Ten guidelines for tourists from the City of Venice

City of Venice Information Campaign for Tourists
"Live the City--Venice is yours too, Respect it!"

There are those who would argue that Venice, Italy, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and there are those, like me, who would argue that it is the most beautiful city in the world. So, it’s no surprise when every year millions of tourists cross oceans and continents seeking their own intimate interaction with the city that, as far back as the 1300s, contributed to the Renaissance and controlled European trade with Asia and the Middle East. To understand Venice’s grandeur, past and present, all one needs to do is pause and look. Venice is a work of art, and her treasures are detailed in every corner, arch, façade, nook and cranny. A city so culturally rich that a lifetime isn’t long enough to discover all she has to offer. But Venice isn't a museum or an amusement park. It's home to approximately 60,000 people and a place of work to many more.

It was the mid-80s when I first walked through Venice’s labyrinth of calli: the Berlin wall was still standing, Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, Madonna hadn’t yet traded-in her lace gloves for a leather bustier, and many who ate at the chicest restaurants in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles still opted for French cuisine and had yet to taste their first forkful of risotto or tiramisu. Then, fortunately, the wall came down; the internet sped up; gelato became an internationally recognized word; pre-9/11 air travel became easier; cruise ships filled ports and gave travelers an option; and many who had never dreamt of setting foot outside their country became informed tourists and discovered the art of traveling abroad. Yet in recent years as tourism has developed into Venice’s number one industry many visitors, certainly not all, seem to have forgotten or perhaps never considered simple polite behavior and respect for their surroundings.

This year alone local and international papers and social networks published far too many photographs taken of tourists behaving in ways which are deemed disrespectful to Venice, to the Venetians and to Italy. There was the group sitting in high water in the finest drawing room in Europe, their feet propped up on a café table, while their friends swam—in bathing suits—in a flooded St. Mark’s square; a middle aged man walking around town, his shirt-tails open and flapping in the breeze to reveal a physique that only a doctor should be forced to see, and twenty something year olds in flip-flops and bathing suits sunning themselves while sightseeing in a city where wearing shorts—except if you’re running the Venice Marathon—by local standards is considered unacceptable attire.  Some may find it funny to see people swimming in St. Mark's square, some may think a dress code anywhere, let alone on vacation, is outdated. But I can guarantee that the majority of locals, and the City of Venice, find these situations an insult to their city and their culture.  

So, the City of Venice, in an effort to welcome and inform tourists, has developed a list of 10 guidelines available in seven languages. The decorum list has been posted around town and fliers are being handed out to visiting tourists.  I've duplicated the list in English below to let you in on the guidelines, too. Have a look, and then feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. If you want to give Venice a helping hand you can share the info with your friends, too. For information in other languages click on this link: http://www.comune.venezia.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/57560

·      Litter

Please do not litter.

Throw rubbish into the nearest waste bin!

Help us keep Venice clean.

(Local bylaw art. 9 and 23

Fine up to 500 euros)

 

·       Picnicking

Please sit on the bench to eat your picnic.

Remember that the entire area around St. Mark’s Basilica

(throughout St. Mark’s Square, Piazzetta dei leoncini, and right up to the quay/waterfront)

is a no-picnicking area.

Help us look after Venice.

(Local bylaw, art. 23

Fine up to 500 euros)

 

·       Dress

You may not walk around Venice in swimwear or bare-chested,

nor plunge or take a bath (swim) in canals.

Please behave respectfully in the city. You can find beaches on the Lido Island.

(Local bylaw, art. 12 and art. 23

Fine up to 500 euros)

 

·       Pigeons

As well as damaging Venice’s artistic heritage, pigeons

carry diseases. Don’t feed them!

Safe guard your health and that of Venice’s monuments.

(Municipal bylaw on environmental health and animal health

And welfare, art. 24 Fine up to 500 euros)

 

·       Graffiti and bill posting

If you deface Venice through graffiti

or flier-posting you are damaging the city.

Use the official sites for your posters.

Venice is a city of art.

(Local by law, art. 13; for graffiti:

Fines up to 500 euro.

Defacing important monuments is considered a criminal offence.

For fly (flier) posting: fine up to 412 euro)

 

·       Obstructing Traffic

Given that Venice’s calli, or lanes, are very narrow

you should keep to the right

and avoid lingering on bridges.

Remember not everyone is on holiday, lots of people

live and work in the city. So help us make Venice

a pleasant place for everyone!

 

·       Transport

When traveling on public transport,

remember to respect other passengers:

put your rucksack (backpack) on the ground,

avoid standing in the entrance, and store

your bags/luggage where the boat staff tells you.

