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Best attractions in Veneto
The Grand Canal is Venice's main artery, gracefully winding through the city in a large S-shape. The palaces along its banks, such as the Ca' d'Oro and the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, are reminders of the Venetian Republic's former grandeur. Serving as the heart of Venice, the Grand Canal links many of the city's most significant landmarks.
The Dolomites, a mountainous area in northern Italy, offer breathtaking panoramas with dramatic rock formations and challenging hiking trails. These impressive limestone peaks span a variety of valleys and summits, providing spectacular views, especially at sunrise and sunset when they glow in vibrant colors.
The basilica is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture and Venice's top attraction. Known as the Church of Gold, it dazzles approximately 3 million visitors each year with over 8,000 square meters of golden mosaics and unique artworks depicting biblical scenes. A highlight is the magnificent Pala d'Oro, an altarpiece adorned with over 1,900 pearls and gemstones.
The Rialto Bridge, constructed in 1591, stands as one of Venice's most iconic landmarks. This magnificent stone bridge, adorned with elegant arches and intricate details, offers beautiful views of the Grand Canal. At the time of its construction, its bold architecture was considered so audacious that some architects predicted it would eventually collapse.
The 98.6-meter-high St. Mark's Campanile, originally built as a lighthouse, now offers stunning views of Venice and even the Alps on clear days. Constructed in the 12th century, the tower has been rebuilt several times, most recently after collapsing in 1902. For the best experience, visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds and capture great photos.
The Doge's Palace, a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture built in 1340, served for centuries as the residence of the Doge and the center of political power in Venice. The palace's grandeur is evident in its magnificent halls, such as the Great Council Chamber, adorned with Tintoretto's "Il Paradiso," and the gold-encrusted Scala d'Oro, showcasing the Republic's former splendor.
The; ), also called the; ), are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps. The three peaks, from east to west, are: *Cima Piccola / Kleine Zinne *Cima Grande / Große Zinne *Cima Ovest / Westliche Zinne.
Murano is famous for its centuries-old glassmaking tradition. Visitors can watch the master glassblowers at work and admire unique artworks in numerous workshops. A visit to the Glass Museum is a must to learn about the history and production of Murano glass. Afterward, you'll view the souvenir pieces in the shops with newfound appreciation.
The Bridge of Sighs, an enclosed limestone bridge, connects the Doge’s Palace to the old prisons. Its name comes from the sighs of prisoners who caught their last glimpse of Venice through its small windows before facing their sentences. Many of its prisoners regularly drowned during high tide without ever seeing daylight again.
Gardaland, Italy's largest and most famous amusement park, is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Garda in Castelnuovo del Garda. The park offers an impressive variety of attractions, including adrenaline-pumping roller coasters, exciting water rides, and enchanting children's areas. A highlight for thrill-seekers is the Blue Tornado, a high-speed roller coaster featuring spectacular loops and twists.
The Piazza San Marco is one of the most famous squares in the world - and rightly so. This grand piazza is surrounded by some of the most beautiful attractions of Venice, from the lavish St. Mark’s Basilica and towering Campanile to the Doge’s Palace.
As you step onto its expansive grounds, you’re walking the same stones that have hosted centuries of Venetian history, from grand processions to intimate café gatherings. Here, amid the cooing of pigeons and the distant serenade of a gondolier, you can truly feel the spirit of Venice.
The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua is a must-see for art and history lovers. Located in the heart of Padua, in Piazza Eremitani, this masterpiece is famous for its Giotto frescoes, painted between 1303 and 1305. These stunning murals, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments, are considered a groundbreaking moment in art history. Highlights such as the Last Judgment and the Cielo Stellato make the chapel truly exceptional. Be sure to book tickets in advance, as visits are limited to 15 minutes.
The Arena di Verona, one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters, draws thousands of visitors each year. Built in 30 AD, it stands majestically over Piazza Bra, impressing with its grandeur and the distinctive pink marble that takes on a magical glow in Verona’s soft light.
Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, near Torcello at the northern end of the lagoon, known for its lace work and brightly coloured homes. The primary economy is tourism.
The Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua is one of Northern Italy's most significant spiritual and architectural landmarks. Blending Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine elements, this extraordinary church captivates with its impressive facade and minaret-like bell towers.
Monte Baldo is a mountain range in the Italian Alps, located in the provinces of Trento and Verona. Its ridge spans mainly northeast-southwest, and is bounded from south by the highland ending at Caprino Veronese, from west by Lake Garda, from north by the valley joining Rovereto to Nago-Torbole and, from east, the Val d'Adige. The name derives from the German Wald; it appears for the first time in a German map in 1163. The Peace Trail, one of the most important long distance trails in Northern Italy, leads over the range. The ridge is reachable through a cable car from the nearby town of Malcesine, on the shore of Lake Garda.
