Venice

Italy • Veneto • Venice

Into the romantic heart of Venice

Venice has always managed to position itself to great advantage. Strategically positioned between the Mediterranean and the mountain passes up through the Alps into northern Europe, Venice was perfectly placed to make a fortune from East-West trade. In the Middle Ages having the relics of a saint lent status to a city, so in the year 828 bones were stolen from a saint's shrine in Alexandria and smuggled out of Egypt in a barrel of pork. St Marks Cathedral was built to house these salubrious relics! The Cathedral was rebuilt in the 11th century, with mosaics being added over the next two centuries, and this magnificent medieval building presides over the city's most famous square. In medieval times trading agreements with sultans protected Venice while the city funded ships for the knights' crusades. When other crusaders trashed everything in their wake, the Venetians saw value. Gold and jewel encrusted Byzantine treasures looted during the sack of Constantinople in 1204 are displayed in St Mark's cathedral.

When Venice became a republic the Doge's Palace government building was built in 1301-1340 on St Mark's Square and looking out over the open basin, alongside the Bridge of Sighs. Venice has always had powerful commercial and cultural interests, founding the world banking system as we know it in the 1400s, when it led the world in printing and artistic academies were founded. Florian's is where artists gathered over the centuries and sipping an espresso in this famous cafe it's tempting to wonder if the walls have ears...

Even today, there are no cars, just boats and gondolas swishing along the canals, linking the myriad islands on which Venice is built. Venice remains one of the most intriguing cities in the world. We time our visits to be slightly out of season, to maximise the sense of timelessness. The effect is amplified when you gaze at the canals by moonlight. Stepping lightly over the bridges, or looking around St Mark's Square, for a moment you can almost slip into a scene from painting from 500 years ago.