The Site -Napoleonic Wing
The design and initial building work on the Napoleonic Wing dates from the years when Venice was part of that Kingdom of Italy (1806-1814) of which Napoleon was sovereign and his stepson, Eugene de Beauharnais, was Viceroy.
The site had previously been occupied by the Church of San Geminiano - an ancient foundation that had been rebuilt in the mid sixteenth century by Jacopo Sansovino - and ran between the Procuratie Vecchie and Nuove, the two long arcades of buildings which extend the length of St. Mark’s Square and had housed the offices and residences of some of the most important political authorities of the Venetian Republic.
Originally designed as a residence for the new sovereign, the Napoleonic Wing would only be finished in the middle of the nineteenth century, when Venice was under the rule of Austria; hence, it served as the official residence of the Hapsburg Court during its frequent visits to the city, and after would become the Venetian residence of the king of Italy.
Complete with monumental double facade, atmospheric portico, ample staircase, and opulent Ballroom, the Napoleonic Wing was designed by the architects Giovanni Antonio Antolini, Giuseppe Soli and Lorenzo Santi. In the 1820s the latter would be responsible for the layout of the entire Royal Palace complex, which now occupied the Procuratie Nuove as far as the Biblioteca Marciana, part of the building that had once housed the Venetian Mint, and the grounds of what became known as the Giardinetto Reale.
The Venetian painter Giuseppe Borsato worked on the decoration of the interiors, producing a personal and very careful interpretation of the Empire style, clearly influenced by the French architects and interior decorators Percier and Fontaine and the Biedermeier style that then prevailed in most of the major royal courts of Europe.
The frescoed ceiling of the Main Staircase - showing The Glory of Neptune - was painted by Sebastiano Santi in 1837-38.
The building has maintained many of the distinctive features of the Napoleonic and Hapsburg periods; neo-classical influence in architecture, decor, frescoes and furnishings make it an important record of the culture and style of a period. Here the refinements of French taste go together with an interest in the traditions of Italian art - an interest that had been reawakened by the archaeological discoveries made in the second half of the eighteenth century (above all, at Pompeii). The result is an ideal context for the display of this collection of works by Canova.
However, the most important aspect of the Napoleonic Wing, which seems to set itself in deliberate contraposition to the old Doge’s Palace, is that this residence of kings and emperors was the expression of a desire to open up a new chapter in the history of Venice.

