesy of Erró

Venice sure gets its fair share of visitors, including some famous oddballs, but Chairman Mao is bound to take the cake. His stroll across the Piazza San Marco is imaginary and part of Erró’s Chinese Paintings from the 1970s.

In Venice, an epidemic is an old (plague doctor’s) hat

To visitors of Venice and Venetians alike, the measures against the coronavirus outbreak should ring a bell or two. During the historic outbreaks of plague, quarantine, fumigation and social distancing were the norm.

Fra Mauro: Venice’s genius mapmaker

Famous for his cartographic skills, Venetian monk Fra Mauro took advantage of Venice’s international traffic to create what cartography experts now say may be the first modern world map, complete with surprising accuracy.

Hi and welcome!

I’m Roman and I do the travelling, antiquing, writing and photography around here. In the travel department, to date I’ve been to 98 countries and am planning to visit all others. I always aim for the authentic travel experience.

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