Archive for 'Venice'

The Bellini is on almost every cocktail menu in the world and is one of the world's most beloved alcoholic beverages. It was born in Venice in Harry's Bar sometime between 1934 and 1948. Its inventor was Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar, and it was so named due to its typically distinct pink colour (depending on ingredients used, this can vary in hue) which reminded him of the toga a saint wore in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini. The drink started as a seasonal speciality at Harry's and later became popular at the bar's New York counterpart. Once fresh white peach purée could be shipped constantly to both locations, it became a year-round favourite.

In 2005, a very unusual discovery was made on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo. Among other bodies discovered in the mass plague graves of the island was a woman's skull with a brick jammed into her mouth – a vampire. Thus, Lazzaretto Nuovo became the vampire island of Venice and news outlets from around the world reported on the discovery of the strange corpse. Of course, you might wonder why a brick in her mouth didn't merely suggest an accident or prank but the act of putting a brick in the mouth of a corpse had a very distinct reasoning behind it.

When you first think of Venice, what comes to mind? St Mark's? Canals? Gondolas? Probably not kayaks, right? Yet, something which has been gaining popularity over the past few years are kayak tours of the canals of this historic city. You literally get to see the city from a different perspective and it's a fun and more active way to get around. It's also a good way to independently navigate the city as its canals are the only way to get around and are usually only the domain of public transport, taxis and locals' vehicles. Find a holiday rental in Venice and you can have a very unique, once-in-a-lifetime adventure to show friends and family pictures of when you get home. The look of surprise on their faces will make it very much worth it!

St Mark's Basilica in Venice, is the city's cathedral. The original church was built inside the complex of the Doge's Palace in 828 to house the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist which had supposedly been stolen by Venetian merchants from Alexandria. It was burned to the ground in 976 during an uprising and rebuilt twice. By the time it was to be rebuilt for the second time, the Venetian Republic had become a much greater power and, to symbolise its growing power and wealth, a new basilica complex was built and consecrated in 1094. This is the building that we know today. First, it was only used as the doge's private chapel and became the city's cathedral in the nineteenth century.

It is a well-known fact that Venice is built above a marshland and is home to famous canals, that it is traversed by boats rather than vehicles. Due to this, the city is, understandably, prone to flooding. While some of the city's most luxurious hotels and elegant stores constantly fight against their surroundings to maintain pristine buildings, other people have just given in to the reality of living and being based in Venice. One example of this is a very famous bookshop in the city, Libreria Acqua Alta, who leave the water flow as it will and have placed their goods inside waterproof containers and storage instead.