Italy
Venice and its Lagoon
Venice and its Lagoon is a unique achievement of art, architecture and struggle against the elements.
The old historical centre of the city is situated on 118 islands of the Venetian Lagoon, crisscrossed by more than 150 canals and 400 bridges. Most of its monumental heritage dates from the time when the Republic of Venice was a major Mediterranean maritime power. Their influence reached as far as Asia Minor and Egypt, and its great painters inspired art in the whole of Europe.
Community Perspective: “Very, very crowded, the streets are a complete maze, and when there´s acqua alta (and that´s frequently), you wouldn´t want to be there without boots”, but still all reviewers find it captivating and truly wonderful.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Venice and its Lagoon (ID: 394)
- Country
- Italy
- Status
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Inscribed 1987
Site history
History of Venice and its Lagoon
- 1987: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- i
- ii
- iii
- iv
- v
- vi
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- carnevale.venezia.it — Carnevale di Venezia
- museoebraico.it — Historical synagogues at the ghetto
- cadoro.org — Ca' d'Oro
- carlogoldoni.visitmuve.it — Casa di Carlo Goldoni
- palazzoducale.visitmuve.it — Palazzo Ducale
- guardian.co.uk — Gardens of Venice
- basilicasanmarco.it — Saint Mark's Basilica
- visitvenezia.eu — VisitVenezia
News Article
- Dec. 31, 2023 bbc.com — Venice to ban large tourist groups and loudspeakers
- Sept. 15, 2023 reuters.com — Venice avoids being added to UNESCO list of endangered sites
- Aug. 1, 2023 theguardian.com — Unesco recommends putting Venice on heritage danger list
- Aug. 23, 2021 bloomberg.com — Venice Set to Charge Tourists for Entry From Next Summer
- July 14, 2021 theguardian.com — Italy bans cruise ships from Venice lagoon after Unesco threat
- April 10, 2021 theartnewspaper.com — After long complaints about pollution and blocked views, Italy bans cruise ships in Venice’s historic centre
- Nov. 14, 2019 bbc.com — Venice floods: The historic sites affected
- Feb. 6, 2019 telegraph.co.uk — Venice tourist tax to be introduced in May but criticised by Italian minister as 'useless and damaging'
- Nov. 12, 2018 telegraph.co.uk — St Mark's Basilica calls for help to save mosaic floor after Venice flood causes '20 years of damage in a day'
- April 29, 2018 dw.com — Venice installs turnstiles to limit massive tourist flow
- Nov. 8, 2017 maritime-executive.com — Italy Restricts Cruise Ship Traffic in Venice
- Dec. 23, 2015 telegraph.co.uk — Mass tourism is jeopardising our city's future which is under threat, Venetians tell UNESCO
- July 16, 2015 traveller24.news24.com — Venice may restrict tourist access
- Nov. 12, 2014 artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com — Jewish Museum and Synagogues in Venice to Undergo $12 Million Restoration
- Dec. 2, 2011 straitstimes.com — Venice's Bridge of Sighs restored to former glory
- Dec. 2, 2008 edition.cnn.com — Parts of Venice neck deep in flood water
- May 2, 2008 theage.com.au — The sale and distribution of grain to feed the pigeons is now banned
Community Information
- Community Category
- Urban landscape: Urban continuity
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
Recent Connections
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Odoric of Pordenone
"Sometime after 1318, Odoric left Venic…
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Perfect Inscriptions
1987 -
Griffins
Several at St. Mark's Basilica (facade …
Connections of Venice and its Lagoon
- Individual People
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Giacomo Casanova
Born in Venice in 1725 -
Odoric of Pordenone
"Sometime after 1318, Odoric left Venice to begin his multi-year journey across Asia." (wiki)
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Peter Paul Rubens
Madonna with Child, in the baroque church Santa Maria del Giglio. -
Gae Aulenti
Aulenti restored the Palazzo Grassi as an art museum.See en.wikipedia.org
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Donatello
The Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari holds a figure of St. John the Baptist by Donatello in the first south choir chapel.See en.wikipedia.org
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Goethe
Italian Journey -
Attila the Hun
In 452 AD Attila attacked and destroyed the city of Altinum. It is said that refugees settled on islands further into the lagoon (particularly Torcello and Burano) "forming settlements that eventually became known as Venice". The site of Altinum appears also to be just inside the inscribed boundaries of Veince NE of Marco Polo airport. See the UNESCO site for the boundaries and here for Altinum: -
Galileo Galilei
1593 became external consultant to the Arsenal visiting it and advising on matters of propulsion, materials and ballistics. His work there stimulated his development of the science of Mechanics -
David Chipperfield
San Michele Cemetery Extension (1998-13)See www.archiweb.cz
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Lord Byron
Lengthy visits in 1816 and 1818 writing several poems about the city. Learned Armenian at the monastery on San Lazzaro degli Armeni. -
Sculpted by Canova
