Venice - Venice visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Venice' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Veneto.

Venice (Venezia,Venesia), the capital of Veneto region in Italy, is one of the most popular travel destinations on earth, considered by many to be among the most romantic cities. It is made of 117 connected islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Venice was the seat of the Republic of Venice, a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

It is thought that Venice was founded by refugees from Padua, Aquileia, Altino and Concordia fleeing the Huns as the Roman Empire declined in the West in the 5th century. Venice was recognized by the Byzantine Empire with Ursus becoming the first Doge of Venice. Venice became a city state in the 9th century and there then followed expansion of the Republic of Venice until the 16th century caused by war with the Ottomans and the Black Death which ravaged Venice 3 times in 1348, 1577 and 1630 when a third of the population died.

Venice - Tourism and Travel

Today, Venice survives on tourism and travel. Considered one of the greatest and most beautiful Cities of Art on earth, Venice is one of the most important travel destinations in the world, attracting around 3 million visitors a year. in addition to numerous world-class attractions, travel and tourism has been boosted by the Venice Carnival, Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival. Though full of hotels, at peak times it can be quite difficult to find accommodation in Venice, and the attractions can be very crowded.

No cars are allowed in Venice, and locals make their way around the city on either foot or by waterbuses (vaporetti). Gondolas are mostly used by either by tourists or for special events such as weddings. Daily passes for the water taxies are available.

Venice - Attractions

Venice has dozens of museums, important palaces, churches and other buildings of interest. Many of the museums and churches charge entrance fees. Visitors should consider buying a Venice Card, available either online or at tourist outlets which can greatly reduce the cost of visiting numerous attractions in Venice. Some of the top tourist attractions in the city include:

• Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square) - the most famous, and principal square in Venice, hugely popular with tourists, photographers, and pigeons. Piazza San Marco is surrounded by:
• Canal Grande (Grand Canal) - major water way through Venice with only three bridges along the length.
• Palazzo Ducale di Venezia (Doge's Palace) - Gothic palace built between 1309 to 1324, now housing a museum with art by Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese.
• Basilica Cattedrale Patriachale di San Marco (Saint Mark's Basilica) - Roman Catholic cathedral church in Venice, nicknamed the Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold) for it's opulent design and beautifully decorated with various mosaics
• Torre dell'Orologio (St Mark's Clocktower) - designed by Mauro Codussi and built between 1496-99 to display the wealth and power of Venice.
• Campanile di San Marco (St Mark's Campanile) - 98.6m tall bell tower next to St Mark's Basilica with panoramic views of Venice from the top.
• Procuratie - series of 3 joined buildings around St Marks Square, the oldest being the Procuratie Vecchie.
• Loggetta of the Campanile - built in the style of a Roman Triumphal Arch between 1537-45.
• Biblioteca Marciana - 16th century Renaissance building and library housing one of the oldest libraries and public manuscript depositories in Italy.
• Campo San Polo - the second largest public square in Venice, one of the most popular venues during the Venice Carnival and Venice Film Festival.
• Ca' d'Oro (Palazzo Santa Sofia) - built between 1428-30, one of the most beautiful palazzi on the Grand Canal in Venice, now open to the public as a gallery.
• Ca' Rezzonico - built in 1649 for the Rezzonico family with a highly decorated interior today housing vast collections of 18th century Venetian art.
• Fondaco dei Turchi - 13th century, Byzantine-style palazzo on the Grand Canal which currently houses the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia (Natural History Museum of Venice).
• Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo - 15th century palace famous for the 'Scala Contarini del Bovolo' spiral staircase on the outside.
• Palazzo Labia - 17th-18th century Baroque palace most famous for the frescoed ballroom painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo between 1746-47
• Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Basilica of St Mary of Health) - octagonal 17th century church built after one of the ravages of Plague.
• San Giacomo di Rialto - consecrated in 421 is thought to be the oldest church in Venice.
• Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - one of the great churches in Venice, classified as a minor basilica. Built between 1250-1396 and containing many important works of art.
• Chiesa di Santa Maria del Giglio (Santa Maria Zobenigo) - 17th century church with one of the finest Venetian Baroque facades in Venice, containing various notable works of art.
• Rialto Bridge - site of oldest Grand Canal crossing with first bridge built in 1181. Current stone bridge completed in 1591.
• Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) - built in 1602 connecting the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace.
• Palazzo Dario - late Gothic mansion with a unique Renaissance marble façade best viewed from the Grand Canal.
• Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi - housing Venice's cacino with tours of rooms used by Richard Wagner who died here in 1883.
• Fondamenta delle Zattere - walkway along the south side of Dorsoduro along the Canale della Giudecca, with many fascinating buildings and a popular place for 'passeggiata' (evening or Sunday stroll).
• Antico Cimitero Israelitico (Old Jewish Cemetery) - established in 1386 near to Chiesa di San Nicolò.
• Other Islands - the Venice Lagoon is full of picturesque islands, like Burano, which are worth visiting in their own right.

Venice Tourist Information Office
Palace Ziani
APT della Provincia di Venezia
Castello 5050
30122 Venezia
Phone: (+39)0415298711
Email: info@turismovenezia.it
Web: turismovenezia.it

Car: No cars are allowed into Venice itself. Nearest, and expensive, parking is in Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto on the western side of Venice.
Flight: Marco Polo Airport on the mainland near Mestre or Treviso Airport (Low Cost Airlines) 25 km (16mi) from Venice.
Train: Santa Lucia train station in Venice (not Venezia Mestre which is the last stop on the mainland)
Ferry: Stazione Marittima to the west of Venice and then vaporetti and water taxis to the city.