The water buses are the only form of public transport used

by both tourists and locals.

Help us make Venice a better place to live in!

(Local bylaw art. 50

Fine up to 500 euro)

 

·       Acqua Alta (flooding)

Alternative routes exist in case of acqua alta (flooding).

Use the raised walkways.

Keep to the right, don’t loiter.

Discover how fascinating Venice can be at high tide.

(Note from me: I would have left this last statement out! Acqua alta is not very fascinating for the locals.)

 

·       Street Vendors

If you buy goods from unlicensed street

vendors you are committing a crime

as well as putting your health at risk.

These products are not subjected to

any form of control. They harm you, the crafts sector

and encourage exploitation of the weak.

(Italian law No. 80/2005 art. 1 par. 7

amended by Italian law 99/2009, art. 17.

Fines up to 7,000 euro + seizure of goods purchased)

 

·       Disturbing the Peace

Venice is just like every other city:

So respect the neighbors and keep the noise down

after 11 o’clock at night.

You can have fun without disturbing others!

(Local bylaw art. 29.

Fines up to 500 euro)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever dreamt of learning to speak Italian in Italy?

The quiet of Matera, Basilicata

One of the benefits of blogging about Italy is meeting others who are as crazy in love with my adopted country as I am. Melissa Muldoon is one of them. Earlier this year Melissa and I met and exchanged a few messages on our social network pages. Soon we had made plans to meet, face to face, in Venice.

 

It was a gorgeous spring day when I found myself seated next to Melissa and across the table from the very lively group of Italian language students she had accompanied to Venice. Over plates of steaming seafood lasagna and fresh fried calamari at Al Diavolo e l’Acquasanta, a restaurant owned by family friends and one of my favorite places to eat in Venice, Melissa told me she was planning other Italian Language and Cultural Immersion Trips for 2013 and 2014. When I saw how much fun this group of all ages was having I thought my readers might be interested in learning more about her upcoming trips, too, and perhaps join her on one! So, I invited Melissa to write about her learn while travelling trips to Italy here, on Italy to Los Angeles and Back. Please welcome Melissa Muldoon…la Studentessa Matta!

Melissa Muldoon

Ciao! Sono Melissa, la studentessa matta – the crazy student of Italian! I studied Art History and painting in Florence in college, and now I am a graphic designer in the San Francisco Bay area. About fourteen years ago on a whim—regretting I didn’t learn the language well as a college student—I began to self-teach myself Italian. I started my journey with grammar books bought at a local bookstore. Then I went on to find every means available to advance my language skills: I’ve taken evening classes, on-line courses, watched films and soap-operas, listened to music, participated in conversation Meet-up groups and on-line forums, Skyped with Italian friends and traveled all across Italy. I’ve even hosted an Italian high school student in my home for a year. Now, to exercise and flex my language skills, I write the Studentessa Matta Blog  www.studentessamatta.com in Italian. The blog explores aspects of Italian culture and current events in a light humorous way. You can find my posts about il bel paese on Twitter (italiamelissa) and on the Studentessa Matta Facebook page,too.

St. Mark's Basilica, Venice

Recently I’ve taken my passion for Italy and Italian a step further. I now organize language and cultural immersion trips for language students and travelers who want to go beyond the typical Italian tourist experience. When I travel in Italy I like to wander off the beaten track so that I can use and practice the language in a worthwhile and rewarding way. In fact, some of my most meaningful moments in Italy have been those in which I pause to have a conversation with one of the locals. There’s the used book shop owner in Venice who keeps his merchandise safe from acqua alta by storing them in old gondolas in the middle of his shop; the man in a bar in Gubbio—who turns out to be a truffle hunter—and unlocks his shop at midnight to share his homemade wine; the scamorza cheese maker in Martina Franca who fashions her cheese into fanciful shapes for her customers; a restaurant owner in Pienza whose wife makes a to-die-for ribollita soup that is the talk of the town; a Roman cab driver who extends our drive together to include a tour of the city "gratis" so that we may continue our conversation; an artist in Ostuni who welcomes me back into his shop and shows me his latest work of art; and a young musician from Lecce who takes the time to chat with me prior to the Ferragosto parade in which Sant’Oranzo, the town’s patron saint, is celebrated. 

Wine tasting after morning language lessons



Most of these locals don’t speak a drop of English so, not only is it a rewarding experience to speak to someone using their native language, I tend to make a lot of new friends and improve my Italian with each new encounter, and I always learn something special about Italy and Italian culture. The goal of my language tours is to create these kinds of moments for the intrepid travelers who come along with me. 

