‘The loveliest salon in Europe’

The seat of power and the heart of Venice is St Mark’s Square, which Napoleon called ‘the loveliest salon in Europe’. Presiding over the square is St Mark’s Basilica, magnificent with its five huge domes and Byzantine-style architecture − the 11th century church was Venice’s answer to the power of Constantinople. St Mark’s glows with gold mosaics inside and out, and the only sight to compete with them is its floor − you could spend all day gazing at the intricate abstract designs, wild animals and peacocks picked out in its tiles. Climb up to the Loggia for a bird’s eye view of the floor, and close-up of the mosaics − and outside − a great vantage point for overlooking the rest of St Mark’s Square. The Doges’ Palace (Palazzo Ducale) faces the waterfront next to the basilica. For all the splendour of St Mark’s it was built to serve the palace as the private chapel of the Doges − the men who ran the Venetian Republic for more than a thousand years, f rom 726AD until Napoleon conquered it in 1797. The palace housed the Doges’ personal chambers as well as the official rooms of state − and − across the romantically named ‘Bridge of Sighs’ − the city’s infamous prison cells − where Casanova was once incarcerated. Rich beyond belief with the spoils of their maritime adventuring, and the loot brought back from the Crusades, the Doges employed the finest artists of their age − the works of Titian and Veronese adorn walls and ceilings throughout the palace. Some of the most interesting revelations about life in the republic come from the details, however − such as the lionfaced letterboxes of the administration − through whose mouths people were encouraged to post anonymous denunciations for the authorities to investigate. Outside in the square you can join the grand tradition of visitors to Venice and sit and reflect on the city’s splendour, while relaxing at a café. The two most famous date back to the time of the republic − Café Florian and Café Quadri are both more than 200 years old − and over the centuries their tables have been graced by the likes of Lord Byron, Marcel Proust and Henry James.

A life in art

Walking around Venice you feel like you’re in an open-air gallery − around any corner you might find a picture-perfect scene − the arc of a tiny bridge linking two handsome buildings, decorated with carvings and abundant green window boxes, and the whole scene reflected with perfect symmetry in the green waters of a canal. The grander the waterway, the grander the buildings − take the No 1 Vaporetto (waterbus) from Piazzale Roma along the Grand Canal for a leisurely view of the grandest of them all. On either side you’ll see some of the finest examples of Veneto-Byzantine and Baroque architecture, as the city’s historic public buildings and palazzi compete for your attention. On the way you can stop off at one of Venice’s excellent galleries - many of them housed in the palazzi − go to Ca’ Pesaro for modern and oriental art, Ca’ Rezzonico for a taste of the 18th century, and for an overview of it all, the Gallerie dell’Accademia is an absolute must - with exhibitions that follow the development of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries − including masterpieces by High Renaissance stars such as Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese. Near the mouth of the Grand Canal, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a real treat − housed in the unfinished Palazzo Venier dei Leoni where Peggy Guggenheim lived for 30 years until her death in 1979. Her personal collection contains works from most of the major artistic movements of the 20th century − and it is a wonderful spot to fantasise about living the life of a wealthy heiress!

Modern day masters

Venice’s wealth demanded luxury in abundance, and the city’s artisans rose to the challenge − creating glasswear, lace, marbled paper and elaborate masks for the annual Carnival, which are now renowned the world over. A short boat ride from the main city, the glassblowers on the island of Murano were once the only people in Europe who knew how to make mirrors − a secret so fiercely guarded that they were banned from leaving the city. Today things are far more relaxed, and you can watch them at work in furnaces around the island, making everything from the tiniest beads to enormous, decadent chandeliers. The island of Burano, just next door, became famous for its lace industry − and a few nimble fingers maintain the tradition − the island is a pretty place to explore in its own right − a pastel coloured fishing village that’s a lovely contrast to the splendours of Venice. No less indulgent is delicious Venetian food, which, as you might expect, is rich in seafood − octopus, crabs, fish and shellfish of all kinds. You can see them, still squirming, at the daily Rialto market − where shoppers have been coming to find the freshest of the fresh for almost a thousand years. Venice is a great city to snack too − try ’cicheti’ the city’s answer to Spanish tapas − with all kinds of dishes served up with a glass of wine − or Venice’s favourite cocktail − the bright red and bitter ‘Spritz’ − a mix of Prosecco, soda and bitters. If you’re in a rush to keep sightseeing you don’t even have to sit down − join the crowds on the pavement by the city’s hole-in-the-wall snack bars, that serve all kinds of delicacies you can munch on the move.