Founded in 1516, the Jewish ghetto in Venice was the first of its kind in Europe, symbolizing the enforced separation of the Jewish community from the rest of the city. The tall, densely packed buildings reflect the growing population that had to live within this confined space. Today, the ghetto is a vibrant center of Jewish culture. It boasts two synagogues, the Jewish Museum, and memorials dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust.
Teatro La Fenice is one of the most prestigious and opulent opera houses in the world. Despite being devastated by fires in 1836 and 1996, it was meticulously rebuilt and reopened. Hence its namesake, The Phoenix.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, situated in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal, is one of Italy’s premier museums for 20th-century European and American art. The museum showcases Peggy Guggenheim's personal collection, featuring masterpieces by Jackson Pollock, Kadinsky, Max Ernst, and Pablo Picasso. A popular highlight of the visit is the Nasher Sculpture Garden, a serene oasis that invites visitors to pause and enjoy the art in a tranquil setting.
The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, often simply called the Frari, is an imposing Gothic structure in the heart of Venice's San Polo district. Particularly impressive are the Renaissance masterpieces inside, such as Titian's "Assumption of the Virgin" and "Madonna di Ca' Pesaro". The church also houses the monumental tomb of Antonio Canova and the magnificent choir chapel with artworks by Bellini and Vivarini. Entry costs 3 euros, and it is advisable to visit the basilica early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds.
The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, located at the entrance to the Grand Canal, is a Baroque masterpiece built in 1630 as thanks for the end of a plague epidemic. Its impressive dome and the artistic mosaics inside captivate visitors. Notable artworks include Titian's "Marriage at Cana" and works by Tintoretto. The church is a symbolic landmark of Venice and should not be missed on any sightseeing tour.
Marmolada is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites. It lies between the borders of Trentino and Veneto. The Marmolada is an ultra-prominent peak, known as the Queen of the Dolomites.
Poveglia is a small island located between Venice and Lido in the Venetian Lagoon, of northern Italy. A small canal divides the island into two separate parts. The island first appears in the historical record in 421, and was populated until the residents fled warfare in 1379. For more than 100 years beginning in 1776, the island was used as a quarantine station for those suffering the plague and other diseases, and later as a mental hospital. The mental hospital closed in 1968, and the island has been vacant ever since. Because of its history, the island is frequently featured on paranormal shows. Visits to the island are prohibited, but various books and articles report on visits by writers and/or photographers. Believers in the paranormal have claimed that Poveglia is the most haunted island, or the most haunted place in the world.
The palazzo is an architectural gem in Venice, renowned for its unique spiral staircase, the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. This elegant staircase, built in the 15th century, winds gracefully upwards and serves as a popular photo spot. Inside, visitors can admire works by Tintoretto. Located slightly off the beaten tourist paths, the journey to the palazzo offers the chance to explore narrow alleys and discover charming, quiet trattorias.
Verona Villafranca Airport, also known as Valerio Catullo Airport or Villafranca Airport, is located southwest of Verona, Italy. The airport is situated next to the junction of A4 Milan-Venice and A22 Modena-Brenner motorways. It serves a population of more than 4 million inhabitants in the provinces of Verona, Brescia, Mantua and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.
The Arsenale di Venezia, situated in the Castello district, is a quiet and often overlooked gem. Built in the 12th century, it was a vital shipyard and armory for the formidable Venetian navy, playing a crucial role in the city's maritime dominance.
The Lido, or Venice Lido, is an barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, Northern Italy; it is home to about 20,400 residents. The Venice Film Festival takes place at the Lido late August/early September.
Gallerie Dell’ Accademia houses an impressive collection of Venetian art from the 14th to the 18th century, featuring works by Titian, Tintoretto, and Bellini. The museum’s carefully curated galleries offer a comprehensive look at Venice’s artistic evolution. Spend an afternoon here to deeply appreciate the grandeur of Venetian painting and sculpture.
The Brion tomb, also known as the Brion sanctuary and Brion-Vega tomb, in San Vito d'Altivole near Treviso, Italy, is the burial ground of the Brion family. It was designed by Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa between 1968–1978 as an L-shaped extension to the adjacent municipal cemetery. It is regarded as a masterpiece of post-modernist architecture and a powerful commemorative monument. Scarpa felt that the place for the dead is a garden and is himself buried adjacent to the Brion sanctuary.
Villa La Rotonda is a Renaissance villa just outside Vicenza in Northern Italy designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, and begun in 1567, though not completed until the 1590s. The villa's official name is Villa Almerico Capra Valmarana, but it is also known as La Rotonda, Villa Rotonda, Villa Capra, and Villa Almerico Capra. The name Capra derives from the Capra brothers, who completed the building after it was ceded to them in 1592. Along with other works by Palladio, the building is conserved as part of the World Heritage Site City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.