Canova's own heart was interred in a marble pyramid he designed as a mausoleum for the painter Titian in the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, now a monument to the sculptor.See en.wikipedia.org
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Marco Polo
Born and returned there -
Richard Wagner
Having been exiled from Dresden in 1849, Wagner first lived in Zurich before moving to Venice for 6 months in 1859. There he rented part of the Palazzo Giustinian ("a palace in Venice, northern Italy, situated in the Dorsoduro district and overlooking the Grand Canal next to Ca' Foscari. It is among the best examples of the late Venetian Gothic" Wiki). and wrote Act 2 of Tristan and Isolde there. In later life Wagner stayed in Venice a further 5 times - in Sept 1882 he rented another palace, the Ca' Vendramin Calerg,. and lived there with his wife, 4 children and retinue until his death there in Feb 1883. "The Wagner Museum (Museo Wagner) opened at the palace in February 1995. It holds the Josef Lienhart Collection of rare documents, musical scores, signed letters, paintings, records, and other heirlooms. The holdings constitute the largest private collection dedicated to Wagner outside of Bayreuth The museum is open to the public on Saturday mornings by appointment." -
Ernest Hemingway
Wrote and visited "Harry's Bar in Venice" -
Painted by Claude Monet
In 1908, Monet visited Venice and made several paintings of the city, depicting, among others, the Doge's Palace and the Grand Canal. -
Leonardo da Vinci
Fled there in 1499 -
Giosafat Barbaro
Barbaro was born in Venice and was a member of the Venetian Barbaro family. He became a member of the Venetian Senate in 1431. -
King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
(14-17 May) met Prince Thomas of Savoie, Duke of Genoa -
Elias Burton Holmes
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Painted by JMW Turner
S. Giorgio Maggiore, Looking east from the Giudecca 1819, View of a cross-canal near the Arsenal 1840 etc.
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- Geography
- Trivia
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Built or owned by Germans
The Fondaco dei Tedeschi ("The Germans' Inn") was the headquarters and restricted living quarters of the German merchant population in Venice -
In Video Games
Assassin's Creed II – St Mark's Cathedral, St Mark's Square; Painkiller (2004); Moebius: Empire Rising; Civilization VI: Venetian Arsenal -
Buildable in Lego
Venice skyline (212 pieces)See shop.lego.com
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WHS inspiring "Classical Music"
"La Lugubre Gondola" by Franz Liszt (1882). "Liszt’s idea for the work came from seeing the funeral processions on Venice’s Grand Canal from his window at the Palazzo Vendramin, where he stayed as Richard Wagner’s guest during the winter of 1882/83". &: "Death in Venice" by Benjamin Britten "Britten.........found that Venice was one of the few places outside Suffolk where he could compose, and which actively fuelled his creativity. In 1971, the idea was brewing in his mind, he took a holiday in Venice and opened his ears to the sounds the city made. The bells of St Mark’s find their way into the score, as do the cries of the gondoliers. Unusually, he kept a sketchbook of melodies and ideas dating from this trip, and which clearly feeds much of the significant material of the opera." (Work of the Week 40. Death in Venice | Britten Pears Arts) -
Tobu World Square
Basilica San Marco -
Replica in Mini-Europe
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Hotels in Historic Buildings
Gritti Palace - Situated on the Grand Canal it was built in 1525 as a residence of the Doge - now owned/run by Starwood hotels -
Replica in Epcot
St Mark's square -
Replicas in Las Vegas
Rialto Bridge and (indoors!) the Piazza San Marco at the "Venetian Hotel/Resort" -
Depicted in the Ravensburger World Wide Series
View from a Canal and Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the Venice edition -
Depicted in Mizielinska Maps
Palazzo Ducale?See i.pinimg.com
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Opera
Death in Venice - Britten -
Built elsewhere as a full size replica
Chinese start building a replica of Venice near Tianjin -
Cultural sites taking up an entire island
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On Euro coins
Commemorative 2 euro coin Italy 2017 -
One million visitors or more
Palazzo Ducale: draws around 1.4 million visitors annually (2023) // 1.276.127 (2015) -
Reportedly haunted locations
Poveglia: "This island, near Venice, was once a sanctuary to refugees during the Ottoman conflicts, and a hospice for sick patients throughout the centuries. It was detailed, from witnesses, haunted by many victims of the plague." (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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- History
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The Tetrarchy
Statue "The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs". On the Facade of San Marco.. Plundered from Constantinople in 1204 when it was sacked during the 4th Crusade -
Byzantine Empire and Civilization
Byzantine territory, "a lonely and increasingly autonomous Byzantine outpost" (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Republic of Venice
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Silk Roads
