VENICE AND THE VENETO HOTELS
TRUMAN CAPOTE PROBABLY GOT IT RIGHT when he said that Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. This impossibly rich chocolate-box of art, churches and palazzi, wrapped in a filigree of canals, is one of the world’s unmissable cities.
Skip the crowds and head for Venice out of season to see it at its best. March can be sun-filled; November moody and misty; January wonderfully crisp and cold. Come in February for the famed ten-day Carnevale.
Where to start? Piazza San Marco, framed by the fabulously ornate Basilica and the towering Capanile, is undoubtedly the spiritual heart of the city and the point where most visitors disembark from their airport vaporetto. The Basilica’s mosaic-encrusted interiors twinkle and glitter like a rich jewel, while the Capanile offers views of Venice rooftops stretching as far as the Lido and the Dolomites.
Just steps away is the imposing Doge’s Palace, where the city’s aristocrats once ruled the city and dominated the Byzantine trading empire. Its opulent state rooms and apartments are filled with works of the great 16th century Venetian artists. Be ready to queue here, even in winter.
Undoubtedly home to the city’s greatest art collection is Galleria dell’Accademia, whose 24 rooms house some of Italy’s finest paintings, including masterpieces by Bellini, Titian and Tintoretto. If you’re threatened with artistic overload simply pick a century off to start with – the collection is arranged in chronological order. By contrast, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection showcases an eclectic assortment of mid 20th century modern art, all housed in a canal-side palazzo with pretty gardens.
Do cross the lagoon to the island of Giudecca for a taste of how ordinary Venetians live. It’s a wonderfully crowd-free place to stroll, with stunning sunset views of the graceful Baroque domes of Santa Maria della Salute church. You can also nip across to the islet of San Giorgio for an unbeatable tableau of the Venice skyline – even more stunning from the top of the Campanile San Giorgio, which gazes out across the water.
There’s more to Venice than its glut of churches and galleries, of course. Wander through the Dorsoduro neighbourhood and get lost in a maze of backstreets. Take a gondola ride (touristy yes, but still irresistible), stand atop the Rialto bridge and watch the non-stop to-ing and fro-ing of boats, or ride the Grand Canal end to end in a vaporetto. You can shop for Venetian glassware on the islands of Murano and Burano, or head off to more distant Torcello for a taste of laid-back lagoon life.
Don’t ignore the charms of the Veneto on your Venetian odyssey. Aristocrats of old used to escape the heat of the summer in some of the fine Palladian villas scattered through the surrounding countryside, and you can visit some of the finest along the Brenta canal. Padua and Vicenza are fine cities in their own right, while Treviso to the north has its own historic charms.
Simply soaking up the timeless charms of life along the Venice waterfronts is a must. There’s no better way to start than sipping a frothy peach bellini on the terrace of one of Venice’s grand hotels, or joining the throng at the ever-likeable Harry’s
