Tag: Venice tour

Discover Venice with Marco Polo: A Journey into the History of Venetian Merchants

On the occasion of the seven hundredth anniversary of Marco Polo’s death, L’altra Venezia is delighted to present a new and fascinating guided tour itinerary dedicated to the most famous Venetian merchant. Join us for an unforgettable journey through the history of Venice, exploring the places and stories that shaped the life of Marco Polo and the city itself.

Venice: Crossroads of Cultures and Commerce

“Cities are a combination of many things: of memory, of desires, of signs, of language; cities are places of exchange, exchanges of words, of desires, of memories”
(Italo Calvino, Six Memos for the Next Millennium)

Venice has been a mercantile city since its earliest lagoon settlement. Thanks to its strategic position, Venice quickly developed maritime trade relations, becoming a bridge between East and West. This role as an intermediary not only brought immense wealth to the city but also transformed it into a mosaic of cultures, styles, and ideas.
Its merchants made the city rich, transformed and shaped it, made it multi-ethnic and permeable to the arts and styles of all the cultures with which they came into contact.

After the golden centuries of trade, the protagonists, the goods, and the routes changed, but until the end of the Republic, Venice remained radically and intrinsically a mercantile city, a connection point between Europe and Asia, an engine of culture and progress.

Marco Polo: The Merchant Who Conquered the East

Our itinerary focuses on the figure of Marco Polo, the renowned Venetian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan in China. Through his adventures, recounted in the book “Il Milione – The Travels of Marco Polo”, he introduced Western audiences to the customs, wonders, and riches of the East.

During the guided tour, we will uncover the places linked to Marco Polo’s life in Venice, including his supposed house in the Cannaregio district. We will explore the alleys and squares where Venetian merchants traded spices, silk, and other precious goods that made Venice one of the wealthiest and most influential cities of the Middle Ages.

An Itinerary Rich in History and Charm

Our itinerary extends beyond the figure of Marco Polo. We will guide you through the stories of other great Venetian merchants whose enterprises left an indelible mark on the city. We will visit the Rialto Market, the bustling heart of Venetian commerce, and discover how Eastern influences enriched Venice’s culture and art.

This tour represents a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the mercantile history of Venice, understand the dynamics that made the city a crossroads of cultures, and appreciate the extraordinary legacy of Marco Polo.

“Because Marco is Venice. Because if Marco embodies the hero who undermines the rules and conventions to the point of projecting himself where no one had ever dared (…), the lagoon city is the absolute and indisputable protagonist”
(E. Orlando, The Venices of Marco Polo)

Book Your Adventure with L’altra Venezia

Don’t miss the chance to explore Venice in a new light, uncovering the secrets of its merchants and the extraordinary history of Marco Polo.

Come and experience a unique journey that will take you back in time, through stories of adventure, trade, and discovery. We look forward to sharing with you the magic of Venice and the allure of its mercantile legends!

Marco Polo Tour : For information and bookings, write to info@laltravenezia.it

Or fill out the following form:

Venice tours for kids

L’Altra Venezia proposes “Venice tours for kids” : four new itineraries dedicated to children and teenagers (not forgetting the parents who accompany them!).

These itineraries are designed specifically for families, in order to discover Venice in a fun and exciting way, with stories, anecdotes, and curiosities about the city.

1) Discovering Venice

Venice is a city built on an archipelago of islands in the middle of the lagoon, but what does all this mean? How was the city built? Why are there so many bridges, narrow streets, and just one square? And how old is Venice?
We offer you a fun itinerary to discover the Venetian labyrinth to understand how the city is made and how to learn to orient yourself.

Starting point: Piazza San Marco
Duration: about 2 hours

2) Mysterious stories for brave children

Venice is a city full of charm and mysteries, it is even said that witches and ghosts meet here … do you want to know more?

This is a walk for brave children to discover strange and mysterious stories!

Starting point: Rialto
Duration: about 2 hours

Stories of ghosts and witches at dusk, discovering a mysterious Venice.

3) A lion, four horses, a fish, and a sea monster

This tour begins in the heart of the city, the Rialto market, and ends in San Marco. Discovering the history of Venice in its iconic places but seen through the eyes of children, including fantastic animals, stories of giant fish, and legends of lions and horses.

Duration: about 2 hours

4) Alternative Venice

Venice, like a book, can be read in many ways, it depends on the glasses you wear …

This tour offers an alternative visit to less touristy places, to discover the city of Venice through children’s eyes. A treasure hunt through the streets in search of animal figures, strange buildings, crossing secret passages, accompanied by the legends and stories of Venice.

You can choose between 2 routes:

– The Dorsoduro district, the most artistic district of the city, masks, artists, gondolas, and mysterious tales

– The Castello district, discovering Venice hidden between alleys and alleys, the Arsenale of Venice, travel, ships, and a large garden

Itineraries suitable for children aged 4 to 13 years. The guide will be able to adapt the narration according to the participants’ age.

Venice tours for kids realized in collaboration with Paola Salvato and Chiara Penzo.

