Masters of the late 15th – early 16th century like Gentile Bellini, Carpaccio, Mansueti were intrigued by the Islamic world.
Venetian and a constant and contradictory relationship with Ottomans, Mamlukes, and Arab people.
Many Venetians used to live years in the Islamic countries and when they came back they brought with them souvenirs, exotic objects, and lots of stories. Probably also some drawings. Moreover, Islamic traders were present in Venice so that for artists it was quite interesting to represent their fashion.
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Doges and Dogaresse at the Doge’s Palace
In the rooms where there was the apartment of the Doge, until June 30th you can see a selection of portraits of Doges and Dogaresse. If the Doge was the representative of the Venetian Republic, appointed for life by the Great Council, the Dogaressa, the wife of the Doge, not always enjoyed public tributes and honors. It usually depended on the personal wealth of the family.
Through the lavishing rooms of the Palace, refurbished after a fire in the late 15th century, and still maintaining most of the original decoration, you meet men and women who were among the principal actors of the history of Venice.
Paintings show other important symbols of Venice’s past glory like battles, lions, geographic maps.
Finally, a painting of the 19th century reminds the abdication in 1797 of the last Doge, Ludovico Manin, before the French army of Napoleon entered the city.
Many hundred years of history, worth to be known.
Ville in Italia about Slow Venice
I’m pleased to share an article on Venice Carnival by the blog of Ville in Italia, one of the best known companies specialized (and leader) in the selection of luxury villas for vacations in Italy for more than 20 years. Ville in Italia considers Slow Tours of Venice a good occasion not to miss the “silent places and features” which are worth visiting.
Enjoy the read! Venice Carnival
Photos: Venice Carnival yesterday….
… and today… (photos by Norbert Heyl)
The Church of San Salvador: a Mirror of the rich 16th century Venetian Society.
In this church strategically located between Rialto and San Marco you can admire two late masterpieces by Titian.
Titian painted the Transfiguration as well as the Annunciation for San Salvador in the 1560ies when he was over 70 years old and the world of his youth had deeply changed. Catholics and Protestants were fighting devastating wars in many areas of Europe.
Ca’ Mocenigo: 18th century Interiors, Costumes and the History of Perfume
If you want to indulge in your interest in the 18th-century Venetian lifestyle, the museum of Ca’ Mocenigo is one of the most appropriate places where to go.
The museum (housing also the Centre of Studies on the History of Textiles and Costumes) is located on the noble floor of palazzo Mocenigo at San Stae.
Strolling through the rooms you can sense the pleasure for material beauty, which characterizes the culture of a people who traded for centuries with luxury goods: carved and gilded furniture, Murano chandeliers, and appliques, velvet fabrics, Burano laces, and table cloaks, frescoes and paintings. Most of the artworks and objects were purchased by the Mocenigo family and are original to the palace.
See more photos
Sacral Beauty in Venetian churches
In spite of the confusion and the thousands of people in the narrow alleyways, there are still places where you can hide from crowds and noises: churches in Venice are a real oasis of peace and beauty.
Leonardo da Vinci at the Accademia Galleries
From August 29th and until December 1st there will be one more reason to visit the Accademia Galleries.
Alongside with masterpieces by Titian, Bellini, Veronese, Tintoretto, Carpaccio and many others, visitors will have a unique occasion to see an exhibition on Renaissance drawings dating from 1478 to 1516, which includes the famous Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci.
Do you bead? Glass-beads maker Muriel Balensi
¿Do you bead?, a group of glass-beads makers and jewel designers, organizes a series of workshops and events on the making and the history of glass beads See their story and events calendar here:http://www.doyoubead.com/
In the photos see Muriel Balensi, French glass-beads maker, who lives in Venice, in the atelier she has together with her friend Dominique Brunet in San Barnaba.
A fashion-music-dance show will take place on May 23rd at the Magazzini del Sale; with percussionist Francesco Tomasutti, the dance performance of Federico Casali, the music of Andrea Mattarucco, the wearable sculptures of Olga Rostrosta and the Haute-Couture Glass Jewelry of the ¿Do you Bead? group.
Marbled Paper: top quality only until May 2013
Artisans spend their time on improving their techniques, finding new patterns, inventing variations on the things they produce. When you look at them, they are totally immersed in what they are doing. But in Venice, once the home of some among the most magnificent craftspeople in Europe, they are all disappearing.
The very high rents for workshops and a crazy bureaucracy are forcing many small shops and especially craftspeople to close down (including one of the most important bookshops, not able to pay any longer 9000 euros a month). Artisans are notoriously no managers or lawyers, they can’t keep the pace with the constantly changing administrative requests, neither with the very high taxation. Not to talk of the problems of maintaining a workshop in Venice: acqua alta, humidity, water infiltrations, bricks falling apart.
Can tourists help these precious activities to survive? Yes, they can.
If you visit Venice, please be more selective when you buy souvenirs. It is better to buy some handmade bookmarks for 3 euros each instead of a peace of glass made industrially and of poor quality for 20 euros.
It is better to go and discover the small workshops out of the centre, where things are still handmade with passion and dedication, instead of buying the usual industrial stuff in shops that belong to chains.
Stefano Casati, who produces hand-printed paper, leather and velvet will close his workshop toward the end of May 2013. The colors he uses are unique; he is rather an artist than an artisan. If you are in Venice don’t miss him! If you have friends in Venice, tell them to go and buy their Christmas presents there.
You can find his workshop in Barbaria delle Tole 6676 (close to campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo).
Venetian Fortresses in the Mediterannean
Map of the city of Canea (Chania) on Crete. 16th century, ink and watercolor drawing on parchment.
Deutscher Text am Ende
This small exhibition curated by the director of the Doge’s Palace, Camillo Tonini, and by Diana Cristante, offers the extraordinary privilege to see original drawings on parchment and on paper made between the 16th and the 18th century of Venetian fortresses in the Mediterranean area.
Venice, besides being an extraordinarily wealthy and glamorous city, was also political and military power. The preservation of important outposts in the Mediterranean sea secured the routes of commercial convoys heading toward Alexandria in Egypt, to Constantinople, Cyprus, Haifa, and many other destinations.