Monte Grappa is a mountain of the Venetian Prealps in Veneto, Italy. It lies between the Venetian plain to the south and the central alpine areas to the North. To the west, it is parted from the Asiago upland by the Brenta river, and to the east it is separated from the Cesen-Visentin massif by the Piave river. To the north lie Corlo lake and Feltre valley. In the past, the mountain was called Alpe Madre, and is currently divided among three provinces: Vicenza to the west, Treviso to the south and Belluno to the northeast. It is the highest peak of a small massif, which also includes many other peaks such as Col Moschin, Colle della Berretta, Monte Asolone, Monte Pertica, Prassolan, Monti Solaroli, Fontana Secca, Monte Peurna, Monte Santo, Monte Tomatico, Meatte, Monte Pallon, and Monte Tomba. In September 2021, UNESCO announced that Monte Grappa would become one of 20 new biosphere reserves as part of their Man and the Biosphere Programme.
The Sette Comuni are seven comuni that formed a Cimbrian enclave in the Veneto region of north-east Italy. The area is also known as the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni or Asiago Plateau, and it was the site of many battles during World War I. The most important comune is that of Asiago, for which Asiago cheese is named. Cimbrian, a dialect of Upper German, was the native tongue, and the area was ethnically and culturally distinct from the surrounding comuni. The Sette Comuni are located in mountainous territory, ranging from 500 to 2300 metres above sea level.
The church of Il Redentore on the island of Giudecca was designed by Andrea Palladio to give thanks for the end of the devastating plague of 1575-1577. Its facade, reminiscent of classical temples like the Pantheon, is both grand and inviting. Inside, the church impresses with a harmonious blend of white stucco and gray stone, adorned with masterpieces by renowned artists such as Veronese and Tintoretto. Every year, the Festa del Redentore is celebrated with a spectacular fireworks display and a procession across a temporary bridge.
Giudecca is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, in northern Italy. It is part of the sestiere of Dorsoduro and is a locality of the comune of Venice.
Pordoi is a pass in the Dolomites in the Alps, located between the Sella group in the north and the Marmolada group in the south. The pass is at an altitude of, and the road crossing the pass connects Arabba with Canazei. It is the second highest surfaced road traversing a pass in the Dolomites, after the Sella Pass. Starting from Arabba, the ascent to the top is 9.4 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is, with the average percentage of 6.8%.
The Euganean Hills are a group of hills of volcanic origin that rise to heights of 300 to 600 m from the Padovan-Venetian plain a few km south of Padua. The Colli Euganei form the first Regional park established in the Veneto, enclosing fifteen towns and eighty one hills.
The Giau Pass is a high mountain pass in the Dolomites in the province of Belluno in Italy. It connects Cortina d'Ampezzo with Colle Santa Lucia and Selva di Cadore. It is located at the center of a vast mountain pasture at the foot of Nuvolau and dell'Averau from which you can easily reach the Monte Pore. Impressive is the view west towards Colle Santa Lucia with the Pale di San Martino, Cime D'Auta, Marmolada, Piz Boe and Setsass, just to the east towards the valley of Cortina d'Ampezzo, with Tofane, Croda Rossa, Pomagagnon, Cristallo, Croda da Lago, etc.
Castelvecchio is a castle in Verona, northern Italy. It is the most important military construction of the Scaliger dynasty that ruled the city in the Middle Ages. The castle is powerful and compact in its size with very little decoration - one square compound built in red bricks, one of the most prominent examples of Gothic architecture of the age, with imposing M-shaped merlons running along the castle and bridge walls. It has seven towers, a superelevated keep with four main buildings inside. The castle is surrounded by a ditch, now dry, which was once filled with waters from the nearby Adige. Castelvecchio is now home to the Castelvecchio Museum and the local officer's club which can be accessed through the left door on Corso Cavour.
Torcello is a sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon, in north-eastern Italy. It was first settled in 452 CE and has been referred to as the parent island from which Venice was populated. It was a town with a cathedral and bishops before St Mark's Basilica was built.
The Teatro Olimpico is a theatre in Vicenza, northern Italy, constructed in 1580–1585. It was the final design by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and was not completed until after his death. The trompe-l'œil onstage scenery, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi to give the appearance of long streets receding to a distant horizon, was installed in 1585 for the first performance held in the theatre, and is the oldest surviving stage set still in existence. The full Roman-style scaenae frons back screen across the stage is made from wood and stucco imitating marble. It was the home of the Accademia Olimpica, which was founded there in 1555. The Teatro Olimpico is, along with the Teatro all'antica in Sabbioneta and the Teatro Farnese in Parma, one of only three Renaissance theatres remaining in existence. Both these theatres were based, in large measure, on the Teatro Olimpico. It is still used several times a year. Since 1994 the Teatro Olimpico, together with other Palladian buildings in and around Vicenza, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.
Prato della Valle is a 90,000-square-meter elliptical square in Padua, Italy. It is the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe. Today, the square is a large space with a green island at the center, l'Isola Memmia, surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues.
