Among the different faces of Venice, there is a half-hidden one, present but not dominant, and it is the face of a mask that whispers an ancient story, older than Venice itself.
Among the Gothic and oriental architectures, which make the identity of the most beautiful city in the world, there is a Venice that looks to Rome and Athens, contrasted by conservative families, faithful to the history of a city oriented towards the sea. It is the Venice of families who look to the west, to the hinterland, as to the future of the state. The Renaissance also lands in Venice, among the first collections of classical antiquities, and a new ideal, which looks to the north and to the modern man who is being forged beyond the Alps, in that sixteenth century in which the winds of the Reformation are raging powerful and dangerous even here in lagoon.
Starting from a San Marco square revised with completely new eyes, we discover how the Peloponnese and many Greek islands were among the territories of the Serenissima, so we can travel with the fastest galleys in the Mediterranean back in time, getting lost in the myth: here are the inscriptions and thousands of coins, a colossal foot, and Phidian sculptures, before being carried over into Hellenism. Lysippos accompanies us until we reach a Rome of emperors, among busts and sarcophagi that have reached us thanks to those families who saw Rome not only as the capital of a state in competition with a larger and richer Venice at that time.
It's time to proceed towards Rialto to discover two great works by Sansovino and Titian. We are among the liveliest bacari in the city, as well as the oldest and most characteristic, and we allow ourselves at least one typical Venetian cicchetto before the lunch break.
It will then be the time of a very particular Renaissance, uniquely Venetian, which will suddenly appear to us candid and magnificent as it emerges from a calle into an eternal campiello: Scuole Grandi e Chiese, before the chapter of the Domus Grimani: the story thickens, the Patriarchate of Aquileia and Palladio enters, while you go out again into the narrow streets where you will discover some secret places.
A mysterious door will remind us that Renaissance coexists here with a marvelous world of spices and legends, of merchants and their stories from all over the Mediterranean: the ideal mixes with the enchantment, before returning to look at the lagoon. Here appear San Giorgio and the Redentore, villas that have become churches reflected on a large field of water, two of the jewels of the most influential architect in history.
An absolutely unforgettable experience, an engaging itinerant story, a must for the most demanding enthusiasts.
Request this special tour (you can't find it on our site) directly by sending an email to info@palladianroutes.com, writing "I ask for information on the tour The breath of Athens and Rome in Venice".
For all our other adventures, find them here! :)
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