Venice and islands
Venice
At 30 km. from Jesolo there is one of the most beautiful cities in the world: Venice. Art city par excellence it is easily reachable by car or public bus service or by a more suggestive journey by motorboat. At the hotel reception you will be provided with free brochures, which you can consult at any time, which will give you an idea of the artistic, scenic and culinary itineraries that you can do even during the day. However, now we want to give you a taste of what you can visit or do in the most romantic city in the world.
Rialto
The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges, along with the Accademia Bridge, Ponte degli Scalzi and the Ponte della Costituzione, which cross the Grand Canal, in the city of Venice. Of the four, the Rialto bridge is the oldest and certainly the most famous. Going up the steps you will find, on both sides, various kinds of shops: clothes, bags, underwear from the most famous houses of the world, but also shops that enhance local crafts such as Murano glass and Burano lace.
San Marco
Continuing your walk, after the Rialto market, following the directions you will find along the route, crossing the long calle Marzaria, you will arrive in Piazza S. Marco. Here you can admire the famous medieval bell tower and the Basilica. A few steps away, looking towards the Grand Canal, you will find Palazzo Ducale on your left and the Marciana Library on your right.
Numbers of Venice
If we want to summarise the magnificence of Venice with some numbers, here are some figures for you:
1 square: the only one named after Saint Mark, as all other urban spaces are called campi or campielli.
102 campi: the campo (field) is always located next to an important public or religious building. As many of the campielli it is often centered by one or more wells.
148 bridges connecting 124 isles, surrounded by 178 canals.
and even:
- 1 Canal Grande (3247 m)
- 2000 wells
- 6 sestieri
- 3000 calli
- 148 churches
- 170 bell towers
- 54 000 inhabitants
Gondola
The gondola is the typical boat that Venetians used to move around the island from a sestiere (quarter) to another. Now these charming boats are available to tourists who, accompanied by experienced gondoliers, can enjoy the magnificence of the city, rocked by the calm waters of the canals.
Bacaro
It is the typical Venetian bar, usually small, where the guests can sip a ombra (glass of red wine), followed by a wide selection of cicchetti (small taste of Venetian cuisine). Food and drinks are usually consumed by standing at the bar counter. These are very quaint and not so touristy meeting points, for who has the desire to get in the real life of Venice. They are very easy to find, just a little stroll through the calli of the city and you will try local culinary specialties in a simple and convivial environment.
The islands
Murano
Murano is probably the most famous of the three isles, belonging to the Venice municipality. Founded around 900 A.D., it had its greatest glory between the XII and the XIII century, when the city of Venice decided to move the glassworks, which became increasingly dangerous to keep in the city, because of the frequent fires they caused. The art of Venetian glassmaking was so important even at that age that it was forbidden to the master glassmakers to leave the city and they were obliged to reside in Murano, under threat of imprisonment.
Burano
Also founded around 900 A.D., it is distinguished by its brightly coloured buildings, the local craftsmanship that produces superb lace and the famous biscuits called bussolai.
Torcello
It is probably the less known of the Venice islands, but it is certainly the oldest and and most important archaeological isle. Its birth dates back to the V century A.D. when the Altini family moved to this area searching for a refuge from the raids of the Huns. This isle offers to its visitors fine mosaics from the Byzantine era.