The Island of San Michele is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, Veneto, northern Italy. It is associated with the sestiere of Cannaregio, from which it lies a short distance northeast.
The Col di Lana is a mountain of the Fanes Group in the Italian Dolomites. The actual peak is called Cima Lana and situated in the municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana in the Province of Belluno, Veneto region.
The Sella group is a plateau-shaped massif in the Dolomites mountains of northern Italy. The Sella lies north of the Marmolada and to the east of the Langkofel. The highest peak is Piz Boè at above sea level. The Sella lies between the four Ladin valleys of Badia, Gherdëina, Fascia, and Fodom and is divided between the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino and Belluno. It can be driven around by car crossing the Campolongo Pass, Pordoi Pass, Sella Pass, and Gardena Pass. In winter it is possible to ski around the entire massif by using the Sella Ronda ski lift carousel. Also each winter the alpine touring ski Sellaronda Skimarathon race is held, which leads around the entire Sella and covers 42 km of mountain trails. The same trails can be mastered by Mountain bike during the summer. Other peaks in the massif are the Piz Pisciadù, the Boèseekofel, the four Sellatürme, Sass Pordoi, whose summit can be reached by funicular from Pordoi Pass, and Brunecker Turm. During winter the summit is the starting point for many alpine ski tours, of which the most famous are the descent through the Val Mesdì and the descent from the Pordoischarte.
The Basilica Palladiana is a Renaissance building in the central Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza, north-eastern Italy. The most notable feature of the edifice is the loggia, which shows one of the first examples of what have come to be known as the Palladian window, designed by a young Andrea Palladio, whose work in architecture was to have a significant effect on the field during the Renaissance and later periods. Since 1994, the Basilica Palladiana, together with other Palladian buildings in and around Vicenza, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.
The Palazzo Dario is a palace located between the Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff and the narrow Rio delle Torreselle on the Grand Canal in the sestiere of Dorsoduro, of the city of Venice, Italy. The palace was built in the Venetian Gothic style and was renovated in Renaissance style.
The Basilica di San Zeno is a minor basilica of Verona, northern Italy constructed between 967 and 1398 AD. Its fame rests partly on its Romanesque architecture and partly upon the tradition that its crypt was the place of the marriage of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It stands adjacent to a Benedictine abbey, both dedicated to St Zeno of Verona.
San Lazzaro degli Armeni is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon which has been home to the monastery of the Mekhitarists, an Armenian Catholic congregation, since 1717. It is one of the two primary centers of the congregation, along with the Mekhitarist Monastery of Vienna. The islet lies to the southeast of Venice proper and west of the Lido and covers an area of. Settled in the 9th century, it was a leper colony during the Middle Ages, but fell into disuse by the early 18th century. In 1717 San Lazzaro was ceded by the Republic of Venice to Mkhitar Sebastatsi, an Armenian Catholic monk, who established a monastery with his followers. It has since been the headquarters of the Mekhitarists and, as such, one of the world's prominent centers of Armenian culture and Armenian studies. Numerous important publications, such as the first complete dictionary of the Armenian language and the first modern history of Armenia, were made in the island by the monks which made it an early major center of Armenian printing. San Lazzaro has been enlarged nearly four times from its original size through land reclamation. It was recognized as an academy by Napoleon in 1810 when nearly all monasteries of Venice were abolished. A significant episode in its history is Lord Byron's visit in 1816–17. The island is one of the best known historic sites of the Armenian diaspora. The monastery has a large collection of books, journals, artifacts, and the third largest collection of Armenian manuscripts. Over the centuries, dozens of artists, writers, political and religious leaders have visited the island. It has since become a tourist destination.
Pellestrina is an island in northern Italy, forming a barrier between the southern Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, lying south west of the Lido. The island is long and has since the eighteenth century been bounded to its seaward side by large embankments. There are four main villages: San Pietro in Volta, Porto Secco, Sant' Antonio di Pellestrina and Pellestrina, known for their colourfully-painted houses. The main industries of the island are market gardening, fishing, tourism and lace making. Like that in Chioggia but unlike that in Torcello, the local lace is made with a needle. Attractions on the island included the Lido of Ca' Roman, known for its pine trees and birdlife.
The Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, known in Venetian as San Zanipolo, is a church in the Castello sestiere of Venice, Italy. One of the largest churches in the city, it has the status of a minor basilica. After the 15th century the funeral services of all of Venice's doges were held here, and twenty-five doges are buried in the church.