Check out my past and current Italian tours. I would love for you to join me on my next trip to Italy! You can reach me by email at Melissa@StudentessaMatta.com or find me on my blog StudentessaMatta.com.  

In August 2012 I co-lead a group to Lecce in Puglia with my friend and partner Ylenia Sambata of YLTours. We stayed in a renovated farm house in the middle of an olive grove, complete with swimming pool and a lovely big kitchen where we cooked with Italian nonne—grandmothers—and shared evening meals together. We studied Italian in the mornings and visited Alberobello, Locorotondo and Gallipoli, where we swam in the sea, in the afternoons. We enjoyed professionally guided tours of Lecce, met with local artists and pastry chefs, had dinner with local cheese makers and learned how to properly taste olive oil in a local producer’s grove.

In April 2013 I co-lead a group with my friend and partner Diego Cattaneo of the Venice Italian School in Venice. We stayed on the island of the Giudecca. In the mornings we bought cornetti and cappuccini at the neighborhood bar and enjoyed our breakfast alongside the local tradesmen before taking the vaporetto across the canal to Venice to study at the Venice Italian School. In the afternoons we walked around the city, visited churches, observed glass artists and learned how to work with hot molten glass, and met carnival mask makers. We even got the chance to learn how to row a gondola, and found time to take in an opera at Teatro Malebran.

This fall I have two trips planned for September 2013. There are still spots available if you would like to join me!

I Sassi of Matera by night

September 14-21 2013: I’ll be co-leading a group to Matera in the Basilicata region with my partner Ilaria Navarra of Percorso Italy. We’ll live in the sassi, Matera’s historic city center, take classes in the morning and explore the city in the afternoons. We’ll cook, taste wine, take art history tours, visit famous movie sights and treat ourselves to an underground grotto spa experience. You can sign up now! Spots are still available and details for the Matera trip can be found on the the Studentessa Matta Blog. 

September 22-30, 2013: I’ll return to the Salento area of Puglia with my partner Ylenia Sambata of YLTours. We’ll begin our visit in Puglia in the historic center of Lecce where we’ll take classes and tour the city, and then move out to the countryside to the Masseria for more cooking with Italians chefs, gelato making and wine tasting. We’ll do all the fun activities we did last year and more! You can sign up now! Spots are still available and details for the Puglia trip and can be found on the Studentessa Matta blog.

Matta Language & Immersion Trips for 2014! 

Italian coast

June 1-12, 2014: I’ll be co-leading a language and cultural immersion with Lucca Italian School in the town of Lucca in Tuscany. We’ll live in the heart of the historic city center and take morning class at Lucca Italian School. In the afternoons, we’ll visit nearby hill towns, making excursions to Pisa, Monte Carlo and Pietrasanta, wine tasting, biking & picnicking along the wall in Lucca. We’ll also attend a concert featuring arias by Puccini and other Italian composers, as well as taking cooking classes. You can sign up now! Details for the Lucca trip are available on the Studentessa Matta Blog.

September 2014: Fall trips to Arezzo in Tuscany and Le Marche are in the works and will soon be posted. Stay tuned to the Studentessa Matta Blog to learn more about the upcoming 2014 fall Italian trips.

 

Otello at the Doge's Palace: a Venetian night at the opera.

The stage backdrop in the Doge's Palace courtyard with St. Mark's Church in the twilight.

Two days later and visions of Otello, the opera, are still running through my head.

 
On July 14, 2013 il cortile di Palazzo Ducale, the most beautiful courtyard one can imagine, played host to Giuseppe Verdi's Otello and gave a spectacular performance. It was 1960 the last time Othello sang in the Doge's Palace courtyard, and this event was well worth the wait. Last Sunday tenor Gregory Kunde, a fellow American, interpreted General Othello's power and jealousy beautifully, without sacrificing il Moro's underlying tenderness. Lucio Gallo wore the evil vest of Iago so well some wanted to hiss when he took his final bow but instead applauded the baritone for his bravura. Carmela Remigio's lovely soprano voice was sincere and sweet as Desdemona and gained my sympathy throughout the opera, especially when she met her tragic end. The director, light and visual designers illustrated Venice's historical majesty through symbolic set changes projected against the courtyard façades creating the most fantastical, yet real, stage I’ve ever seen. This, and much more, was beautifully conducted by Maestro Myung-Whun Chang. Teatro La Fenice deserves praise for bringing the city of Venice this production and a night to remember.

