Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
What shoes did a Venetian courtesan wear for streetwalking, how did Casanova escape
prison while the doge slept downstairs, and what are those guys doing atop the clocktower
naked from the waist down? Venice's highest mysteries are solved with revamped, behind-
the-scenes guided visits to the Palazzo Mocenigo's attic closets, Palazzo Ducale's attic pris-
on, and to the top of Torre dell'Orologio, where bronze bell-ringers moon Basilica di San
Marco at midnight.
A multi-year effort has restored the frescoed 17th-century Palazetto Bru Zane to its original
function: delighting pleasure seekers with concerts of romantic music by Europe's leading
talents.
Making waves along the Grand Canal, Fondazione Prada has turned the stately Renais-
sance palace of Ca' Corner into Venice's newest showcase for cutting-edge art and design.
Curiosity cabinets can't compare to Museo di Storia Naturale, Venice's treasury of mum-
mies, dinosaurs and other natural wonders, all displayed inside a historic Turkish palace on
the Grand Canal.
Tides slapping canal banks provide a funky backbeat to live jazz interrupting Venice's si-
lent nights - check the program at I Figli delle Stelle, Osteria da Filo and Venice Jazz Club,
plus impromptu jam sessions at Ai Postali.
Rebel Veneto vintners are behind Italy's natural-process trend, inviting drinkers to taste
pristine Italian wines - no pesticides, no additives, no fuss. Sample two of the best natural-
process wine menus in Venice (and Italy) at Al Prosecco and Antica Adelaide.