The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs is a porphyry sculpture group of four Roman emperors dating from around 300 AD. The sculptural group has been fixed to a corner of the façade of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy since the Middle Ages. It probably formed part of the decorations of the Philadelphion in Constantinople, and was removed to Venice in 1204 or soon after. Spolia from the Fourth Crusade, the statues were originally designed as two separate sculptures, each consisting of a pair of armoured late Roman emperors embracing one another. The paired statues stand on plinths supported by a console of the same stone, and their backs are engaged in the remains of large porphyry columns to which the statues were once attached, carved all of a piece. The columns no longer exist, and one emperor pair is missing part of the plinth and an emperor's foot, which has been found in Istanbul. One statue pair has been sliced vertically and is missing a large portion of the right-hand emperor's right side, while another vertical slice divides the two figures and has sawn through their embracing arms. The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs probably depicts the four rulers of the Empire instituted by Emperor Diocletian – the first Tetrarchy. He appointed as co-augustus Maximian; they chose Galerius and Constantius I as their caesares; Constantius was father to Constantine the Great. There is disagreement as to the identity of these statues and their placement, but it is suggested that the Eastern rulers form a pair and the Western rulers form the other pair, each pair consisting of the senior augustus and the junior caesar. Another possibility is that the two augusti are depicted in one pair and the two caesares in the other. A third, older theory is that they represent a dynastic group of the Constantinian dynasty.
Piazza delle Erbe is a square in Verona, northern Italy. It was once the town's forum during the time of the Roman Empire.
The Abbey of Santa Giustina is a 10th-century Benedictine abbey complex located in front of the Prato della Valle in central Padua, region of Veneto, Italy. Adjacent to the former monastery is the basilica church of Santa Giustina, initially built in the 6th century, but whose present form derives from a 17th-century reconstruction.
The San Boldo Pass is a small mountain pass in Veneto between the towns of Trichiana [] and Tovena in the Cison di Valmarino region [] over a distance of. The pass lies at the southern edge of the Alps and connects the Val Belluna with the Val Mareno over a height of. The mountain pass is called the SP 635 and only one lane is passable, the traffic is regulated by several sets of lights. There is a speed limit of and a height limit of, after buses were repeatedly stuck in the tunnel. There are five tunnels blasted into the rock with hairpin turns or loops, and six bridges.
Tofane is a mountain group in the Dolomites of northern Italy, west of Cortina d'Ampezzo in the province of Belluno, Veneto. Most of the Tofane lie within the Ampezzo Dolomites Natural Park.
Verona Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Verona, northern Italy, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the designation Santa Maria Matricolare. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Verona. It was erected after two Palaeo-Christian churches on the same site had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1117. Built in Romanesque style, the cathedral was consecrated on September 13, 1187. The structure was later modified by several renovation interventions, although the plan has remained unchanged.
The military memorial of Monte Grappa is the largest Italian military ossuary of the First World War. It is located on the summit of Monte Grappa between the provinces of Treviso and Vicenza, at 1,776 meters above sea level. Access to the memorial is via the Strada Cadorna, built by the army on the orders of General Luigi Cadorna to bring construction materials for the fortification on Monte Grappa in 1917.
The Quadrilatero is the traditional name of a defensive system of the Austrian Empire in the Lombardy-Venetia region of Italy, which connected the fortresses of Peschiera, Mantua, Legnago and Verona between the Mincio, the Po, and the Adige Rivers. The name refers to the fact that on a map the fortresses appear to form the vertices of a quadrilateral. In the period between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the Revolutions of 1848, they were the only fully modernized and armed fortresses within the Empire. Starting from c. 1850, supplies and reinforcements were shipped to the positions through the new Venice-Milan railroad. The experience of the Second Italian Independence War of 1859, in which rifled guns had been used for the first time by the Italian Army, pushed the Austrians to build a second line of eight forts, about 4 kilometers from the main line, pivoting around Verona.
The Palazzo della Ragione is a medieval market hall, town hall and palace of justice building in Padua, in the Veneto region of Italy. The upper floor was dedicated to the town and justice administration; while the ground floor still hosts the historical covered market of the city. The palace separates the two market squares of Piazza delle Erbe from Piazza dei Frutti. It is popularly called il Salone. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Padua's 14th-century fresco cycles.
The Ponte Vecchio or Ponte degli Alpini is the covered wooden designed by the architect Andrea Palladio in 1569. The bridge is located in Bassano del Grappa and was destroyed many times, the last time in World War II. The bridge spans the river Brenta. The Brenta was an important means of communication in the 18th century from the mountains of Grappa to Venice.