Maritime Silk Road; "Venetian merchants of this era established links that reached as far as the Mongol Empire and Persia, as well as Armenia, the Caucasus and Asia Minor, spanning many branches of the historic Silk Roads." (Silk Roads Programme)See en.unesco.org
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Located in a Former Capital
Republic 9th century -1797 -
Historic Resorts
Lido Island: "In 1857, the first sea bathing facility was set up. This was the first time that anything like it had been seen in Europe and soon, the lido became "The Lido", a byword for a beach resort. The Lido's success and the fascination of Venice nearby made the Lido famous worldwide ....Major beach facilities, hotels and private summer villas have remained the heart of an island that is still known as the "Golden Island" (Wiki) -
Contains significant structures from the 21st Century
San Michele Cemetery (2007)
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- Architecture
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Spolia
Basilica San Marco: Many of these ornamental elements were spolia taken from ancient or Byzantine buildings. Particularly in the period of the Latin Empire (1204–1261), following the Fourth Crusade, the Venetians pillaged the churches, palaces, and public monuments of Constantinople and stripped them of polychrome columns and stones. Once in Venice, some of the columns were sliced for revetmets and patere; others were paired and spread across the façades or used as altars. Despoliation continued in later centuries, notably during the Venetian–Genoese Wars.Venetian sculptors also integrated the spoils with local productions, copying the Byzantine capitals and friezes so effectively that some of their work can only be distinguished with difficulty from the originals. (Wiki) -
Baroque
Many buildings among them Maria della Salute -
Renaissance
Marciana Library, Scuola Grande di San Marco -
Designed by Michele Sanmicheli
Palazzo Duodo, Forts -
Octagons
Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Friari -
Gold Surfaces
St. Mark Cathedral gilded mosaics and facade decorations, Torcello Cathedral mosaics -
Palladio and Palladian style
Redentore Church; San Giorgio Maggiore Church, Cloister and Refectory; Zitelle Church; Facade of San Pietro di Castello Church; San Francesco della Vigna Church; Convent of the Charity; Few Rooms in the Ducal Palace -
Mannerism
Scuola di San Rocco and others -
Mosaic art
San Marco Cathedral, Torcello Cathedral -
Domes
five domes of the St. Mark's basilica -
Cosmatesque
Pavements -
Designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi
Procuratorie Nuove, Church and convent of San Nicola da Tolentino, Palazzo Duodo, Church and hospital of San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti, Facade of San Giorgio Maggiore, Palazzo Contarini degli Scrigni, Palazzo Loredan Vendramin, Biblioteca Marciana (completion) -
Gothic
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Church, Golden House and Doge's Palace -
Wooden architecture
The squeri (shipyards)
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- Damaged
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Islands threatened by inundation
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Napoleonic booty
In April 1797, the French removed the Lion of Saint Mark and famous bronze Horses of Saint Mark (among many other pieces of art).See en.wikipedia.org
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Blown up
St Mark's Campanile (not an explosion, but a destroying implosion) -
Cultural sites damaged by fire since inscription
La Fenice opera house - Jan 1996
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- World Heritage Process
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Extended from original TWHS
Originally only Torcello. -
Inscribed on all 6 Cultural Criteria
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Developed since inscription
Ponte di Calatrava across the Grand Canal (2008) -
Perfect Inscriptions
1987
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- Religion and Belief
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Greek Orthodox churches outside Greece
San Giorgio dei GreciSee en.wikipedia.org
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Religious Relics
Relics of St Mark in the Basilica -
Cathedrals
St Marks, Co-Cath S Pietro di Castello (Olivolo), Bas Cat SM Ass (Torcello) Former Cath -
Jewish religion and culture
Jewish quarter -
Armenian Orthodox Church
Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni -
Servite Order
Chiesa dei ServiSee it.wikipedia.org
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Nunneries
San Zaccaria "The church was originally attached to a Benedictine monastery of nuns also founded by Participazio and various other doges of the family. The nuns of this monastery mostly came from prominent noble families of the city and had a reputation for laxness in their observance of the monastic enclosure." (Wiki) See - -
Jesuit Order
Chiesa dei GesuitiSee it.wikipedia.org
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Franciscan Order
Basilica dei Frari and San Francesco della Vigna -
Dominican Order
Basilica Santi Giovanni e PaoloSee en.wikipedia.org
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Votive churches