From the Correr Collection to the Venice Museum Authority
The Correr Museum takes its name from Teodoro Correr (1750-1830), a passionate art collector who was a member of an old family of the Venetian aristocracy. When he died in 1830, he left the city not only his works of art but also the palazzo at San Zan Degolà in which they were housed, plus funds to maintain and further extend a collection which was to bear his name and ultimately became the core around which the Venice Museum Authority developed.
Correr’s will was quite explicit about when and under what conditions his house was to be open to the public and to scholars, how many people were to work in maintaining the collection and even what funds were to be used for this purpose. These precise instructions indicate that what he had in mind was not only a place of scholarly research but also a veritable museum, a place in which to collect, conserve and exhibit works of various kinds.
However, initially the collection was not on display to the public as an organic whole; and though it was opened as early as 1836, it was only with its third Curator – Vincenzo Lazari – that one can say it became a museum proper. The objects within the collection were subdivided according to kind and carefully catalogued; and at the same time Lazari included new donations, purchased works with the museum’s funds and promoted restoration projects. As a result the museum was laid out as both a place of study for scholars and as an exhibition gallery containing noteworthy works and artefacts (in Lazzari’s own words “the best of what there is in each individual collection”). And although the curator was responsible for destroying objects and documents which he felt were not in keeping with the good name of the museum’s founder, it was due to his work that by the second half of the nineteenth century, the Correr had become a necessary stopping-off point for any scholars or visitors coming to Venice.
Thereafter the collection continued to grow through donations, bequests and acquisitions. From this core collection, the modern-day Venice Museum Authority would gradually emerge; and a series of different collections covering specific areas of the arts would eventually become a vast network of museums spread throughout the city.
The main stages in this growth and development are outlined below. Extended as a result of various donations – including the Molin, Cicogna, Sagredo, Zoppetti and Tironi collections (the latter two respectively comprising works by Canova and a range of paintings, bronzes and glass- and ceramica-ware) - the museum was first moved in 1887 from the Palazzo Correr at San Zan Degolà to the nearby Fondaco dei Turchi, with the entire layout of the exhibits being redesigned. Further additions around this time included the 1895 acquistion of the substantial archive and collection relating to Francesco Morosini.
In the meantime, on the occasion of the second Venice Biennale, the Venice City Council had begun the Muncipal Collection of Modern Art; and then in 1902 the designated home for that collection became Ca’ Pesaro, a prestigious baroque palazzo donated to the city by Duchessa Felicità Bevilacqua La Masa. This would also house the collection of paintings dating from the second half of the nineteenth century which Pompeo Molmenti left to the city in 1927.
In 1922, the Correr Museum was moved once again, to its present-day home in St. Mark’s Square, occupying the Napoleonic Wing and part of the Procuratie Nuove. It was, in fact, Molmenti – then Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Arts – who fought hard to make this location available.
At the same time, the Fondaco dei Turchi became the Natural History Museum, whilst in 1923 Palazzo Giustiniani on Murano was acquired to become a Museum of Glass. The various different glass collections would be relocated there in 1932.
In the meantime (1923) the State had conceded the management of the Doge’s Palace to the Venice City Council.
In 1931 would come the donation to the city of Ca’ Centanni, the house in which Carlo Goldoni had been born, and the city then one year later acquired Ca’ Rezzonico. Destined to house a museum of eighteenth-century Venice, this museum space was designed by Giulio Lorenzetti and Nino Barbantini, and in 1936 the various eighteenth-century works from the Correr collection were transferred here, along with other more recently acquired material.
In 1945 Alvise Nicolò Mocenigo donated his ancestral home at Sant Stae to the city.
With its collection of materials comprising the Centre for Theatre Studies, the Casa di Carlo Goldoni was opened to the public in 1952; and then, in 1956, Henriette Fortuny left the collections and home/studio of Mariano Fortuny to the City Council. The Fortuny Museum would open there in 1975, and six years later the Lace Museum would open in the old Scuola di Andriana Marcello on Burano.
The museum of Palazzo Mocenigo would open to the public in 1985, and its associated centre for the Study of Fabric and Costume contains –amongst other things – the fabric collections from the Correr.
In the 1990s this entire system of the city’s museums was renewed, with all the individual collections coming under a unified organisational structure.

The Lion of St. Mark is Venice’s mascot, at least among sculptors and decorators. In real life, the closest lion is probably at the Parco Natura Viva just outside Verona, 74 miles (118 km) away.With no living lions to reign over Venice, the local feline population has taken on a surrogate leonine role. Cats are seen everywhere in the city: sunning themselves on park benches, perched on bridges, wandering the streets, and dining on leftovers at the Rialto fish market.The beautiful city of Venice has a unique army of guardian cats -despite the animal’s reputation for not liking the water. Take them away and the city of the Doges would face a new danger: that of being gnawed away by rats as well as crumbling into the sea.

Just, the smell of cats is enough to frighten off the menace whose very name evokes hideous medieval images of the plague. If the cats were to disappear the rats would take over. Of course, some people do not like the smell of cat in the ruelles between the houses either -these are the same people who, when the good weather comes, complain of the noise the tomcats make.

But it is a price that has to be paid. Everyone recognises that in the fight against rodents the cat is our greatest ally. Cats have had the best of times and the worst of times in the city of Venice. During the Inquisition, in Venice as elsewhere in Europe, the cat was not spared. The Inquisitors, who saw witchcraft everywhere, accused the mysterious creature of being in league with the Devil.

Unjustly exterminated, by the time the crusaders had brought the Black Death back from the east, the cat was practically wiped out. In the people’s distress, as rats spread disease, the cats usefulness was proved. The citizens could see how essential they were to a city like Venice, where the little channels between walls and houses harboured rats and allowed them to multiply.

After this a typically Venetian breed of cat developed the result of crosses between the imported eastern cats and those native cats that still survived. Impressive, with its eyes the green of the lagoon, irresistibly reminding one of the wild cat, the Soriano -so called after the Syrian cat -has been the pride of the Venetians ever since, and they owe it an everlasting debt of gratitude.

For many people today the city and its cats are synonymous. Venice has its famous cats and its unknown cats, past and present. There are street cats and palace cats, and tourists come to see them as they come to see the gondolas, canals and glassworks. Today, 12,000 cats still look after the city of the Doges, which only has 80,000 inhabitants.

Clugia Minor, now Sottomarina, was razed to the ground by the Genoese troops in 1379, and the rebuilding started only four centuries later. Around the middle of the 18th century, the Venetian Republic planned the construction of a massive wall - then called ‘Murazzo’ - to protect the site from the frequent floods. The wall extends for about 1,2 Km in Sottomarina and for other 4 Km beyond the port of S. Felice, reaching Cà Roman and Pellestrina islands

Five dams of poles and the new S. Felice breakwater caused the formation of a huge beach, which extends for 6 Km reaching the mouth of the river Brenta, reaching at certain points, a maximum width of one Km. To the south, between the rivers Brenta and Adige, there’s a second wide beach, 3 Km long, the old ‘Bacucco’, now named Isolaverde.
ourist activities have grown in the area after World War Two. Sottomarina and Isolaverde now offer to the tourists several equipped areas for seaside activities.
The air is particularly rich in iodine; a light sea breeze constantly blows; the exceptional properties of the very fine sand enriched with lithological and micaceous elements (rock and silicate minerals) accent the action of the solar radiation, and, lastly, the high salt concentration levels of the water make Sottomarina and Isolaverde the right localities for anyone looking for an ideal beach - a beach that, without ‘pressing’ its guests, offers them everything: the best bathing facilities, safety and medical services for beachgoers and bathers, areas reserved for sports, meeting places for the young, and children’s parks.
Clugia Minor, now Sottomarina, was razed to the ground by the Genoese troops in 1379, and the rebuilding started only four centuries later. Around the middle of the 18th century, the Venetian Republic planned the construction of a massive wall - then called ‘Murazzo’ - to protect the site from the frequent floods. The wall extends for about 1,2 Km in Sottomarina and for other 4 Km beyond the port of S. Felice, reaching Cà Roman and Pellestrina islands.
Faithful to a long and recognised tradition of hospitality towards visitors, Sottomarina offers apartments for long or short periods as well as a wide choice of accomodation categories. There are exclusive hotels for those seeking every comfort at reasonable tariffs, or small guesthouses for anyone looking for a family atmosphere, or luxury residences or just simple bed & breakfast establishments. For those fond of the open air, the shores of Sottomarina are the right place. There are some fifteen camp-sites with their own private beaches, swimming pools, game parks and boat marinas and they can meet every visitors’ expectation: from well-equipped caravan or tent pitches to bungalows, from rustic arrangements to deluxe facilities.

For the month of August we can offer you apartments located in the centre of Venice at the special price:

1 week / 4 people

- Angelo blue  apart. (San Marco  area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=48
The price is :   1300      euros - 

Angelo red   apart.(san Marco area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=46
The price is:   1300      euros-

Angelo yellow apart. (San Marco area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=47
The price is :  1300  euros

  - Cà Del Campiello ( Castello area )
http://www.tourist-flats.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=63
The price is:  1100 euros

- Casanova 1 apart (Castello area) just 10 minutes walking distance to S.Marco
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=32
The price is : 1150  eurosCasa Sant’Agostin ( San Polo area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=44
The price is :  1000     euros - 

 Ca D’Oro Holidays apart.( Cannaregio area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=19
The price is :  1000       euros

- Fenice apart. (San Marco area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=36
The price is :  1180       euros-

 Frari apart. (Santa Croce area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=9
The price is :  1000      euros-  Guglie apart. (Cannaregio area) with Canal view
http://www.tourist-flats.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=62
The price is: 1000     euros-

 San Marco apart. ( San Marco area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=1
The price is :   1050     euros -

  San Rocco apart (San Polo area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=4
The price is :  900       euros  - Stucky apart (Giudecca area) just 10 minutes by water boat to S.Marco
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=25
The price is:   1000    euros-

             Island of Le Vignole

Le Vignole - Isola delle Vignole - is a rural island close to Venice, but not much visited by non-Venetians. It’s on a public ferry route, though, so it’s easy to make a short trip to the island, perhaps en route to the larger neighbouring island of Sant’Erasmo.

