Venice

Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a city located in Northern-East Italy and it is the capital of a region called Veneto. Venice is unique because it is surrounded by a lagoon with 117 small islands. People move by using a typical means of transport called gondola (a rowing boat) and ferries. The shape of Venice should not worry visitors because they can use maps (available on info points). Moreover Internet users can find an interactive map of the city on the website of the Comune di Venezia.

Venice is considered to be the most romantic city in the world.

The exact date of its founding is not known but as far as we know, a group of Romans run away from Rome and settled in the territory of Venice. The city has always been very flourishing: It has been elected as a Maritime Republic while it has expanded its territory gaining control as far as transfers and trade within the Mediterranean Sea is concerned. Its strategical position let it have an important development related to naval and commercial sectors.

Nowadays, the city of Venice owes its wealth mainly to the tourism. Its international airport has been named after Marco Polo airport and it is located 10 km away from the city centre.

Generally speaking, the weather in Venice is unstable. The climate is subtropical, summers are hot and winters are so rainy that very often floods occur.

One of the most popular attractions of Venice is Piazza San Marco, the square where the main buildings are located: the Basilica, the Bell tower and the Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale). It is divided into two parts because of the canal "Rio Batario". Actually, this is the unique true square of Venice since the other open areas are considered to be campi (fields). Piazza San Marco is the symbol of the city, even thanks to the tradition of feeding birds.

The Basilica is dedicated to Saint Mark (Santa Marco), patron saint of the city. It consists of many styles including Byzantine, Roman and Venetian elements as its history is very turbulent, even because of a fire that took place in 976. The exterior part is massive and some particular elements surprise visitors, like the impressive portals, the colorful marble columns as well as the paintings and mosaics. The interior is Greek-cross-shaped, it has three naves and a mosaic made of a great variety of stones where the predominant colour is gold.

Venice would not be Venice without its canals and bridges. The name of the Bridge of Sighs is due to a legend, according to which from this bridge people could hear the sighs of the condemned when they were being led to prison.

Finding an accomodation in Venice is not easy as a permanent resident since rentals are very expensive and Venetians rent their own flats and houses to tourists. The city is full of hotels; they guarantee excellent services and high quality. Many hotels in Venice are palaces changed into hotels and so they offer spacious rooms, frescoes on the walls, elegant furniture and let visitors experience the true Venetian life.