- Musei Civici Veneziani
The Foundation was established by resolution of the City Council of Venice, on March 3rd 2008, in order to manage and promote the immense cultural and artistic heritage of the Musei Civici di Venezia.
The Foundation manages and fosters a rich Museum system, articulated and complex.
Palazzo Ducale
One of the symbols of Venezia, is situated in the monumental area of San Marco Square.
Museo Correr
Is an Art Museum located in the sestriere San Marco. The collection of the Museum is housed in the Napoleonic wing of the judiciary.
The Clock Tower
Is a Renaissance building located in piazza San Marco. The building consists of a central tower, built between 1496 and 1499 by Codussi, and two side wings.
Ca' Rezzonico
Is one of the most famous palaces in Venice. It is currently home of the Museum of the "18th Century of Venice".
Palazzo Mocenigo
Already existing in the '500, is today used as a Centre for the study of the history of Textile and Costume.
Carlo Goldoni's House
Home of the famous playwright, houses a small "Museum Goldoniano" in addition to the famous puppet from Ca' Grimani ai Servi.
Ca' Pesaro
Overlooking the Grand Canal is considered one of the most beautiful Venetian palaces. The Baroque façade, decorated with bas-reliefs and statues, makes it unique. The Grand Palace is now home of the "Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna" and the "Museo d'Arte Orientale".
Palazzo Fortuny
Is a Venetian gothic Palace, located in the sestriere of San Marco, named after the last owner, the artist Mariano Fortuny y Mandrazo. After his death, his wife Henriette donated the building to the city of Venice that made the place dedicated to dealing with Visual Communication disciplines.
Glass Museum
It was founded in 1861 in Murano. The Museum's collections, as well as through purchases, are increased by donations of kilns on the island who go to enrich the Museum's sections.
The Lace Museum
Opened in 1981, is located in the historic School of Burano. Display several important reproductions of Venetian lace.
The Museum of natural history
Located inside the Fondaco dei Turchi hosts ancient exhibits of the Venetian area and especially of Venice.
- Ca d'Oro Museum
Ca D’Oro is a palace on the Grand Canal, has always been known as Ca D’Oro due to the gilt and the polychrome external decorations which addorned its walls.
On the ground floor a recessed colonnaded loggia gives acces to the entrance hall (portego de mezzo) directely from the canal, above this colonnade there is the eclosed balcony of the principal salon on the piano nobile.
This wedding cake exterior gives no hint that the palazzo is in fact built around a small inner courtyard.
In 1922 the palazzo was bequeathed to the state by its last owner and saviour Baron Giorgio Franchetti who had aquired it in 1894. Following extensive restoration, including the recostruction of the stairway, it is now open to the pubblic as a gallery.
- Islands of Murano Burano Torcello
Murano is composed by several islands linked by bridges with a population of more than 4,500 inhabitants.
The island was indipendent with its own Grand Council, like the one of Venice, until the 15th Century when passed under the Venetian Government.
The reputation of the island as a "center for glassmaking" started when the Venetian Repubblic ordered to the glassmakers to move their Factories to Murano in 1291.
The Glassmakers of Murano held a monopoly on high quality glassmaking for centuries and some of them are still owners of important brands.
Today to protect the original Murano Glass Art from foreign markets, the factories have a Trade Mark that certifies products made in Murano
Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon situated in the northen part, 7 kilometers away from the main island and 40 minutes trip by vaporetto.
Burano is famous for the Lace Art , there is also a school opened in 1872 and its small, brightly-painted houses.
Ohter attraction are the Church of San Martino, with the particoular tower and a painting by Giambattista Tiepolo, the Oratorio of Santa Barbara and the Museum and School of Lacemaking.
Torcello is a quiet island in the north of the Venetian Lagoon.
Torcello was one of the first lagoon’s islands to be populated and starting form 1638 became the Bishop’s base for more than one hundred years.
Unfortunately from the 12th Century the lagoon around the island gradually became a swamp making the life there impossible. The island now has a population of around 20 people
The former splendour of Torcello’s Palazzi almost disappared and nowadays the island is a sort of Venetian countryside full of nice restaurants and nice views on the Venetian lagoon.
- Jewish Ghetto
The Venetian Ghetto was the area of Venice in which Jews were compelled to live under the Venetian Repubblic.
The ghetto in the area of the Cannaregio is divided into the Ghetto Novo (new Ghetto) and the adjacent Ghetto Vecio (old Ghetto).
Four of the five synagogues were cleary divided according to ethnic identity, separate synagogues existed fot the German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and Levantine Sephardi comunities. Nowadays they are still open to the public at large.
- Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, it is the oldest bridge across the canal.
The firts dry crossing of the Grand Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181, called Ponte della Moneta, because of the mint that was build near the bridge.
The current stone bridge, designed by Antonio da Ponte, was completed in 1591.
The engineering of the bridge was considered so audacious but the bridge has defied its critics to become one of the architectural icon of Venice.
- St Mark's Square
Piazza San Marco, also St Mark’s Square is one of the most important Italian squares and is renowned worldwide for its beauty and its architectural integrity. The heart of the lagoon city and the Venetian State, consists of five areas:
- The Square: the area enclosed between the Procuratie Vecchie, Procuratie Nuove, the historic St Mark's Basilica and Bell Tower;
- La Piazzetta San Marco: lies between the Doge's Palace and the Biblioteca Marciana, is the monumental access for those coming from the sea through the two famous columns fronting the St. Mark's basin;
- The Piazzetta dei Leoncini: located at the side of the Church, named for the two statues of Lions;
- The Basilica: Saint Mark's Basilica is a monument made unique by both its wealth of history and the magnificence of its façade and interior. To understand the Basilica's role through the centuries, the full extent of artistic, iconographic and religious content, combined with the wealth and variety of historical influence are exhaustively presented here, within a range of searchable subject areas;
- The Campanile: imposing square plan tower about 99 metres high is crowned by a spire that was once a lighthouse for shipping. It was first built in the 12th century and then rebuilt in its current form early in the 16th century with the addition of a statue of the Archangel Gabriel.
- Grand Canal
Palazzo Sagredo overlooks the Grand Canal “Canal Grande”, the most important waterway in Venice, crisscrossed by vaporetti and gondolas. Spanned by bridges and surrounded by palaces, public buildings and churches, it's shaped like the backwards letter S, and is approximately two miles long.
The Grand Canal is indeed the most beautiful water street of the world: rich of colours and lights, the true hearth of Venice itself.rand Canal.
- Venice Biennale
It is the major contemporary Art Exhibition that takes place every two years in Venice, the first Biennale was held in 1895.
The event became international in the first decades of the 20th Century; from 1907 several countries started to install National Pavilions at the Venetian Garden and now there are more 30 Countries permanent Pavilions but the numbers of Countries represented still grows.
Starting from 1930 other new events have been established like the Music Festival in 1930, the International Film Festival in 1932, the Theatre Festival in 1934 and the Architecture Biennale in 1980.
The Countries that do not have an own Pavilion are exhibited in other venues across Venice.
Since 1980 started the "Aperto" project which is a collateral event for younger and not rapresented artists. This project is nowadays staged in the Arsenale and it is part of the Biennale official programme.
- San Giorgio Island
San Giorgio is situated in front of San Marco Square.
The island was originally called Isola Memmia because of the Memmo family that owned it.
In 1829 has been built the main Church consacrated to St George and in 1982 has been estabilished the monastery of San Giorgio.
The island is now best known for the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by Palladio in 1566, and It is the headquarters of the Cini Foundation Arts Center.
- Sant'Erasmo Island
Sant'Erasmo is an island in the northern part of the lagoon. It is famous among all Venetian people for its typical greengrocer productions.
Ruined fortification, including the so-called Torre Massimiliana, ring the island, they have been built starting from the 16th Century after the fall of the Venice Republic. For example French built here a Stronghold in 1811-1814, and in 1843-44 the Austrian Built the Tower which was used by the Italian Army during the World War I.