Travel

The number 13 ferry from Venice (Fondamente Nove) to Sant’Erasmo stops at Le Vignole. It runs approximately every hour, although occasional services may stop at Vignole by request only (information is displayed on current timetables).

About the island

Le Vignole is not an easy island to explore. The residents live in isolated farmstead-type buildings and are not keen on outsiders wandering through their land: fences, gates, barking dogs and ‘private property’ signs deter visitors from wandering the paths which locals obviously use as thoroughfares. From the ferry stop you can only walk a matter of yards on open ‘public’ path. This route leads away from the stop along a wide canal which divides the island, arriving at the island’s church: a little white chapel - kept closed. This is all that remains of a seventh-century church dedicated to St. Erosia.

The island is picturesque - a smaller and more unkempt version of Sant’Erasmo, and wildly different to its other neighbour, Venice. Some of the land is carefully farmed; in other parts canals wind through marshy undergrowth. In the distance, on the lagoon shore, are what appear to be ramshackle industrial buildings; there are also old fortifications which once guarded the sea entrance to the Venetian lagoon. The island is verdant and lively with nature; small birds hop around in green hedges, butterflies flutter and visiting wading birds probe the marshy waters for food.

I’m not sure how much I should advise exploring, given the abundance of ‘private’ signs. But if you do wander, you may come across moorings reserved for hired houseboats, smallholdings with goats and chickens, rows of vines and some picturesque views. Colourfully, though rather bizarrely, peacocks wander the island - I was once intrigued to see a picnicking family catch the ferry here clutching peacock feathers; my thoughts leapt to all those peacock carvings on Venice’s walls. When I see those stone bas-reliefs now, I can smile at the thought of the nearby island where real peacocks roam.

History of the island

It was the vineyards which gave the island its name; it also used to be called Isola delle sette vigne, Island of the seven vineyards. This was once a holiday spot for inhabitants of the mainland and of Venice. Later it acquired a more military function; the islands in this part of the lagoon had considerable strategic importance, as they face Venice’s principal entrance from the Adriatic sea (before the extension of the northern Lido di Cavallino, the sea came right up to their shores). One of Venice’s two main defensive fortresses, the Forte di Sant’Andrea, is on an island connected to Le Vignole. It’s still a military zone and can’t be visited, although you can admire the massive historic fortifications from ferries passing on the seaward side (try the LN Venice - Lido - Punta Sabbioni ferry from Riva degli Schiavoni, or the seasonal 18 from the Lido). Nowadays, like some of the other northern lagoon islands, Le Vignole seems forgotten and sleepy, although it is farmed and lived-in, rather than abandoned.

Refreshments

You’ll see elderly local ladies alighting from the ferry with their shopping trolleys; there’s next to nothing in the way of services on Le Vignole, although the residents grow plenty of fruit and vegetables. There’s a drinking water tap by the chapel and usefully for visitors, there are two places where you can eat and drink. Over the bridge from the chapel, a signposted gateway leads to the Trattoria alle Vignole, a simple restaurant with outdoors space on the shore of the lagoon, facing Venice. This trattoria is closed on Mondays and in winter (open from mid-April); its 200m-long approach path provides a welcome opportunity to see more of Le Vignole’s landscape. I spotted another peacock and a rather surprising clapped-out car parked in a field (there are no roads). There is also an agriturismo (farm holiday base), the Agriturismo da Zangrando, which serves meals five days a week in summer and less often in winter: it’s best to call ahead on 041 5284020.

A longer island trip

Since it’s on the route to Sant’Erasmo, you can combine Le Vignole well with the larger island. Since the ferries only run once an hour you’ll need to study the timetable at the ferry stop (or get one in advance from an ACTV ticket kiosk in Venice) in order to make the most of your day

Despite the fact that the city centre of Venice may seem one of the least accessible places in the world due to its particular morphology and the presence of more than 400 bridges linking some hundred or so islands, we are convinced that there are numerous opportunities for people with physical or sensory disabilities to enjoy this marvellous city and its unquestionable magic.

