Information on Venice
Getting There Getting
Around Tourist Offices
A Very Brief History Sightseeing
Food and Drink
Getting There
Venice’s main Marco Polo airport is served by several airlines from
the UK. It is on the mainland, which is linked to the city itself by a
causeway. Buy a ticket for one of the ACTV buses from within the airport,
and after a journey of about 25 minutes you will arrive at Piazzale Roma.
From here you must either walk to your destination or take a vaporetto
(waterbus).
Alternatively you may fly further North to Treviso airport, about one hour’s bus ride from Venice.
For those arriving by train, the railway station is called Venezia Santa Lucia. (It is important not to alight early at Venezia Mestre unless you are staying on the mainland!) Venezia Santa Lucia station is opposite Piazzale Roma, on the other side of the canal.
If you are driving to Venice, you must first travel along the causeway then park in the multi-storey car parks in Piazzale Roma or the Tronchetto (500m). Alternatively, leave your car on the mainland at Mestre or Marghera.
Getting Around
Venice covers an area of about 7 square kilometres and is divided into
six districts (‘sestieri’) : Cannaregio, San Marco, Castello,
Santa Croce, San Polo and Dorsoduro. There are hundreds of canals, thousands
of streets and many squares (‘campi’) but only one piazza –
the largest, San Marco! The main canal is called the Canal Grande, and
has just three bridges across it: the Scalzi (at the railway station),
the Rialto and the Accademia.
A map of the various waterbus stops and routes is easy to find and very useful.
Vaporetto (waterbus) tickets come in various guises, and if you are staying for several days it is usually more economical to buy one valid for a longer period than paying for single trips.
An alternative to the vaporetto is a watertaxi – it is even possible to take one of these from the airport directly into the heart of the city, but of course much more expensive!
All visitors to Venice are fascinated by the gondolas and the skill of the oarsmen who steer them through the many canals and beneath the low bridges. If you hire one for a tour, agree the price with the gondolier beforehand – it will be expensive, probably about £40 an hour. A far more cost-effective option is to do as the Venetians do and use a gondola ferry (‘traghetto’). This is a shuttle service available at various points along the Grand Canal to cross from one bank to the other, giving you the gondola experience for around 20p.
Tourist Offices
The main tourist office is at Piazza San Marco. Secondary offices can
be found at Piazzale Roma, Santa Lucia railway station and at Marco Polo
airport.
A Very Brief History
The first settlers probably came to the Venetian lagoon around the time
of Christ, and increased in number over the next few centuries as refugees
fled the northern parts of Italy and Rome, which was invaded by Attila
the Hun in 452-53. From the 6th century onwards these communities fell
under the rule of Byzantium, based in Ravenna, then the Roman Emperor
Justinian. By the 8th century, under constant threat of attack from the
Lombards and foreign invaders, it was agreed that inhabitants of the lagoon
could elect their own leader – the Doge. From this point the collection
of small islands began to grow into a city-state of increasing wealth
and influence, built largely on trade with the East. By the 13th century
Venice had a large empire of its own stretching to the Black Sea.
The 14th and 15th centuries saw physical threats from other European powers, internal political crises and competition in trading markets. In 1508 a League against Venice was formed by the Pope, the German Empire, France and Spain and the resulting war exhausted the city’s finances. The Turks started to eat away at its empire in the Eastern Mediterranean and its political and economic role began to diminish. Napoleon’s victory in 1797 meant the loss of Venice’s independence after 1000 years. After his own defeat, the city was ceded to Austria. Within a few years the fate of the city was sealed by the moves towards the unification of Italy and the proclamation of Victor Emanuel as King in 1861. To liberate Venice, a military alliance with Prussia was concluded and Austria was defeated in 1866. Venice now became part of the new kingdom of Italy.
Some Sightseeing
Suggestions
It is impossible to see all of Venice on a short trip, and it is best
to be realistic about the number of museums, galleries, churches and monuments
you can fit in. In any case the most magical moments in this unique city
are often unplanned and unexpected : strolling around the backwater canals,
discovering a little bar or restaurant, sitting and watching the world
go by.
If time is short, then the key places you will want to try to see are the following:
BASILICA DI SAN MARCO (ST. MARK’S BASILICA - location: Piazza San
Marco)
Venice’s most famous building, one of the most exotic cathedrals
in Europe with a flamboyant mix of architectural styles. It was built
to house the remains of St. Mark - the patron saint of the city - which
were stolen from Alexandria by 9th century Venetian merchants. Completed
in 1094 it was then subject to Islamic, Byzantine and European artistic
and architectural influences over the next nine centuries. Amongst the
treasures inside are stunning mosaics, a collection of gold and silverware,
and the Pala d’Oro – a gold altar panel from Constantinople
encrusted with sapphires, emeralds, garnets, rubies and pearls.
PALAZZO DUCALE (THE DOGE’S PALACE - location: Piazzetta San Marco)
This was the seat of political and legal power in Venice for over a thousand
years, but the present building with its Gothic design dates from the
15th century. It is a repository of numerous great works of art including
Tintoretto’s ‘Paradiso’ and others by Titian and Veronese.
It contains the enormous rooms of the Grand Council, the Senate and the
College as well as state rooms, ceremonial halls, ballrooms, courts and
prisons. (One of the latter is linked to the Palazzo Ducale by the famous
‘Ponte dei Sospiri’ or Bridge of Sighs, named after the sighs
of condemned prisoners. Casanova was held here for fifteen months in 1755).
MUSEO CORRER (location: Piazza San Marco)
This is the main historical museum in Venice, with an art gallery upstairs
second only to the Accademia in its importance. The museum contains collections
dedicated to the themes of trade, navigation, military and political strength,
topography and the arts.
ACCADEMIA (location: Campo della Carita, Dorsoduro)
The Accademia is the greatest art gallery in Venice, containing a superb
collection of paintings by Venetian artists from the 15th to the 18th
century.
COLLEZIONE GUGGENHEIM (location: Calle Cristoforo, Dorsoduro)
This is the gallery founded by millionairess Peggy Guggenheim, housed
in an eighteenth century palazzo. It is one of the most important collections
of modern art in the world, encompassing the major artists of the twentieth
century and their styles.
Food and Drink
Venice’s restaurants have a reputation for being expensive, and some
have achieved almost mythical status amongst first-time visitors to the
city. Harry’s Bar (Calle Vallaresso, San Marco) is one of these,
famous for its Bellini cocktails and for being a haunt of Ernest Hemingway.
It is however possible to eat well and cheaply in Venice, and this is particularly important for families with children. We found on our last trip that the good old Italian standby of pizza sold by the slice (‘al taglio) and eaten on the hoof, followed by a delicious icecream or pastry was an inexpensive alternative to a sitdown meal at lunchtime.
We also discovered a wonderful self-service restaurant offering a good selection of freshly cooked dishes and desserts at very reasonable prices. It is called the Ristorante Brek and can be found on the Lista di Spagna, a major thoroughfare lined with shops and hotels near the railway station. Open from 7.30 in the morning, you could even have your breakfast there! We liked its informality and the fact that at any time of the day you could choose from a number of items for a set price and enjoy a meal in spacious and relaxed surroundings without having to wait for table service: very important when you have hungry children in tow!
We also enjoyed a glass or two of the local white wine which is called Prosecco. This can be dry or sweet, sparkling or still.
