The talented chef Donato Ascani brings Bartolini's restaurant to a stellar success, with passion, accuracy and a special attention to the traditional ingredients. As when it was a Maritime Republic, Venice is composed by an extraordinary mix of diverse cultures. In a different, sometimes controversial way, the lion city’s inhabitants mingle daily with other European citizens, Americans, Chinese, Japanese who visit the lagoon city for a short vacation, live here for longer per

As Carnevale starts its celebrations, a special mention goes to Stefano Nicolao, whose atelier for years has designed some of the most stunning costumes, including the one worn every year by "the flying angel" at the grand opening in Piazza San Marco. Although Carnevale 2019 celebration in Venice starts on February 16, the official opening is scheduled on Sunday, February 24. That’s when, according to a tradition that traces back to the mid 16th century, a young woman in a sp

Inspired by the colors of an exotic island and influenced by Art Deco and Contemporary Art, Isla Fontaine opens in Venice thanks to the vision of Eleonora Mayerle, a Venetian resident that believes in the precious value of the Made in Italy. If most Venetian residents are gradually leaving the city in order to find cheaper accommodations, different job opportunities and an easier style of life, there’s still who takes a chance on it, choosing Venice as the ideal place to live

In Treviso, the family farm Torre d’Orlando produces a precious variety of Italian chicory, the radicchio tardivo. Legends, traditions and recipes linked to this vegetable are part of Veneto’s heritage. Stefano Dotto represents the fifth generation of a sharecropper’s family that, after about a hundred years in the service of a single landowner, in 1966 was able to redeem the land. Young, yet competent and enthusiast, he’s proud to assist his father Giovanni in the production

A family in Venice keeps alive the ancient craft of gold beating, rethinking the future through innovative projects. In the twenty-first century, being born in a family of craftsmen and living in a dreamy city such as Venice, in someone’s eyes may seem the weirdest thing. And choosing to learn your father’s profession in order to preserve the artisanal heritage must not be the easiest decision. Yet, the young Eleonora, who’s working with her family in Mario Berta Battiloro’s

With a huge selection from all over the world, Vino Vero specializes in natural wines, to be paired with an exquisite assortment of gourmet cichetti. Nowadays, more and more winemakers are dedicated to produce natural wine, obtained with minimal chemical and technological intervention in both the vines and the cellar. The number of these passionate producers is growing along with a crowd of natural wine lovers, whose knowledge guides them to specialized wine shops and bars. V

A couple of artists works with different materials to create luminous sculptures, abstract shapes and simple, elegant jewels in Venice. Sperm whales and other golden fishes, floating houses, starry skies and mysterious creatures on tree swings: these are a few objects you can find at Materialmente, a wondrous workshop located in the beating heart of Venice. Founded by Maddalena Venier and Alessandro Salvadori, who luckily met and exchanged their knowledge with no jealousy wha

A young entrepreneur brings to Cannaregio his creative cocktails, a strong passion and a close attention to the clients. Dotted with a great number of bacari where to enjoy the mythical ombra di vino, Venice turns out to be lacking in cocktail bars, that mostly belong to luxury hotels and terraces with expensive drink menus. The majority of these bacari also closes quite early, leaving high and dry the poor night owls, who can’t help but fall back on a last home-made drink or

Thursday, first day of summer. Venice’s main areas of interest are overcrowded; public water buses and taxis obstruct the Canal Grande, while gondolas throng the minor waterways; restaurants and fast food chains around Piazza San Marco are literally assaulted, while the usual, never-ending line stands at the Basilica’s entrance. A Venice connoisseur wouldn’t wait a minute to escape this magnificent hell on earth, taking refuge into the minor islands or in the quiet Giudecca,

Back from our last adventure in the Venetian lagoon, where we were blessed by a warm sunny day, we felt so excited, fulfilled and grateful that we decided to turn the entire experience directly into a tour. A special suggestion for our friends who would like to spend a different Sunday and a recommendation for the adventurous visitors willing to explore the lagoon’s off the beaten paths. This is the chronicle of about 8 hours of pure joy: 10:00 am - Destination → Mazzorbo. Ha

