Viewpoint: The Bridge of Sighs

Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy

It may not command the location of the Rialto Bridge, but the Bridge of Sighs is arguably the greater achievement and perhaps Venice’s most beautiful bridge… Photo by Getty Images Steve Marriott crossed “over Bridge of Sighs, to rest [his] eyes in shades of green,” but he was speaking psychedelically. The bridge leads not to […]

Forgotten islands of the Venice Lagoon

Venice lagoon sunset

The Venice Lagoon contains more than a hundred islands – some small, some large; some natural, some man-made. Sara Scarpa invites us on an island-hopping expedition… Photos by Iain Reid   Often, on a sunny summer morning when we are in my home town of Venice, my husband and I will cycle from the centre […]

Castello travel guide

Graffiti near San Francesco della Vigna, Venice

Adrian Mourby shares some of the best sights, accommodation and places to eat & drink in one of Venice’s least-visited districts Photos by Kate Tadman-Mourby What to see and do Querini Stampalia After the Querini family died out in 1868 their palazzo – and all its art works – was turned into a museum featuring […]

Castello: the quiet sestiere

Londra Palace, Venice

Adrian Mourby takes a walk around the tranquil backwaters of Venice as he explores the city’s fascinating Castello district… Photos by Kate Tadman-Mourby   It’s the sestiere that Venetians call truly Venetian. The neighbourhood of Castello consists of the same narrow lanes, broad campi and monumental churches as the other five sestieri, but it lacks the […]

Learning to Row in Venice

Venice rowing lesson Italy

Mark Nicholls visits Venice, where he goes beyond the usual tourist sites to take lessons in rowing like a real gondolier… Photos by Sharon Nicholls unless otherwise stated Nan McElroy is patiently attempting to teach me the technique. The words grip, twist, lunge, push and return are in the instructions, chanted like a coded mantra, but […]

Light up the Sky: Il Redentore Festival

Venice Redentore Festival

Despite its origins in a terrible period of Venetian history, Il Redentore is a spectacular celebration that takes place in the city each July Words by Sara Scarpa. Images by Iain Reid  Most years, on the afternoon of the third Saturday of July, my friends and I prepare for a fantastic event. We set up […]

A Venetian Wedding

venice wedding

Following her own wedding in Venice, Sara Scarpa offers some advice on the dos and don’ts of tying the knot in the City of Love. Photos by Iain Reid  For me there is no better place to take your vows than in beautiful Venice. A wedding in the magical atmosphere of this captivating city is […]

Italia! Guide: Venice and Veneto

Welcome to the new Italia! Guide: Venice and Veneto. Your complete travel guide revised and updated ready for your next trip. Find things to do and places to visit with our new Italia! Guide featuring 132 pages of all things Venice and Veneto from travel to food. Also in this issue we are giving you […]

Viewpoint: the intervention

An art installation by Lorenzo Quinn on Venice’s Grand Canal symbolises the threat to the city from rising waters caused by climate change… Opposite the Rialto fish market, two giant hands emerge from the waters and touch against the Ca’ Sagredo. Are they bracing the hotel, or reaching up to destroy it? The intervention is […]

The Art of Glass

Venice celebrated its world-famous Murano glassmaking heritage in an exciting programme of citywide events this September. Sitting in its own sea of glass, the city of Venice and its islands has long held a tradition of glassmaking. Thanks to its strategic geographical location, the Republic of Venice was a cultural and political hub for travellers […]