Santa Maria della Salute (In 1630, Venice experienced an unusually devastating outbreak of the plague. As a votive offering for the city's deliverance from the pestilence, the Republic of Venice vowed to build and dedicate a church to Our Lady of Health. ), Il Redentore (to thank God for the deliverance of the city from a major outbreak of the plague) (source for both: wiki) -
Anglican churches outside of the Commonwealth
St George's Church: "The current church building in the Campo San Vio was formerly the warehouse for the Venezia-Murano Glass and Mosaic Company. It was built to a design by engineer Luigi Marangoni, with sculptures by Napoleone Martinuzzi and dedicated in 1892"See en.wikipedia.org
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Griffins
Several at St. Mark's Basilica (facade sculpture and mosaic on the floor)See victorianweb.org
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- Human Activity
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Artificial Islands
Several of the smaller islands in the lagoon are artificial e.g Sacca Fisola There is also a development taking place for the cemetery island of San Michele to create a new island alongside it.See www.archiweb.cz
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Frescoes or murals by famous painters
Scuola di San Rocco by Tintoretto, Saint Sebastian's Church by Paolo Veronese -
Museum History
Statuario Pubblico was one of the oldest city museums established by a government for propaganda causes and to educate its people -
Boats
Gondolas -
Armouries
ArsenalSee en.wikipedia.org
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Leprosy
Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni "Lying just off the Lido, San Lazzaro degli Armeni is a small, very green monastery island....(which) served as an asylum in the 12th Century and later became a hospital island for lepers, named after their patron saint Lazarus. The lepers were then transferred to the Ospedale di San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti at Santi Giovanni e Paolo" -
Protective engineering works against flooding
Venice has flooded regularly in storm surges. Plans to protect the city include the "MOSE" project (Inflatable pontoons across the lagoon entrances) -
Festivals
Venice Carnival -
Paintings by Venetian Vedutisti
various -
Historical Graffiti
Piraeus Lion, one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal, with two lengthy runic inscriptions into its shoulders and flanks: "at some point in the 11th century travelling Vikings had carved the runes as a form of graffiti" -
Masks
Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition of Venice. The masks are typically worn during the Carnevale (Carnival of Venice), but have been used on many other occasions in the past, usually as a device for hiding the wearer's identity and social status. (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Grand Tour
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Sea Ports
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Spice Route
Trade hub, selling spices to rest of Europe -
Shipyards
ArsenalSee en.wikipedia.org
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Thanatourist destination
Poveglia: "the walls of the ancient buildings on the island are covered in vines and stained with graffiti left by morbidly curious travellers – known as dark tourists." (see link)
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- Constructions
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Quadriga
"The Horses of St Mark". Dating "from classical antiquity and .. attributed to the 4th century BC Greek sculptor Lysippos" (Wiki). Long displayed in the Hippodrome at Constantinople with the Quadriga to which they were attached, the horses were looted by Venetian forces at the sacking of that city during the 4th Crusade in 1204 and placed on the loggia above the porch of St Mark's Basilica. They were then looted again by Napoleon in 1797 for use on the Arc de Triomph but were returned to St Mark's loggia in 1815 where they remaineduntil the 1980s when they were moved inside and replaced by replicas. SeeSee en.wikipedia.org
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Built on Stilts
"In this coherent ecosystem where the muddy shelves (alternately above and below water level) are as important as the islands, pile-dwellings, fishing villages and rice-fields need to be protected no less than the palazzi and churches." (OUV) - "Those fleeing barbarian invasions who found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Iesolo, and Malamocco, in this coastal lagoon, learned to build by driving closely spaced piles consisting of the trunks of alder trees, a wood noted for its water resistance, into the mud and sand,[52][53] until they reached a much harder layer of compressed clay. Building foundations rested on plates of Istrian limestone placed on top of the piles." (wiki) -
Music Academies
Conservatorio Marcello -
Large squares
Piazza San Marco, 12000 m2 -
Bridges with Buildings on them
Rialto BridgeSee en.wikipedia.org
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Cemeteries
Cemetery Island of San MicheleSee en.wikipedia.org
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Leaning Tower
The Campanile of San Martino church on the island of Burano, the Campanile of San Giorgio dei Greci -
Astronomical clocks
St Mark's -
Historical Cafés
Cafe Florian 1720 -
Prison
Prison at the Doge's Palace -
Notable Hotels