 
While exiting the 'theater' at the end of the evening I found myself standing next to an elderly man leaning on his cane. He wore a wise smile and his eyes glistened as he watched the courtyard empty out. He told me he had seen Otello, forty some years ago, the last time it was performed in the courtyard. I asked what he thought. Was this performance as good as the last? He raised his free hand toward the empty stage and sighed, “It was bellissima then, but how can you compete with what we saw tonight.”

 
I was careful and discreet while snapping these photos with my smartphone and I didn’t use the flash. There were so many more I could have taken, but I didn't want to disturb those around me, and I wanted to fully enjoy the opera first hand. I understand one of the performances may eventually be available on DVD or for public television. You might want to see it! In the meantime here's a taste of what I saw:

Il Gonfalone di San Marco




Otello giving Desdemona the handkerchief



Desdemona

 

Iago and Otello

                                                                                                                

San Marco: the winged lion

 

Fantastical stage design

The applause

 

Leaving the 'theater' behind.

Otello: a lesson to those who carry handkerchiefs

Preparations for Otello in the Doge's Palace courtyard

When a good friend mentioned that Teatro La Fenice’s 2012/2013 opera schedule included three performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello in the cortile of Venice's Doge's Palace I decided, no matter what, I was going to attend. Fast forward more than a year; that will happen this week.

 

Otello is based on the play The Tragedy of Othello written in the 1600s by William Shakespeare, and more than two hundred years later adapted to a libretto by Arrigo Boito and scored by Giuseppe Verdi. First performed at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1887 it was last viewed in the cortile of Palazzo Ducale forty-seven years ago with Mario Del Monaco in the lead role.  Also referred to as the Moor of Venice—this sublime tragedy is said to have been taken from a true story—or at least taken from a few true stories—based on people who lived and ruled in Venice. In brief: Desdemona, a noble woman, is inaccurately accused by Iago, a deliciously devious conniver, of betraying her husband, Otello, a Venetian military general. The opera includes all the necessary ingredients: wealth, power and war, love, lies, jealousy, revenge, betrayal, manipulation, and of course murder. What makes this story more authentic to Venice and Venetians is an exquisite palace facing Santa Maria della Salute church on the Grand Canal. It is said to have been Desdemona’s and another palace in the Dorsoduro area is said to have been Otello’s. It is still known as the home of Il Moro—the Moor.

 

Opening night is July 10, 2013; no doubt dignitaries and those with deeper ‘black tie’ pockets will fill the cortile, creating a red carpet feel and most likely bringing positive press and substance for Teatro La Fenice’s future archives. However, based on the interest of about 20 close friends—all either Venetian by birth, marriage or residential adoption—who are as anxious as I am to attend and will join me at one of the following performances—July 14^th and July 17^th—I expect our evening to be quite the Venetian experience.  I will take a photo or two to share with you here after the event.

About the handkerchief: I won't ruin it for those who don't know the significance of il fazzoletto di Desdemona. You might want to pick up the libretto or see the opera. Let's just say that all, men and women, might want to hang on tight to their intimate belongings…Desdemona paid the ultimate price for letting hers drop to the floor.

 

Interested in a magical night with Otello at Palazzo Ducale? Tickets are still available! www.teatrolafenice.it  or follow Teatro La Fenice here: https://www.facebook.com/LaFeniceufficiale

 

ArtNight Venezia: June 22, 2013 an evening you don’t want to miss.

ArtNight Venezia 2013

ArtNight Venezia is fast becoming the cultural summer event around town; this year the organizers—Ca’Foscari Universtiy and the city of Venice—have chosen Saturday June 22, 2013 for its third edition. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. nearly 200 museums, galleries, book stores, concert halls, churches, educational and cultural centers will turn on their lights and open their doors to 400 cultural events, and welcome visitors looking to enrich their curious minds and souls. Free guided tours, concerts, literary readings, documentary films and musical performances will remind the world, and hopefully satisfy locals who often feel invaded at home, that Venice isn’t simply a tourist attraction, but a living, working, breathing conglomeration of magnificent culture.    

 

I was one of ArtNight Venezia's 30,000 spectators last year, and the year before. So, I can testify that it's an event where many of the city's buildings, usually locked up tight, splash light and life onto Venice’s otherwise dark canals and alleyways; a special night of the year when a secret part of Venice—the part I consider her heart—comes to life.

 

During ArtNight Venezia:

 

·       You might experience the sound of a choir spilling onto a campo, leading you up church steps and beyond heavy wood doors that stretch out like open arms, inviting you inside.

 

·       You might find the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista open, and step past the confraternity’s marvelous marble façade to enter the ground floor Sala delle Colonne, and its quiet hidden garden. Then climb one of the two monumental staircases to the Salone Capitolare—the grand room originally built to hold the school’s general assembly. (I like to imagine this salone filled with music, masked gents and damsels dancing over the masterfully laid marble floor.)

