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Handicraft
Discover the ten itineraries involving Venice city centre and the islands, chosen for you by Discovering Artigianato. The idea is due to the partnership between Venica Unica and Confartigianato Imprese Veneto (Confederation of Venetian artisans and entrepreneurs). It will help you appreciate a unique territory and the hundreds of artisan firms that bring it to life every day.
A real plunge into a Venice that is very sincere, still alive and fascinating today! An 'artisan' Venice that historically depended on its fame for quality production, and which today, still offers the visitor a vision of authentic daily life, only a short distance from the more “frenetic” tourist spots.
ITINERARIES
Art and handicraft in a true Venice
The district (Sestiere) of Cannaregio is one of the largest in Venice. The walk we are proposing today will bring you to the so-called "high" zone, which borders with the districts of Castello and San Marco. From the Fondamente Nove it is possible to admire the enchanting lagoon surrounding the island of San Michele (a monumental cemetery in which many famous people rest) as well as the island of Murano. Rich in history, this area is a cradle of tradition, culture and craft. It has remained untouched by mass tourism and for this reason it shows a special perspective of the true Venetian lifestyle. The streets (called calli if internal or fondamenta if along a canal) offer visitors moments of silence and a special familiar atmosphere. Although close to the Strada Nova (the main artery linking the railway and the centre), and to the more famous and frequented routes to Rialto and San Marco, here you can savour a Venice of almost another era, where around every corner an exciting view awaits, where people are friendly and kind, where the art of handicraft always keeps up to date while remaining as unique and passionate as always.
We recommend:
Museums of the Islands - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Glass Museum - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Museum Querini Stampalia Foundation - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Chorus Pass - Admission to the 13 Churches of the Chorus Circuit - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
ACTV Public Transport in Venice, islands and mainland (vaporetto and bus) 1 way / 1 day / 2 days / 3 days / 7 days
San Marco in Venice: the most beautiful “parlour” in the world
The district (Sestiere) of San Marco is often called the heart of Venice: it is the smallest district by extension but it encompasses the political and religious centre of the historic city. Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) is certainly the pulsating core of this district, rightly deserving the definition of 'the finest parlour in the world': this square has always been the centre of Venetian life, with its famous cafés and atmosphere enlivened by music, diverse ethnic groups and colours during the day and magical silences at night. The square is part of Venice’s original nucleus (together with San Pietro di Castello and Rialto) and has traditionally been inhabited, as well as the entire district, mainly by the aristocracy. It consists of an artistic complex of buildings, although, according to chronicles, St. Mark's Square was paved in terracotta for the first time in 1267 (earlier it was an orchard, a grass field with trees, separated from the churchyard of the church of San Marco by a small channel). Fascinating and picturesque streets surround Piazza San Marco, so rich in history and tradition, in which you can find precious craftsmen workshops that still populate them.
We recommend:
Venezia Unica City Pass - Version ADULT/JUNIOR/SENIOR
St. Mark's Square Museums - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Audioguided Tour of the Teatro La Fenice - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Museum Querini Stampalia Foundation - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Chorus Pass - Admission to the 13 Churches of the Chorus Circuit - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
ACTV Public Transport in Venice, islands and mainland (vaporetto and bus) 1 way / 1 day / 2 days / 3 days / 7 days
Venice and Art, across the Grand Canal
A walk from Punta della Dogana to Ponte di Rialto, passing across Ponte dell'Accademia, will completely encompass you with art, colours and the unique sensations offered by the elegant city of Venice.
You will cross, almost lost in a timeless bubble, the Sestieri (districts) of Dorsoduro and San Marco. The first extends into the southern part of the city and starts precisely from the Punta della Dogana, which is part of the Bacino di San Marco. The 'Dogana da mar' (sea customs) of the Republic of Venice was built in the seventeenth century and consists of many warehouses behind the facade. It ends with a square tower, above which bronze statues support the golden ball on which Fortune stands, a work of Bernardo Falcone. The name Dorsoduro probably derives from the mounds (dossi), that probably existed once in that area. You will pass through one of the most exclusive areas of the city, which is home to places of art like no other, many valuable craftsmen workshops and also rare examples of modern residential Venetian architecture. After crossing the Ponte dell'Accademia (one of the four bridges serving the Grand Canal), you will arrive at San Marco, the smallest district by extension, but that encompasses the political and religious heart of the city. During this walk you will discover the real reason why Venice is rightly considered one of the most famous and sought-after art cities in the world... and why art objects designed and produced here are so unique and inimitable (and, who knows, perhaps you can bring one home).
