Venice

Must see – St Mark’s Basilica, tiled with Byzantine mosaics and the Giotto’s Bell Tower, which offers magnificent views of the city’s red-roofed splendor. St Mark was known as the Lionheart, and this proud symbol can be seen everywhere. Also not to be missed is the Gothic masterpiece, Doge’s Palace and Sant Dioro. Under a traditional gateway to the city, view the magnificent winged lion of Venice. See the Peggy Guggenheim Museum of modern art and the Island of Murano epicenter of glass making 700 years and Burano for its beautiful coloured houses and exquisite lace. The magnificent Santa Maria della Salute, Rialto bridge “Bridge of Sighs” connecting the Doge’s Palace to the historic prison.

Emerging gradually from the 9th century to its peak in the 14th century, Venice was a wealthy city throughout most of its history. This city was once the world’s greatest port and a major maritime and financial power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was also the staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto. Venice was a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain and spice) and art in the 13th century up until the end of the 17th century.

The gondola is uniform in length and width, but with one side 10 inches longer than the other. The reason is simple physics: the longer side balances off the weight of the gondolier. All gondolas are black by the city law passed to control them in the 16th century. The “S” shaped metal curve echoes the shape of the Grand Canal. The six prongs sticking out the front represent Venice’s six ‘sestieri’, or districts and the prong facing backward symbolises Giudecca, the Island south of the main Island that has always been part of Venice. The flourish on the top of the six prongs echoes the Doge’s cap and the little arch between the flourish and the top represents the Rialto Bridge.