 

·       You might visit the Ateneo Veneto in Campo San Fantin to hear an author read an excerpt from his or her book, before taking a guided tour of the institution’s library.

 

·       Or you might accidentally discover a splendid cortile where—with a glass of prosecco placed in your hand—you settle down on cushion covered marble to watch a contemporary dancer project her art on a monastery’s 16^th century wall.

 

These are a few of the events I experienced during ArtNight Venezia. Some are included in this year’s program, too. A program filled with so many choices that it’s impossible to see them all. But that’s not the point. You can select and plan your own experiences or simply walk around town and stumble onto something unexpected. Whichever you choose, I’m certain you’ll find ArtNight Venezia delightful.

 

For full program information browse ArtNight Venezia at http://www.artnight.it/it/eventi

Or Join ArtNight Venezia on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ArtNightVenezia?ref=ts&fref=ts

 

 

Making Limoncello Memories...

 

 

 

Do you have a limoncello memory?

 

 

Lemons on my tree

Another day of rain, wind and gray skies in Veneto makes this the dampest spring I can remember. But yesterday was warm and beautiful, and at the end of an afternoon of trimming, cutting and nurturing my garden I snapped a few photographs of how it’s reacting to May.

 

One plant that’s stealing center stage is a lemon tree I received on my birthday 16 years ago. Over the years, I’ve transferred the tree three times into a larger pot to accommodate its growth. Now I need a stepping stool to trim the top, and it requires two people—one is always my husband and the other is sometimes me—and a steel trolley to move it from place to place.  Our lovely tree has endured many icy Northeastern Italian winters, one of which was so cold that we were certain the tree had been lost to frost. However, tender loving care, patience and two years without expecting it to bear fruit, brought back spring buds, blossoming flowers and hearty crops of lemons. And we learned

May in the Garden

a lesson. Now, after we’ve carted it to the shed for the winter, we wrap its shiny dark green leaves, yellow fruit and sturdy branches in TNT tessuto non tessuto—a gauzy material that acts like a warm blanket; so far it’s done the job. Last year’s abundant crop provided dozens of fat fresh lemons through late September. This year I’m letting these yellow gems plump up before picking them, and then I’m making Limoncello.

 

Internet is crawling with Limoncello recipes. I’ve chosen one from Praiano—a quaint town just south of Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I vacationed in Praiano with my husband and children a few years back. After five wonderful days in the sea, under the sun, cruising the coast by boat and swimming its deep blue coves, shopping for hand painted ceramics, and eating very well, we discovered Il Gusto della Costa, a limoncello distillery where, through a store front window, we watched lemons bob and float in steel vats of water on their way to become the Amalfi Coast’s famous liqueur. We stepped inside, watched the small stainless steel assembly line work its magic on the lemons, and ordered two cases of the best limoncello that’s ever washed across my lips. We shared this liquid ray of sunshine with family and friends, many who were very happy to receive a bottle of their own, and soon finished the supply. I still can’t sip or smell the sweet citrus drink without remembering what it's like to sit on a terrace high above the Mediterranean Sea, a warm salty breeze caressing my face, and watch Positano light up in the distance while the sun sets along the Amalfi coast.

 

Praiano-photo by http://www.costiera-amalfitana.com/index.htm 

Here's the recipe. But, while we’re waiting for the lemons to ripen, why not leave a comment below and share your Amalfi or Limoncello memory, too.

Limoncello from Praiano, Amalfi Coast
Ingredients for 2 liters

7 or 8 large lemons (organic lemons or Amalfi Coast type if available)
1 liter of alcohol or your favorite Vodka
750 grams white sugar
1 liter of water

 

Wash lemons well. Remove yellow peel using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife; be careful not to cut into the white skin or fruit.

 

Place the lemon peels in a large glass jar that can be sealed tight; pour the alcohol over the lemon peels and stir. Close the jar tight, and let the mixture infuse in a dark place for 10 days.

 

After 10 days, prepare the water and sugar syrup: In a deep pot add sugar and water together, heat over a low flame until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the flame and let cool at room temperature.

 

Add the sugar-syrup to the lemon peel alcohol mixture. Stir well, and transfer the liqueur—filtering it through a gauze-lined funnel or paper filter—into a second jar. Then, still using the filtered funnel, pour the liqueur into two one-liter bottles. Close the bottles well and store for at least another 10 days.

 

Chill—the purest say Limoncello should be cool, not cold, but I prefer to keep the finished product in the freezer—and enjoy!