Italy is well known as a country of culture, history, charm and gastronomical excellences. It’s a country to be discovered but we are often unaware of its curiosities, stories and legends. Without a doubt, Venice is one of the cities of the greatest historical and cultural interest.
Called the serenissima, Venice holds in itself an aura of mystery, with its narrow calli, campi and campielli. It’s a synonym of elegance, fun, romance and majesty, in short it’s the real spearhead of the Veneto and Italian tourism heritage.
Are you sure you know the lagoon so well? Here are 10 things you still don’t know about the floating city!
- Calli: don’t be disappointed if you miss Venice, or if you often find directions which are indecipherable! The structure of Venice includes only one large square, Piazza San Bartolomeo, the landmark of the city, the rest is composed of small calli where it’s inevitable to lose orientation. Think that the narrowest calle is “Calle Varisco” with a width of only 53 cm.
- Gondolas: undoubtedly the hallmark of Venice. But why are there so many? The real reason is that the lagoon is made up of 124 islands connected today by bridges that in the past were in short supply! At that time, moving around with gondolas was essential if you did not want to remain on foot.
- Bridges: 147, some with curious and funny names, such as Ponte dei Pugni or Ponte delle Tette.
- Schei: if a Venetian asks you “Schei”, he’s asking you to put your hands in your wallet. Indeed, in Venice the money is called this way, and the word derives from the Hapsburg currency called, in fact,“Scheidenmunze”.
- 18:00: go to Campo Santa Margherita and use your “schei” not to miss the typical Venetian aperitif: the Spritz, 1/3 of white wine, 1/3 of sparkling water and 1/3 of liquor, peel of lemon and olive. Ask for the small snacks called “cicchetti” and try the “sarde in saor”.
- Ciao: today this word has entered the language of all Italians and has also reached overseas, but few know that it has Venetian origins. In ancient Venice, people used to greet each other by saying “s-ciavo tuo” or “your servant”, and over time it was shortened to “s-ciavo”.
- Gardens: Venice also hides many gardens, many of which cannot be visited but their luxuriant beauty is renowned.
- Vianello? You will surely find many! In Venice it is one of the most widespread surnames, so much so that it occupies 4 pages of the phone book, followed by Scarpa with 3 pages.
- The first woman graduate. In Venice we had the first woman to receive an academic degree: Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, who graduated in 1678 at the age of 32. You will find a commemorative plaque at Palazzo Loredan.
- Venice is a city with a never-ending mystical, sometimes melancholic charm. There are numerous ghost stories hovering over the Serenissima, particularly over the island of Poveglia, where it is said that there is a psychiatric hospital infested with spirits.
Click here to read the whole story: https://www.venice-box.com/en/poveglia-island/
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