Grand Hotel des Bains, Lido. The actual location where Thomas Mann "got the inspiration" for his novella "Death in Venice" and actually used as the main location in the movie (and as Shepheards in Cairo in "The English Patient"). A significant Palladian/Art Nouveau building from 1900. -
Monumental Columns
Columns of San Marco and San Teodoro - Commemorating the city's 2 patrons - "the winged lion (symbol of Saint Mark) and Saint Theodore (the Byzantine Saint of Amasea), the city’s first protector.". Erected in 1127 having been brought in as spoils of war from an unknown location. -
Hospitals
Hospital complex on Castello -
Loggia
Contarini dal Bovolo Palace -
Equestrian Statues
Bartolomeo Colleone Captain General of the Republic. Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo (By Verrocchio - but he died 1488 before the clay model could be cast) See link for history and issues re location. Victor Emmanuel II (1887) Riva degli SchiavoniSee en.wikipedia.org
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Elevators
Campanile -
Notable Bridges
Rialto Bridge, a single span stone bridge (1591), its design similar to the wooden bridge it succeeded.See en.wikipedia.org
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Clock Tower
Torre dell'Orologio at St. Mark Square: The tower was built during 1496 and 1497 and the mechanism of the clock was then built into it (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Freestanding Bell Tower
St Mark Campanile -
Canals
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Dynastic Burial Places
Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo for the Venetian doges -
Theatres and Opera Houses
La Fenice 1792 -
Ossuary
Isola Sant'Ariano
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- WHS on Other Lists
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World Monuments Watch (past)
Bartolomeo Colleoni Monument (1996), Venice (2014) -
Europa Nostra 7 Most Endangered
2016 -
Pritzker Architecture Prize
La Fenice opera house was rebuilt by architect Aldo Rossi (winner 1990) -
Ramsar Wetlands
Laguna di Venezia: Valle Averto -
Europa Nostra Award
Church of Santa Marta (Diploma 2005), Royal Gardens of Venice (Conservation 2023)
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- Timeline
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Built in the 11th century
St. Mark's: status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century (wiki)
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- WHS Hotspots
- Science and Technology
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Libraries
Biblioteca Marciana; San Lazzaro degli Armeni with its 150000 vol library -
International Exhibitions
Biennale -
Early Printing
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Universities
University Ca' Foscari -
Coronelli globes
Biblioteca Marciana in Venice
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- Literature & Film
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In a Hitchcock movie
Suspicion (1941) -
Location for a classic movie
Venice is the location of "Summertime" (1955) with Katherine Hepburn, directed by David Lean -
Works by Nobel Prize winning authors
Thomas Mann (1929) - Death in Venice -
James Bond in Movies
From Russia with Love (1963), Casino Royale (2006) -
In The Simpsons
“The Italian Bob” (2005); “Take My Life, Please” (2009) -
Featured in the Go Jetters
Series 2: Episode 8: Venice -
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Spider-Man: Far From Home; used as actual location in film, serving as the first stop on a European vacation for Peter Parker and his classmates -
Famous Love Stories
Casanova -
Indiana Jones movie
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -
Mentioned in Moby Dick
"So, too, Venice; I have been there; the holy city of the blessed evangelist, St. Mark!—St. Dominic, purge it!" (p196) -
James Bond in books
Moonraker, Casino Royale -
Shakespearean plays
The Merchant of Venice
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News
- bbc.com 12/31/2023
- Venice to ban large tourist groups…
- reuters.com 09/15/2023
- Venice avoids being added to UNESC…
- theguardian.com 08/01/2023
- Unesco recommends putting Venice o…
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Community Reviews
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I originally was cautious about my visit to Venice because I had heard nothing but the worst about the city - that it was smelly, crowded, and touristy. I knew that I had to see it, especially since it faces the danger of slowly sinking into the sea, but I didn't expect to fall in love with the place. There was also a huge storm that was forecasted to arrive during our stay, so by the time we arrived I had written off really experiencing the place and tried my best to look forward to watching movies in our hotel.
However, I woke up before the alarm was supposed to go off to a clear and sunny morning. I checked the forecast and saw that the storm was now supposed to arrive at 1pm! I headed out as fast as I could to catch Venice at its most photogenic. Maybe it was the unexpectedly nice weather, but I felt the magical quality of the place as soon as I stepped outside. I loved watching all of the workers get ready for the day as I made my way towards St. Mark's. I also took a ton of amazing pictures as the walkways were not crowded yet. I was truly in awe. Each bridge, alleyway, and canal was different and waiting to be explored.