We recommend:
Venezia Unica City Pass - Version ADULT/JUNIOR/SENIOR
Peggy Guggenheim Collection - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Chorus Pass - Admission to the 13 Churches of the Chorus Circuit - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
ACTV Public Transport in Venice, islands and mainland (vaporetto and bus) 1 way / 1 day / 2 days / 3 days / 7 days
Magical Venice, yesterday and today
Let's discover an antique and lively Venice, a part of the town that acts as a filter between its two greatest districts (Sestieri), Cannaregio and Castello. The name of the first probably derives from the Canal Regio (Royal Canal), name given to the canal that runs through the district from San Giobbe to San Geremia and links the lagoon with the Grand Canal. That is a fascinating interpretation but more likely the name comes from the alteration of the ancient Cannarecium, a place where reeds (canne) grew in large quantities. The train station of Saint Lucia, as it was built on the area of a church with that name (then suppressed by the Napoleonic edicts of 1806), has the number 1 of the district. The second, the Castello district, was one of the first inhabited areas of the city (V-VI century); it takes its name from the castle that once stood there, with the function of defence against attacks from the sea. In the Castello district stands the impressive Arsenale building, for centuries the largest factory in the world. Both districts, perhaps because they are still far away from the main tourist streams, maintain the "Venetian way of life" typical of past times, and offer the attentive visitor fascinating and unforgettable stories and sensations. What we propose is a magical journey that will make you protagonists of the discovery of unexpected views, lights, flavours and sounds, true sensations, accompanied by the craftsmen who continue traditions handed down from generation to generation ... and you will really feel like time has never passed!
We recommend:
Venezia Unica City Pass - Version ADULT/JUNIOR/SENIOR
St. Mark's Square Museums - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Museum Querini Stampalia Foundation - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Chorus Pass - Admission to the 13 Churches of the Chorus Circuit - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Audioguided Tour of the Teatro La Fenice - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
ACTV Public Transport in Venice, islands and mainland (vaporetto and bus) 1 way / 1 day / 2 days / 3 days / 7 days
The secret heart of Venice
Lose yourself in the silent and magic heart of Venice.
The district (sestiere) of Santa Croce is the smallest of the lagoon city. It is the only one that can be reached by car (parking is in Piazzale Roma) and is directly connected to the mainland by the bridge Ponte della Libertà.
Two of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal are here: the new Ponte della Costituzione (Constitution Bridge, opened to pedestrian traffic in 2008), also known as the Calatrava bridge (it was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava) and the Ponte degli Scalzi.
The name of this district comes from the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, a part of which was kept in a church that was then demolished by Napoleon.
In this area of the city you can find signs of the past (with several monuments, museums and churches), but also the marks of the present time: this part of the city is the one that has in fact undergone the most changes during the twentieth century, because of the construction of the bridge that connects Venice to the mainland, the construction of the Cruise Terminal, the recent Constitution Bridge and the People Mover, that connects Tronchetto Island to Piazzale Roma (operational since April 19th, 2010).
Aside from these contemporary manifestations, we suggest you lose yourself in the small and enchanting streets (calli), so rich in stories and curiosities, where many artisans' shops still enrich the fabric of the city.
We recommend:
Venezia Unica City Pass - Version ADULT/JUNIOR/SENIOR
Museum Pass - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
Chorus Pass - Admission to the 13 Churches of the Chorus Circuit - Ticket FULL/REDUCED
AVM - People Mover - One way Ticket
ACTV Public Transport in Venice, islands and mainland (vaporetto and bus) 1 way / 1 day / 2 days / 3 days / 7 days