The Marciana Library or Library of Saint Mark is a public library in Venice, Italy. It is one of the earliest surviving public libraries and repositories for manuscripts in Italy and holds one of the world's most significant collections of classical texts. It is named after St Mark, the patron saint of the city. The library was founded in 1468 when the humanist scholar Cardinal Bessarion, bishop of Tusculum and titular Latin patriarch of Constantinople, donated his collection of Greek and Latin manuscripts to the Republic of Venice, with the stipulation that a library of public utility be established. The collection was the result of Bessarion's persistent efforts to locate rare manuscripts throughout Greece and Italy and then acquire or copy them as a means of preserving the writings of the classical Greek authors and the literature of Byzantium after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. His choice of Venice was primarily due to the city's large community of Greek refugees and its historical ties to the Byzantine Empire. The Venetian government was slow, however, to honour its commitment to suitably house the manuscripts with decades of discussion and indecision, owing to a series of military conflicts in the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth centuries and the resulting climate of political uncertainty. The library was ultimately built during the period of recovery as part of a vast programme of urban renewal aimed at glorifying the republic through architecture and affirming its international prestige as a centre of wisdom and learning. The original library building is located in Saint Mark's Square, Venice's former governmental centre, with its long façade facing the Doge's Palace. Constructed between 1537 and 1588, it is considered the masterpiece of the architect Jacopo Sansovino and a key work in Venetian Renaissance architecture. The Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio described it as perhaps the richest and most ornate building that there has been since ancient times up until now. The art historian Jacob Burckhardt regarded it as the most magnificent secular Italian building, and Frederick Hartt called it one of the most satisfying structures in Italian architectural history. Also significant for its art, the library holds many works by the great painters of sixteenth-century Venice, making it a comprehensive monument to Venetian Mannerism. Today, the building is customarily referred to as the 'italic=no' and is largely a museum. Since 1904, the library offices, the reading rooms, and most of the collection have been housed in the adjoining Zecca, the former mint of the Republic of Venice. The library is now formally known as the italic=no. It is the only official institution established by the Venetian Republican government that survives and continues to function.
San Giorgio Maggiore is a 16th-century Benedictine church on the island of the same name in Venice, northern Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio, and built between 1566 and 1610. The church is a basilica in the classical Renaissance style and its brilliant white marble gleams above the blue water of the lagoon opposite the Piazzetta di San Marco and forms the focal point of the view from every part of the Riva degli Schiavoni.
The Clock Tower in Venice is an early Renaissance building on the north side of the Piazza San Marco, at the entrance to the Merceria. It comprises a tower, which contains the clock, and lower buildings on each side. It adjoins the eastern end of the Procuratie Vecchie. Both the tower and the clock date from the last decade of the 15th century, though the mechanism of the clock has subsequently been much altered. It was placed where the clock would be visible from the waters of the lagoon and give notice to everyone of the wealth and glory of Venice. The lower two floors of the tower make a monumental archway into the main street of the city, the Merceria, which linked the political and religious centre with the commercial and financial centre. Today it is one of the 11 venues managed by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
The Murano Glass Museum on the island of Murano showcases an impressive collection that chronicles the history of glassmaking from ancient times to the present day. Visitors can admire exquisite glassworks from various eras, including delicate pieces from the Renaissance and innovative modern creations. This tranquil museum, away from the usual tourist crowds, offers fascinating insights into Venetian glassblowing. Afterwards, one appreciates the beautiful glass creations in the souvenir and craft shops even more.
Lagazuoi is a mountain in the Dolomites of northern Italy, lying at an elevation of, about southwest by road from Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Veneto Region. The mountain is part of the Ampezzo Dolomites Natural Park. It is accessible by cable car and contains the Rifugio Lagazuoi, a mountain refuge situated beyond the northwest corner of Cima del Lago. The mountain range is well known for its wartime tunnels and First World War mine warfare. The extensive tunnels were built by the Italian troops trying to wrest control from Austro-Hungarian troops who also built tunnels. The tunnels are now open as a de facto museum.
Monte Civetta is a prominent and major mountain of the Dolomites, in the Province of Belluno in northern Italy. Its north-west face can be viewed from the Taibon Agordino valley, and is classed as one of the symbols of the Dolomites. The mountain is thought to have been first climbed by Simeone di Silvestro in 1855, which, if true, makes it the first major Dolomite peak to be climbed. The north-western face, with its 1,000-metre-high cliff, was first climbed in 1925 by Emil Solleder and Gustl Lettenbauer. It is historically considered the first sixth grade in six-tier scale of alpinistic difficulties proposed by Willo Welzenbach. Thirty years later UIAA used this as a basis for its grading system. The famed Svan mountain climber Mikhail Khergiani died in a climbing accident on Monte Civetta in 1969.
The Church of San Zaccaria is a 15th-century former monastic church in central Venice, Italy. It is a large edifice, located in the Campo San Zaccaria, just off the waterfront to the southeast of Piazza San Marco and St Mark's Basilica. It is dedicated to St. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
The Falzarego Pass is a high mountain pass in the province of Belluno in Italy. It mainly connects the territory of Agordo and Cortina d'Ampezzo. From the pass, starts also SP24 directed northbound to Val Badia passing below Sass de Stria and through Valparola Pass. A gondola rises to the Lagazuoi, which was the object of heavy combat and mine warfare in World War I. The tunnel that the Italians built under the Austro-Hungarian lines is open to the public.