St. Mark's square was also incredible, especially in the early morning when the famous cafes were still setting up shop. The open space of the square is …
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If you are bored with Venice you are surely bored with life. I've been there 5 times and I never find it boring. It's become very overcrowded in the summertime, something of a victim of it's own success but go in the winter when it's cold and foggy and practically deserted and you'll see a totally different city. It's so much easier to get around in winter too, there aren't so many vaporettos but the ones that run are less crowded.
I can't say that there's any one thing that you really should see or one thing you should do, just being there is enough. It shouldn't exist, it's a crazy notion to build a city in the middle of a lagoon, especially 1,500 years ago and then to go on to dominate trade in the eastern Mediterranean but they did it. Venice's fall from grace was equally spectacular and they are now "just" a major tourist destination with all the problems that brings. The locals can get fed up with hoards of tourists and I don't blame them but I've always met nice locals there. It's not for everyone, my friend is a great traveler and supporter of World Heritage and she was unimpressed, I still don't know how, but for most of us it's a magical place that should be on everyone's bucket list.
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Having just returned from my fifth trip to Venice - but the first for nearly a decade - I feel compelled to say something about a timeless place that is so well known and so well reviewed that it is impossible to offer an original thought in appreciation. Anyway, here is my personal restatement of what others offered in the past: There is no place in the Western Hemisphere that continues to fascinate me as much as La Serenissima, and no other place that I believe is as rewarding when explored on foot.
If you are not an avid urban walker, you can still enjoy all of the top sights in Venice, since the vast majority of them are next to or within a short walk of a vaporetto stop - Linea Uno by itself puts you in touch with practically every major point of interest (hint: buy a multi-day pass, which starts saving you money on your 3rd trip per day on average).
But you will miss a lot if you do just that. Hit all of your major targets, by all means, but also find time to wander aimlessly around the city. The real charm of Venice is found away from tourist crowds. Forget about the map for a while, walk where your whims take you, retrace a few steps when faced with a canal without any means to cross, linger where you feel like it - I would strongly argue that along with seeing its …
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What is there to say about Venice that hasn't already been said? It's not surprising this World Heritage Site is the most reviewed of all the Italian sites; this city on water is captivating. I've visited Venice twice, and both times left me wanting more time to explore. Traveling by boat on the Grand Canal, the Venetian architecture is mesmerizing, while the smaller side canals offer a more intimate view of the city's colorful neighborhoods. Venice's vaporetto system offers a relatively inexpensive way to travel around the islands, and I highly recommend taking Line 1 for an evening circumnavigation of the Grand Canal, when all the churches and palaces are illuminated. On foot, the paths between neighborhoods meander past churches and apartments and plazas, with a variety of bridges crossing the network of canals. It's easy and worthwhile to lose oneself in Venice in this way, but if you need reorientation, the signs on the corners of the building direct back to main parts of the city. Recent press articles have bemoaned the death of Venice by tourism; I agree it should be managed, but I'd have to say I did not feel overwhelmed by crowds on my prior visits in spring and fall. Perhaps those are better times of year to visit.
Logistics: Upon arrival to Venice by train or by automobile, the best way to see the city is either by boat or on foot. Venice's vaporetto network is a great way to travel around the canals and …
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My first visit to Venice took place in 1987: it was my first holiday abroad without my parents, and I had joined a youth group tour to Slovenia that included a side trip to Venice. I remember nothing about what we did that day, and only have a few holiday snaps left of a gondolier in front of some church. So there is reason enough for a return visit to one of the richest cities in Italy in terms of history and art. But again in 2016, I had only one day to spare for Venice. This time I arrived by train from Aquileia via Cervignano.
So how much ground can one actually cover in one day? During the train ride, I noted down a mix of sights and activities from the 2005 Michelin Green Guide Italy and some ideas copied down beforehand from the internet. This resulted in an all-day itinerary of eight things to do: vaporetto to Canal Grande, St. Mark’s Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, Sta. Maria della Salute church, Ca d’Oro, I Frari church, Rialto bridge and Scuola di San Rocco.
Unmissable from any day in Venice is a ‘cruise’ by vaporetto. Waterbus #1 follows the Grand Canal through the city center, but I (accidentally) started with waterbus #2. It also ends at St. Mark's Square, but arrives there via a different route. It takes a long way round, along the railway station, through the lagoon with its islets and in the company of larger ferries …
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I agree with the reviews praising vaporetto rides and exploring backstreet Venice on foot. At San Zaccaria Church, I saw a beautiful Bellini altarpiece with a joyous angel playing the cello. I also loved seeing Emma Ciardi's Impressionist paintings of Venice at the Ca' Rezzonico 18C Museum that is in a gorgeous palazzo. The Ca' d' Oro is another lovely palazzo with a fascinating collection of paintings and sculptures. Palladio's San Giorrgio Maggiore made me realize why Palladio is often copied in other nations.
I agree with the review that said Venice is the world's most memorable city.
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I visited this WHS various times. Venice is a unique place in the world and it is an enchanting city. In July 2009 I also visited Murano, Burano and Torcello islands in the Venetian Lagoon and the highlight of my trip was definitely Burano, with its colourful buildings and old local lacemakers.
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Among the weirdest cities in the World, Venice, Italy must rank among the top five. I don’t mean this in a BAD way actually, but the place is completely so unlike anyplace else in the world that it cannot be called anything but very strange.
Other cities have canals. You’ve got Amsterdam and Stockholm, both of which are strewn with canals close to the water’s edge, but they have streets, and trams and other forms of mass transportation, which make those towns seem relatively normal. Also, while they have museums, they are not, of themselves museums. Venice, having lost its independence and its livelihood over two centuries ago, is.
The “serene republic” lasted a thousand years and a century before being actually invaded for the first time by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. The reason for this was because of its intense weirdness. It’s a bunch of islands in the middle of a lagoon, connected by a series of bridges. Here, it developed a unique culture and set for the to build an empire which ruled over the islands of what are now Croatia and Greece, trading with the Byzantine and later, various Moslem empires in the east to become the cultural portal of the western world during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Even as new trade routes made Venice less lucrative, the serene Republic continued to thrive, attracting artists and architects, poets and visionaries. But that’s all gone now…
When the French finally destroyed the old Republic, they destroyed …
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Having seen the streets, piazzas and canals of Venice on previous visits, this time I decided to visit the Lagoon. Armed with a 12 hour ticket I took a Vaporetto LN from Fondamente Nova. This vessel cruised past St Michael's (Cemetery) Island to Murano with its lines of glassworks. We then continued past Mazzorbo and Torcello to Burano. I could see that Torcello's campanile was wrapped in scaffolding so I disembarked in Burano to explore the narrow canals with their colurful houses, and also for an excellent seafood lunch.
Returning to Venice I went to the church of San Giorgio Maggiore and for E5 took the lift up the campanile to get a bird's eye view of Venice.
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There are reasons why some sites are so famous; Venice is a case in point. This really is a unique and magnificent city, and really justified as being one of the most famous cities in Europe.
My visit was a truly wonderful experience, walking around it was hard to wipe the grins off of our faces. Arriving at the waterfront near St Mark’s square for the first time felt like we had just stepped into a Canaletto painting. Aside from the unique atmosphere of the road free city, the main sights were also very impressive. My first visit to St Mark’s Basilica was incredible, the mid morning sun was streaming in and making the gold mosaics shine, it really was an impressive feeling. Also the Doge’s palace was well worth investigating, the sheer amount of impressive painted interiors really made it worth the entrance fee. Venice can be a pretty expensive city to visit, but I visited out of season and managed to get some cheaper accommodation, and there are plenty of ways to cut down cost. Perhaps the most fun I had saving money was eschewing the costly gondola ride (€120 p/h) in favour of the wobbling across the grand canal on a traghetto (a gondola in which you stand up) all for the princely sum of €0.50, we enjoyed it so much we did it again the next day as well.
One of my favourite parts of my visit was strolling through the vegetable and fish markets on …
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I was in Venice earlier this year (May 2010) it was my first time and I have to say I knew hardly anything about it. My friend had been twice and had raved about it, so I went with an open mind. I loved it!
We went for a week, booked an Hotel on the Lido so we had the best of both, with a beach on one side and Venice on the other. We did just about everything we wanted to do, including a trip by bus down the Lido and across to Choggia on the mainland. We also spent a day trip across to Murano, Burrano and Torchello. We both agreed that Burano was the best, it was so pretty.
A lot of people only go to Venice for a day, they only see and do just a couple of things and it would probably be packed with people anyway, which can spoil it.
St Marks Square on a warm late evening when all the tourist have left and you can stop for a coffee in peace or have an ice cream or a drink is absolute magical.
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Visited Venice in 1985 and stayed in the international youth hostel a short canal ride from St. Marks Square. The city was somewhat commercialized, touristy, and expensive. I could only afford spaghetti! Magnificent architecture and a unique system of canals make this city a real gem. St Marks was really impressive. The small Gugenheim art gallery had a precious collection of paintings. The city lacked the local charm of other Italian cities.
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One of the most overwhelming scenes that I remember in my life is when you turn around the corner and arrive to St. Mark's Square in Venice. The sight of that amazing church, the thousands of doves, and yes, the bunch of tourists, simply took my breath away. Venice has a lot of other sights worth visiting, and the city itself, just walking around and getting lost in it (don't worry, eventually you get to St. Mark's Square again, even if you don't understand how). If you feel like running away from all the crowds, you can take a boat to the pintoresque island of Burano, where you will find lovely streets with colorful houses and a much more peaceful sorrounding than Venice. Venice is a very romantic city, but even if you go there without a couple, it is still very enjoyable
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My visit to Venice left me wondering if this was a city or movie set. It was all so surreal. The charming narrow pedestrian streets and ornate bridges made it seem more amusement park than metropolis. The gondola ride was expensive and would hardly have been worth it had I not been on my honeymoon (I think you could get arrested if you don't spring for the ride on your honeymoon, let alone the fallout with the wife). Regardless, this is a unique place that more than earns its designation as a heritage site.
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To me this is the nicest city I have ever seen. First time I visited it on nighttime, during wintertime - I was walking on empty streets under moonlight four weary hours. It was strange to see the incredibly ornate inner rooms in houses, where light was on.
Next time I spent there four days. Managed to visit Burano island - it is something different, picturesque fishery village with leaning belltower and few tourists. Murano - pretty similar to Venice - but far less tourists, here you can spend much time speaking (or trying to communicate) with glassmasters or just look at their work.
I am dreaming about returning there some more times. For others - try to avoid the central streets - they always are crowded, prices are just stupid. Some quarters away - silent and much cheaper.
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I was in venice in april 2004 and I just can say one word "fantastic"! in this city you really feel you walk throgh history. No cars, just boats and very nice old churches. the highlight is for me to enter to St. Marco's square.. cuz first you walk trough soem thight streets and suddenly you get into St. Marco square and the effect of the change from the small tight streets to the giant square is really unbelivable!
also the view from the tower in St. Marco's square is so beautiful, you see the city surrounding by see and you feel like really being in 14th century!!!! great place to visit
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What more can be said about Venice that hasn´t been said before? One of the greatest cities of Europe, if not the world, and a place everybody should have seen. Sure, it´s usually very, very crowded, the streets are a complete maze, and when there´s acqua alta (and that´s frequently), you wouldn´t want to be there without boots. But hey, it´s Venice, and you can accept a few inconveniences to see St.Marks´s Square, the Basilica of St.Mark´s, the Ducal Palace, a score of museums, the Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal, the gondolas, the Academy,...well, you know what I mean. Just wandering the narrow alleys and not knowing exactly where you are going is half the joy of exploring Venice. And if you are fed up with the crowds, just take a boat to one of the islands in the lagoon that are usually very quiet places.
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Venice is a city of extremes. One either loves it or hates it. Like Prague, it hosts millions of tourists each year to the extent that one doubts the existence of a true Venetian citizen. Yet, also like Prague, it boasts incredible beauty and extraordinary qualities that make it unique among the cities of the world. It is no surprise that people flock to Venice; there is quite simply no place like it. St. Mark's Square, the Basilica, and the Doge's Palace with its Bridge of Sighs constitute the main tourist sights, along with the Grand Canal and its Rialto Bridge, but for me, the real joy of Venice lies in its labryinth of tightly packed streets, many of which end in the deadend of a canal bank but still others of which lead to remarkable sights far off the tourist radar. The city can be overwhelming with its crowds and its waterways, but if you take the time to lose yourself among the people and campi of Venice, you will find a delightful local culture lurking just below the tourist facade.
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My first and only trip to Venice took place in 2002 with my second cousin from Trieste.It was a remarkable experience. I had not known that one must take a train over a causeway(land bridge)to get inside the city.The only other way is by boat.
Once inside the ancient city, one is greeted and overwhelmed by history, architecture, arts and crafts and a flowing continuity of shopping adventures. We took a gondola ride down the canals on a sleek ebony colored luxurious craft and saw the home of Marco Polo and the original Don Juan who, my guide said, "had a different woman every night."
I was impressed by the enormity of Venice for I had always envisioned a rather small quaint place, but one can not possible walk over 400 bridges in a few minutes!
The expansive piazzas were host to tourists from every place imaginable and I strained my neck to view a gigantic tower whose grand image must surely have inspired the smaller version in Epcot in Disney World.Indeed, Venice itself reminded me of a ancient "DIsney World' for everywhere were the sights and sounds of entertainment. Itinerant musicians, wonderful Italian food, quaint shops with glass wares, porcelin, and unusual gifts which were too tempting to pass by.
The day at Venice went by all too quickly and even though it was raining a little that day, it was one of the highlights of my trip to italy and I have expressed my admiration for that city …
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