 

For information and reservations: info@laltravenezia.it

Or fill out the following form:

Classic Venice tours – Venice Italy highlights

 

1) IN THE HEART OF VENICE: the Saint Mark’s Square between the Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, then a walk to Rialto through internal and hidden alleys

 

The heart of Venice is a square: Saint Mark’s Square. Entering by the two monumental columns in front of the lagoon (the so-called “water square”), near the Bridge of Sighs, suddenly we can admire the history of the Republic of Venice displayed: we can see the Doge’s Palace, the seat of government and center of political and administrative life of the city, the Basilica, with its golden mosaics and precious marbles, the Procuratie, location of the oldest and luxurious cafeteria, and moreover the Clock Tower and the Bell Tower. The walk then leads to the Grand Canal and the famous Rialto Bridge through beautiful and hidden corners, which allow you to admire the beautiful Theater La Fenice and the Bovolo Staircase, the Mercerie street with its luxurious boutiques, but also the characteristic Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

– duration: 2/3 hours

 

2) MONUMENTAL INTERIORS: Saint Mark Square and the interiors of the Doge’s Palace and the Basilica

 

So-called the “most beautiful lounge in the world”, Saint Mark’s Square with its monuments, colors, and perspectives, is the background of the beautiful interior of the Doge’s Palace, where you can visit the grandiose halls of government with the important artworks representative of the glories of the Republic of Venice, the charming residence of the Doge, the solemn halls where justice was administered and the Bridge of Sighs, through which you can reach the fearful state prisons. Then we move to the nearby Saint Mark’s Basilica, which is like an ancient jewel case of beautiful treasures, but also the most important and loved church in Venice, covered inside by thousands of square feet of shiny mosaics. The oriental aspect of the architecture testifies the deep ties between Venice and Byzantium.

– duration: 2/3 hours

– additional cost: Doge’s Palace and Basilica admission ticket

– note: an appropriate dress for a place of worship is requested

 

3) RIALTO – FRIAR – St. ROCH: A walk among the Rialto stalls, the Grand Canal and its views, the Friar’s Church, and the School of St. Roch

 

Walking along the banks of the Grand Canal, where the reflections of the water blend with the colors and the grandeur of the fruit, vegetable, and fish stalls at the Rialto Market, which has always been the economic and financial center of the Republic of Venice. The narrow streets of the district of St. Polo lead to the great religious complex of the Friar’s Church, which contains illustrious tombs and inestimable artworks, above all the Assumption of Titian. The tour continues to the nearby Great School of St. Roch, one of the few Venetian confraternities to have been spared from the Napoleonic suppression, where you can still admire the original and monumental rooms decorated by the Jacopo Tintoretto’s precious cycle of paintings.

– duration: 2/3 hours

– additional cost: Friar’s Church and School of St. Roch admission tickets

– note: an appropriate dress for a place of worship is requested

 

4) MARCO POLO – CHURCH OF SAINTS JOHN AND PAUL: A walk among the calli near Marco Polo’s House, from the Rialto Bridge to the Church of Saints John and Paul

 

Many important merchant families lived near Rialto: among the most famous was the Polo’s, which we can still visit the place of its thirteenth-century palace, which is a starting point for understanding international relations and trade woven by Venice through the centuries. From the nearby charming Campiello del Remer we can admire the Grand Canal and the Rialto Market. Continuing through narrow streets and hidden squares, we come to the distinctive Church of Miracles, which is like a treasure chest made of precious marbles. We then proceed to the impressive Church of Saints John and Paul, the Doges’ mausoleum, located in one of the city’s most beautiful areas.

– duration: 2/3 hours

– additional cost: Churches admission tickets

– note: an appropriate dress for a place of worship is requested

 

5) MURANO AND BURANO ISLANDS: the glass and lace working

 

The islands of the Venetian lagoon are small pearls scattered on the water, each one with its unique attractiveness and traditional activities. Murano, called “the small Venice” with the Grand Canal, the palaces, and the ancient Cathedral of Saints Maria and Donato, is the historical capital of blown glass. In the remaining furnaces, we can watch the work of glass masters that perpetuate old techniques and crafts. Burano is a small fishing village made of colorful houses, where its famous lace has been made for centuries. According to the old and slow processing methods, they can be manufactured only by the skilled hands of local artisans.

– duration: 4 hours to 6 hours, depending on whether 2 or 3 islands are preferred

– additional cost: vary according to the means of transportation to the islands

– note: visit on request to a glass factory and a lace workshop

 

6) CUSTOMIZED GUIDED TOUR

 

We can organize personalized private tours in the museums and churches of your choice, such as the Scuola Grande dei Carmini, the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, the Venetian Museum of the 18th century in Ca’ Rezzonico Palace, the Museum of Fabrics and Perfumes at Palazzo Mocenigo, the Fortuny Museum, the Basilica della Salute and much more.

Contact us to check the availability and feasibility of the visit you want to do.

 

For information and reservations: info@laltravenezia.it

Or fill out the following form: