We took a guided walking tour and learned much about the different districts and traditions. We stopped at a shop that sold masks for the Venetian Carnival. Here are pictures of two historical Carnival costumes:
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| Plague Doctor Carnival Mask & Costume |
The Plague Doctor mask dates back to the 1500s and is a very traditional Venetian masquerade mask. It was used by doctors to filter the germ laden air during periods of the plague.
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| Bauta Carnival Mask & Costume |
The masks of the Venetian Carnival provided anonymity for the rich, the poor, and for men who wanted to disguise themselves as women. One such transgressive diguise is the Bauta which dates back to the 13th century. It could be worn by both women and men since it is composed of several elements that covered the entire body.
As a retired librarian, I wanted to visit the Libreria Acqua Alta. This is a bookstore but it also represents the lagoon city. Its unusual furnishings like a gondola-shaped bookshelf, the friendly presence of cats and, of course, the high water that occasionally invades the store create an enchanting Venetian ambience.
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| Libreria Acqua Alta |
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| Gondola bookshelf |
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| Climb books for a view! |
I didn't see any of the friendly cats but there were several books and souvenirs that featured cats!
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| Libreria Acqua Alta cat books] |
To quickly interrupt this Venetian experience, I made another stop to see a Banksy mural. Banksy, a British street artist and political activist, was in Venice during the 2019 Venice Biennale. At that time he painted "Migrant Child" just above the waterline on Dorsoduro. My first sighting of a REAL Banksy mural! 🤗
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| "Migrant Child" by Banksy |
FUN FACTS about Venice:
124 Islands
183 Canals
438 Bridges
One of my favorite artists is Canaletto. He was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice. I have always loved his works of Venice. What better place to visit a museum to see his works!
We visited the Ca' Rezzonico Museum first. This is a beautiful palace and it offers so many wonderful works of art by famous artists of the 18th century. I found two Canalettos that I especially liked!
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| "Canal Grande da Palazzo Balbi a Rialto" by Antonio Canal detto Canaletto |
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| "Il Rio dei Mendicanti" by Antonio Canal detto Canaletto |
One could easily spend several hours at the Ca' Rezzonico Museum, but we wanted to visit another museum as well. Nearby is the Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia, another must-see museum. I spotted another Canaletto painting, a bit different from his others:
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| "Perspective with Portico" by Antonio Canal detto Canaletto |
I wish we had more time to explore the rich art in Venice. But, we have one more adventure before we leave Venice. The Island of Murano is most famous for glass making. Since we've seen glass making elsewhere, we decided to make a trip to the island of Burano. It's known for its colorful buildings. We had booked a walking tour and when we arrived in Burano we found that we had a private tour. Our guide lives on Burano as does her family and her husband's family. She knows practically everyone on the island, including the names of people's dogs and cats! 😄
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| Burano Canal |
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| Cat door! 😺 |
Our guide showed us the "hidden corners " of Burano, where the tourists don't go and where we could see everyday life.
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| Colorful houses in Burano |
We had so much fun on this beautiful little island. I would recommend a visit and lunch here. Maybe stay a couple of nights in a Burano Airbnb to enjoy a beautiful sunset after the tourists go home! What a lovely way to end our trip to Venice.
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| Burano |
Next stop, Athens Greece....