Villa Barbaro, also known as the Villa di Maser, is a large villa at Maser in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It was designed and built by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, with frescos by Paolo Veronese and sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria, for Daniele Barbaro, Patriarch of Aquileia and ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England and his brother Marcantonio, an ambassador to King Charles IX of France. The villa was added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1996.
The Scaliger Tombs is a group of five Gothic funerary monuments in Verona, Italy, celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century. The tombs are located in a court outside the church of Santa Maria Antica, separated from the street by a wall with iron grilles. Built in Gothic style, they are a series of tombs, mostly freestanding open tabernacle-like structures rising high above the ground, with a sarcophagus surmounted by an elaborate baldachin, topped by a statue of the deceased, mounted and wearing armour. According to the French historian Georges Duby, they are one of the most outstanding examples of Gothic art.
Monte Antelao is the highest mountain in the eastern Dolomites in northeastern Italy, southeast of the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the region of Cadore. The Monte Antelao is an ultra-prominent peak. It is known as the King of the Dolomites. As the highest pinnacle of the eastern Dolomites, the Antelao is not part of a closed massif or a high plateau, but a single, mighty rock pyramid. Like many Dolomite peaks, Antelao is steep, rocky, and pointed; it also sits close to the edge of the Dolomite uplift and so has dramatic drops to the nearby valleys. When the weather is good, Monte Antelao is clearly visible from Trieste on the Adriatic Sea. The summit was reached for the first time in 1850 by the hunter Matteo Ossi from San Vito, who then accompanied the mountaineer Paul Grohmann to the summit in 1863. The modern Alta Via 4 trail which goes through Antelao has a nickname Alta Via di Grohmann. The easiest route is from the north, known as the Laste, a steep, narrow ridge. It involves a good deal of exposure, and a few short technical sections, such as a chimney, protected by cables. There is a refuge, the Rifugio Galassi, which is located below the Forcella Piccola in the upper Val d'Oten.
Cinque Torri comprise a small rock formation belonging to Nuvolao group in the Dolomiti Ampezzane north-west of San Vito di Cadore and south-west of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The Museo Correr is a museum in Venice, northern Italy. Located in St. Mark's Square, Venice, it is one of the 11 civic museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The museum extends along the southside of the square on the upper floors of the Procuratorie Nuove. With its rich and varied collections, the Museo Correr covers both the art and history of Venice.
The Ponte Pietra is a Roman arch bridge crossing the Adige River in Verona, Italy. The bridge was completed in 100 BC, and the Via Postumia from Genoa to Aquileia passed over it. It is the oldest bridge in Verona. It originally flanked another Roman bridge, the Pons Postumius; both structures provided the city with access to the Roman theatre on the east bank. The arch nearest to the right bank of the Adige was rebuilt in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala. Four arches of the bridge were blown up by retreating German troops in World War II, but rebuilt in 1957 with original materials.
The Orto Botanico di Padova is a botanical garden in Padua, in the northeastern part of Italy. Founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic, it is the world's oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location. The garden – operated by the University of Padua and owned by the Italian government – encompasses roughly 22,000 square meters, and is known for its special collections and historical design.
Monte Pelmo is a mountain of the Dolomites, in the province of Belluno, Northeastern Italy. The mountain resembles a giant block which stands isolated from other peaks, so can be seen clearly from the neighbouring valleys and from nearby mountains such as Antelao and Monte Civetta. Monte Pelmo was one of the first major Dolomite peaks to be climbed, by Englishman John Ball, who later became president of the UK's Alpine Club, in 1857. He set out with a chamois hunter from the Boitevalley towards Monte Pelmo. Over the long ledge named after Ball, which the chamois hunters refused to cross, Ball got into the large cirque, through which he climbed over the small Pelmo glacier to below the summit structure. West of the summit lies a secondary peak, Pelmetto, at 2,990m high, which has a high north face.
Ca' Rezzonico is a palazzo and art museum on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice, Italy. It is a particularly notable example of the 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, and displays paintings by the leading Venetian painters of the period, including Francesco Guardi and Giambattista Tiepolo. It is a public museum dedicated to 18th-century Venice and one of the 11 venues managed by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
The Casa di Giulietta in Verona – the supposed home of literature’s most famous lovers – draws countless visitors each year. Originally built in the 13th century and once owned by the Cappello family, the medieval building was later linked to the fictional house of the Capulets from Shakespeare’s tragedy.
The Piraeus Lion is one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal, Italy, where it was displayed as a symbol of Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark. The statue is made of white marble and stands some 3 m high. It is particularly noteworthy for two lengthy runic inscriptions on its shoulders and flanks; these were likely carved by Scandinavians sometime in the 11th century AD.