So here are some suggestions for visiting the city. These itineraries do not presume to cover all the possible routes or to completely satisfy the cultural interests of all visitors, but we aim to add to them and keep them as up-to-date as possible, partly on the basis of feedback from each one of you.

A number of these itineraries have been indicated by disabled people living in the city or their families, who were enthusiastic at this possibility of making their everyday experiences available to everyone.

Itineraries for wheelchair-bound visitors:

- Marciana area 
- Rialto area
- S. Margherita

         Experience Venice like you’ve never experienced it before! With three tours to choose from, you can, indeed make the memory of a life-time. See the Venice Island, the Gran Canal and st Mark’s Square, the lagoon, the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, Chioggia and the Fisherman Island of Pellestrina… all from the sky. Check out the St. Mark’s bell tower… or a boat race from an entirely different perspective. This is an unforgettable way to celebrate your engagement, anniversary or begin that romantic evening in beautifully lit Venice Island!

REGULAR TOURS:

Simple Tour: duration from 4 to 5 min. - 60,00 € + IVA
Views of Venice: duration from 8 to 10 min. - 110,00 € + IVA
Wonderful Lagoon: duration from 15 to 17 min. - 185,00 € + IVA
Horizons: duration from 23 to 25 min. - 275,00 € + IVA

More informations:
www.veniceairportlido.com

Aeroporto G. Nicelli
Via Morandi, 9
Lido di Venezia

Choosing an apartment in the centre

Central Venice is full of picturesque canals, narrow lanes, tourist thoroughfares and the occasional dodgy smell. These features are pretty consistent, so it’s hard to make generalised recommendations about the different districts. The busiest tourist areas are around San Marco, Piazzale Roma and the railway station - although there are plenty of nice lanes, these areas are the most noisy and hectic. Of course, they’re also the most convenient for sightseeing and travelling. For a short trip, staying either near these transport hubs or near St. Mark’s will help you make the most of your time. If you’re planning a leisurely or romantic trip, we’d recommend seeking out a slightly quieter location which might involve more walking or ferry trips.When selecting, there are some important factors to consider. Travel in Venice is by boat or on foot. If it’s an extravagant holiday and your hotel has a water-entrance, you could splash out on a water taxi. Otherwise you will have to walk to and from the nearest vaporetto stop, transporting your luggage on arrival and departure. Wandering home at night can also be tiring - especially on the occasions you get lost - though it’s also enchanting and safe. Before you book, check the location carefully and note how far the accommodation is from the nearest vaporetto stop, and how many canals - i.e. hump-backed bridges - you will need to cross. Read comments from past guests to glean an idea of the immediate surroundings and atmosphere.

Which district?

If you are pressed for time and want to see as many of the big tourist sights as possible, it’s a good idea to concentrate your apartment search in the San Marco area. If it’s important to be near the railway station or the bus stops at Piazzale Roma, look for a hotel in south-western Cannaregio, north Dorsoduro or the eastern corners of Santa Croce or San Polo. For bars and nightlife, such as it is, studenty Dorsoduro and the area around the Rialto are busiest. In northern Cannaregio and eastern Castello you’ll find quieter residential areas for a more ‘authentic’ Venetian stay.

-San Marco apart. ( San Marco area)
http://www.venice-holidays.com/apartment.aspx?cat=&item=1

                    We can offer you a special offer for the July and August Months in Venice apartment.
CA’ SALUTE Apartment at the special price with 15% of discount
ONE week: 1300 euros for 6 people: 216 for people ( normal price 1495 euros)
You can see the photos in this link: CA SALUTE

Cà Salute                                                           
The apartment is located in the Dorsoduro neighborhood, near the “Zattere”, a splendid walkway that runs along the Giudecca Canal which is considered one of the most exclusive and romantic areas of the city.
Within a 5-minute walk you can come to the Guggenheim Museum which hosts one of the most prestigious collections of modern works of art in Italy.  The area is very rich and thriving from an artistic and cultural point of view.  In just a few minutes you can reach the Accademia Gallery which offers the most complete collection of  Venetian art from the 12th to the 18th century.

The apartment is situated on the first floor (second floor American) of a building without an elevator. The building is on a street next to a canal, although the apartment faces gardens in the back. The apartment is about 120 square meters, very bright, with Venetian flooring.  It is composed of:
-         ample entrance
-         fully-equipped kitchen with dishwasher, fridge with freezer, electric oven and   microwave oven.
-         one bedroom with king size bed
-         second bedroom with two single beds
-         third bedroom with two single beds
-         spacious living room with small balcony, sofa bed, table with chairs, satellite TV
-         breakfast room
-         one bathroom with bathtub
-         second bathroom with shower

The apartment is equipped with independent heating for the winter and fans for the summer.
Easily reached in vaporetto, getting off at the Salute stop (vaporetto N°1),
If you are arriving from the Marco Polo airport you can take the Alilaguna Red Line and get off at the Zattere stop.

For reserve or ask for more informations at our e mail address with the code:“Salute Offer”
info@venice-holidays.com
www.venice-holidays.com
San Marco 4307- 30125
Venice - Italy

Andrea Palladio waas born on the 30th of November, 1508. Throughout his life, it is likely he always spoke in Veneto dialect, and rarely left the confines of the Serenissima. Yet, after his death, his architecture became the nucleus of a veritable architectural revolution that changed the face of Europe, later crossing the ocean to come to characterize American architecture as well. Even in countries far removed from Europe, such as Australia and India, Anglo-Saxon culture gave a palladian image to those sites considered representative of civil power. Palladio is a great Italian artist. the offspring of a local culture and at the same time the common heritage of our global culture:

In Italy, but above all in Vicenza, the palladian year will be occasion for both study and fun, featuring reserch projects, exhibitions, and tours that will call on the great architect’s masterpieces. A large exhibition on Andrea Palladio will lie at the heart of the celebrations, produced by the Andrea Palladio International Center of Architectural Studies, the London-based Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Institute of British Architects. It will also be an opportunity to rediscover those initiatives, performaces and entertainment displays that will be the life of the city, and of the whole province of Vicenza, throughout the celebratory period. These will furtermore be followed by organized events designed to promote and introduce guests to local food, wine, craft, industry, and the entire productive division of Vicenza.

An eternal contemporary

Palladio has always been, for many successive generations of architects, a contemporary: his voice present and pertinent, not only through the original words of his book, but in translations in many languages. No other architect (till Le Corbusier) has spoken so clearly and compellingly, emphasising the unchanging truths of architecture, and effecting dramatic conversions to his way of designing, like that recorded by Giacomo Quarenghi in an autobiographical memoir.
There are so many architects and buildings influenced by Palladio, in many countries, that no general survey is likely to do justice to them all.
To present the character of Palladio’s influence the exhibition will concentrate on a small selection of examples. These will show how Palladio’s system of architecture was transportable to countries and contexts far from the Veneto, and easily adaptable. The ablest Palladians in fact were those who best understood that to enrich their own work with Palladio’s ideas meant to extend his method, adapting it to the needs of their own place and time, rather than building precise facsimiles of his works.
The architects who will be presented here are the two great masters of the “Vicenza school”: Palladio’s jealous Vicentine follower, the brilliant Vincenzo Scamozzi and his inventive English admirer Inigo Jones. Lord Burlington, who bought most of the surviving drawings, will be presented, above all in relation to Chiswick.
A great architect whose work Burlington deplored, but who nevertheless was often inspired by Palladio, Francesco Borromini, will also be included, though to date he has never been interpreted as an imitator of Palladio.
Jefferson’s house at Monticello will be presented. So too will be important masterpieces commissioned by Catherine the Great of Russia: Cameron’s neo-Palladian villa at Pavlosk; Quarenghi’s Academy of Sciences at St Petersburg, and his palace for Alexander at Tsarskoye Selo.
A concluding section will recall Le Corbusier’s interest in Palladio and the parallels between these two founders (and propagandists for) new architectures.
Leading specialists will be responsible for these sections on Palladianism.