The meeting point of this walk is near the equestrian monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II (the first king of Italy) along the Riva degli Schiavoni. From here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Lagoon and St. George’s Island.
At a short distance there is the church of Pietà. After walking some minutes we will get the institute of Pietà where the famous composer Antonio Vivaldi used to teach music to the “putte” – the orphans who lived there.
Furthermore, we will move to the campo Bragora where there is a nice small church founded in the IX c. and restored in the XV c. where you can admire paintings by Antonio Vivarini and Cima da Conegliano. The great musician was christened in this church.
The next stop will be in front of what was both the heart of the Republic and and the world’s first industry: the Arsenale with its shipyard. We will talk about its construction, organization and and significance, also mentioning the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri, , who visited the Arsenale and described it in the “Cantico dell’Inferno” (Canticle of Hell).
The tour ends in Via Garibaldi, near the Biennale gardens. It will be possible to stay longer and have an aperitif tasting the famous Venetian cicchetti, if you like a local gourmet experience as well!
This guided tour is available in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese. *2/3 hours (approx.)