Cantina Arnaldi is a cozy, typical osteria located in Santa Croce, a sestiere frequented by locals, just a few minutes from the train station. Either you are craving for a typical Venetian cichetto, looking for a delicious light lunch, longing for a relaxed aperitivo or hunting for a late night drink, here you are in safe hands. Andrea Degnato and Katia Resenterra, who look a perfectly balanced couple at work, as well as in life, met for the first time while working at the sa

A talented restorer, Simona Iacovazzi is always been one of those privileged human beings whose job is definitely about art and beauty. Extremely passionate and meticulous, these people usually spend most of their workday on a scaffolding or in a lab, cleaning, remedying cracks and trying to bring back to light colorful artworks that time forgot. In 2008, from her vibrant Apulia, Simona had come to Venice in order to work on one of these restoration projects, that sometimes s

Crazily enough, all of a sudden it’s summer and after ice, rain and hailstorms, we look just like butterflies attempting to get out of their cocoons: wrinkled, clumsy and a little shy. In order to stretch out the wings, what’s better than a first float on the marvellous lagoon garden of Sant’Erasmo island? Lying north of the Lido and north east of Venice, this large piece of land for centuries has been supplying Venetians with any kind of fruits and vegetables. On the island,

It was 1975, the year when Vietnam war finally came to an end and Bill Gates founded Microsoft. Saverio Pastor, who nowadays is one of the last oar makers - remèri in Venetian dialect, at that time was just a high-school teenager looking for an occupation during summer time. Born and raised in Venice, he was deeply fascinated by Venetian language and used to buzz around the workshop of master Bepi Carli, who descended from an important shipwright family and spoke a rich, arch

"When I'm asked to be interviewed by journalists and food bloggers, I smile to myself and wonder what I could say about the most obvious, natural thing in the world: eating quality food prepared with love and mindfulness". Matteo doesn't have any doubt, just like his grandfather when, coming from Apulia, started in Venice one of the first retail shops for wine and oil. At that time, the modern concept of wine-bar was still unknown by the family, that opened Osteria All'Arco o

Imagine a secluded spot out of the hustle and bustle of the city, a gracious garden surrounded by climbing wisteria and small orange trees and a cozy room where to enjoy a cup of tea in the chilly winter days. After a long walk through the narrow, crowded alleys of Venice, a place like this might sound like a mirage… Still, it really exists! Located in Calle Lunga de San Barnaba, Fujiyama tea room is immersed in a neighborhood that was able to preserve its genuine character a

According to historical sources, houses in Burano are variously colored because fishermen, in ancient times, needed to be able to find the route to their own homes, despite fog and bad weather. On the other side, some locals report that, at the end of their workdays, they used to get so drunk that it would have been impossible for them to recognize their way home without the help of vivaciously painted walls... Whatever might be the truth, Burano, as the many, scarcely popula

Graceful and flexible as a leaf of grass, light and evanescent as a floating bubble (he loves this similarity!), Gualtiero Salbego set foot in Venice, for the first time ever, in 1998, and since then he never left. At that time he was 26, and probably too shy to imagine his brilliant future as one of the finest artists in town. Born and raised in a small village of Veneto countryside, Gualtiero lived in a family that considered job as a primary source and sent him to work rig

Most recently it’s been in the spotlight as part of the Gran Caffe’ Quadri restoration project: some walls of the historical bar and restaurant in Piazza San Marco are now beautifully covered with its brocatelle, creatively reinterpreted by Philippe Starck. We are talking about Tessitura Bevilacqua, a company that, starting from 1875, has been practicing in Venice the art of weaving on original 18th-century looms. Starck, who ironically introduced contemporary elements to the

Right in the heart of Dorsoduro, a few minutes from the Galleria dell’Accademia, there’s a small workshop that might go unnoticed by the most. Yet, it is a magnificent chest that contains an indefinite number of handmade convex mirrors. These unique objects, that originally had strong allegorical and magical meaning, were believed to ward off the evil eye and the witches curse. Found in people houses around XV and XVI centuries, they later worked as monitors in public spaces