Venice
From Casanova’s jail to an isle of graves, see it all in 48 hours
Venice has stopped sinking, apparently, but despite years of work on a flood barrier, St Mark’s Square can still turn into a rococo swimming pool at times. Some modest flooding last month caused more delight than disappointment: visitors wore shocking pink shoe covers around the city, looking like extras in a particularly camp episode of Silent Witness.
Since then, a lack of rain has turned some canals into a muddy mess. But whatever the weather, Venice has a lot to see and you’d be surprised at how much you can squeeze into two full days…
DAY ONE
MORNING Start with the best view of Venice from the Campanile at the
Church of San Giorgio Maggiore – a short vaporetto ride across the lagoon from St Mark’s Square. Invest in a two-day vaporetto pass (€30, actv.avmspa.it/en/content/ prices): hopping on and off is the key to getting around efficiently and it is also one of the best ways to enjoy the city.
Get to San Giorgio when it opens at 9.30am and be first up the bell tower for a wonderful panorama of the city: St Mark’s is straight ahead, the start of the Grand Canal to your left. Then head to St Mark’s Square: there are four things you could do here – St Mark’s Basilica, the
Doge’s Palace, the Campanile or the Correr Museum.
Take a quick look inside the Basilica (it’s free, so queues can build). Its Byzantine style says much about Venice’s historical connections with the East (the city was home to China explorer Marco Polo).
In its heyday, however, the Venetians were more concerned about the Turks, bringing back anything the Ottomans had failed to nail down. The Doge’s Palace is fascinating, especially the prison (reached via the Bridge of Sighs) where Casanova was famously an inmate.
If you have time, pop into the Correr Museum, a lesser-known attraction that has a glorious collection of Venetian art. AFTERNOON Follow signs to the Rialto (but keep your mobile phone handy as you’ll almost certainly get lost – satnav will be priceless). Just across the Rialto Bridge you’ll find the Bar
All’Arco, a traditional neighbourhood osteria which serves cichetti – the Venetian equivalent of tapas. It also has prosecco on tap.
Head towards the San Stae vaporetto stop and you will come to the
Mocenigo Palace, which has a museum devoted to perfume and its manufacture (supported by a fragrance brand called The Merchant of Venice, which really ought to have ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’ as its motto). It’s a delightful building in a quiet part of the city, far from the madding crowd. Return to the Rialto and visit the
Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a wonderful old building that used to be a base for German traders, became the city post office and is now a spectacular shopping mall. Join the queue for a brief chance to enjoy the view from the roof, which is especially good at sunset.
When looking for places to eat, the further you go from St Mark’s Square or the station, the better the quality and value for money.
Giudecca is a separate island and a happy hunting ground. I recommend the Trattoria Pizzeria Do
Mori, right next to the Palanca vaporetto stop.
DAY TWO
MORNING Start at my favourite building in the city, the church of Santa
Maria dei Miracoli in Cannaregio, midway between the Rialto and St Mark’s Square. Built about 540 years ago, the church is a stunning example of early renaissance architecture, a symphony in marble (lavishly refurbished 30 years ago). Gazing at it is the visual equivalent of eating a large, sumptuous bowl of raspberries and cream. Then go to the Fondamente Nove vaporetto stop – a ten-minute walk – and catch the next ferry across to San Michele, the designated burial place for citizens of Venice. In the Protestant section you can find the graves of Igor Stravinsky and his wife, Ballets Russes founder Sergei Diaghilev, and poet Ezra Pound.
Take the ferry back to Fondamente Nove where you can have lunch at the Ristorante Da Alvise (ristorantedaalvise.it). AFTERNOON Go back to the Fondamente Nove vaporetto stop to catch an eastbound ferry to San Zaccaria: this will take you via the Arsenale and the fringes of Venice. Next to the San Zaccaria stop is the church of
Santa Maria della Pieta, best known for its association with the composer Vivaldi, who was concertmaster here in the early 18th Century. The church was next to an orphanage from which all-girl orchestras were formed.
Finish your day with another boat
TAKE A BOAT TO THE VENICE LIDO – FROM WHICH ALL OTHER LIDOS GET THEIR NAME
trip, from the San Zaccaria stop to the Venice Lido, from which all other lidos take their name. At the beginning of the 20th Century, a holiday here in one of the Grand hotels – the Des Bains or the Excelsior – was the height of style. The Des Bains features in Thomas Mann’s novel (and the Visconti film) Death In Venice.
Both hotels are, sadly, now boarded up and awaiting planning decisions on their fate. So go now and have a look at history.
For a special end of holiday dinner, try Ai Gondolieri (aigondolieri.it) – a short walk from the Peggy Guggenheim museum in the Dorsoduro area – which seems to have been frequented by every major star and politician of modern times.