The Ca' d'Oro or Palazzo Santa Sofia is a palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, northern Italy. One of the older palaces in the city, its name means golden house due to the gilt and polychrome external decorations which once adorned its walls. Since 1927, it has been used as a museum, as the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti. It has long been regarded as the best surviving palazzo in Venetian Gothic architecture, retaining all the most characteristic features, despite some losses. On the facade, the loggia-like window group of closely spaced small columns, with heavy tracery with quatrefoil openings above, uses the formula from the Doge's Palace that had become iconic. There are also the byzantine-inspired decoration along the roofline, and patterning in fancy coloured stone to the flat wall surfaces. The smaller windows show a variety of forms with an ogee arch, capped with a relief ornament, and the edges and zone boundaries are marked with ropework reliefs. The third act of Amilcare Ponchielli's opera La gioconda is set in the palace.
San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the islands of Venice, northern Italy, lying east of the Giudecca and south of the main island group. The island, or more specifically its Palladian church, is an important landmark. It has been much painted, featuring for example in a series by Monet.
Palazzo Grassi is a building in the Venetian Classical style located on the Grand Canal of Venice, between the Palazzo Moro Lin and the campo San Samuele.
Padua Cathedral, or Basilica Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, is a Catholic church and minor basilica located on the east end of Piazza Duomo, adjacent to the bishop's palace in Padua, Veneto, Italy. The cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, is the seat of the Bishop of Padua. The church building, first erected as a cathedral in the 4th century, has undergone major reconstructions over the centuries.
Villa Pisani at Stra refers to the monumental, late-Baroque rural palace located along the Brenta Canal at Via Doge Pisani 7 near the town of Stra, on the mainland of the Veneto, northern Italy. This villa is one of the largest examples of Villa Veneta located in the Riviera del Brenta, the canal linking Venice to Padua. The patrician Pisani family of Venice commissioned a number of villas, also known as Villa Pisani across the Venetian mainland. The villa and gardens now operate as a national museum, and the site sponsors art exhibitions.
Piazzale Roma is a square in Venice, Italy, at the entrance of the city, at the end of the Ponte della Libertà. Piazzale Roma and nearby Tronchetto island are the only places in Venice's insular urban core accessible to ground motor vehicles, such as automobiles and buses. The square acts as the main bus station for Venice. There are bus links to Venice Marco Polo Airport and Treviso Airport. The square is close to the main Santa Lucia railway station for Venice, linked by the Ponte della Costituzione, a modern footbridge over the western end of the Grand Canal, installed in 2008. The Venice People Mover, a public transit system, connects Tronchetto island and Piazzale Roma. It started operating in 2010.
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is a basilica church on the island of Torcello, Venice, northern Italy. It is a notable example of Late Paleochristian architecture, one of the most ancient religious edifices in the Veneto, and containing the earliest mosaics in the area of Venice.
The Pedrocchi Café is a café founded in the 18th century in central Padua, Italy. It has architectural prominence because its rooms were decorated in diverse styles, arranged in an eclectic ensemble by the architect Giuseppe Jappelli. The café has historical prominence because of its role in the 1848 riots against the Habsburg monarchy, as well as for being an attraction for artists over the last century from the French novelist Stendhal to Lord Byron to the Italian writer Dario Fo.
The Garda Mountains, occasionally also the Garda Hills, are an extensive mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps in northern Italy.
Villa Foscari is a patrician villa in Mira, near Venice, northern Italy, designed by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. It is also known as La Malcontenta, a nickname which—according to a legend—it received when the spouse of one of the Foscaris was locked up in the house because she allegedly did not live up to her conjugal duty.
The Ospedale della Pietà was a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice. Like other Venetian ospedali, the Pietà was first established as a hospice for the needy. A group of Venetian nuns, called the Consorelle di Santa Maria dell’Umiltà, established this charitable institution for orphans and abandoned girls in the fourteenth century. By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Pietà – along with the three other charitable Ospedali Grandi – was well known for its all-female musical ensembles that attracted tourists and patrons from around Europe. Its fame is largely connected to its resident composer and violin teacher Antonio Vivaldi.
The Roman theatre of Verona is an ancient Roman theatre in Verona, northern Italy. It is not to be confused with the Roman amphitheatre known as the Verona Arena.
San Lorenzo is a church building in the sestiere of Castello of Venice, northern Italy. The church dates to the 9th century, and became attached to the neighboring Benedictine monastery. It was rebuilt in 1580-1616 to designs by Simone Sorela. The high altar was partially sculpted by Giovanni Maria da Cannaregio using designs by Girolamo Campagna. The latter sculptor completed the statues of Saints Lawrence and Sebastian. Marco Polo was buried there, per his request on his deathbed. Saint Paul I of Constantinople relics were brought to Venice in 1226. They are currently kept in San Lorenzo.
The Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni is a Renaissance sculpture in Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, Italy, created by Andrea del Verrocchio in 1480–1488. Portraying the condottiero Bartolomeo Colleoni, it has a height of 395 cm excluding the pedestal. It is the second major equestrian statue of the Italian Renaissance, after Donatello's equestrian statue of Gattamelata.