The Venetian Landscape is made up of stone, water, and light. These are the elements which come together in perfect harmony to make Venice “La Serenissima”, the most serene.
With Alvise as a guide you will discover not only the major attractions, such as San Marco, Rialto, and the Grand Canal, but we’ll also get off the beaten path, or even off the path all together and into the water on a romantic gondola ride. We’ll give you an introduction to the typical characters of the Venetian architecture throughout the centuries, and meet the best Italian architects: Palladio, Serlio, Sansovino, Selva, Cicogna, and now Gae Aulenti.
You will be able to identify and to understand the surprising origins of the special features in Venetian architecture on palaces, churches and even humble houses. Venice is a city that should be seen in its element: earth and water. Colors and reflections express messages of poetry, like a kaleidoscope in such a way that what one sees is never fixed, but is an expression of perpetual motion. This is particularly evident in the neighborhoods of Castello and Cannaregio.
These are where the simpler people live, such as the artisans and merchants, where the quiet of the campo becomes an extension of the houses around it. You will understand where, and why, painters like Canaletto, Veronese, Tiepolo found their inspiration!