Venice

Napoleon called the Piazza San Marco "the finest drawing room in Europe". And architectural unity of... the surrounding buildings does lend the plaza complex a majestic air. Aside from the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica, the former republic's administrative buildings are also striking: the arcade buildings of the 15th-Century Procuratie Vecchie to the north, the 16th-Century Procuratie Nuove to the south, and the Ala Napoleonica (now housing the city's civic museum) to the west. Work began on the Campanile, the oldest structure on the square, in 912. The people of Venice were gobsmacked when the tower suddenly collapsed for no apparent reason in 1902. There is now a lift and from the viewing platform at the top, you get a breathtaking view of the city and the lagoon from a height of 98 m (320 ft). The terrace of the Torre dell'Orologio, a 15th-Century clock tower, also offers splendid views. The venerable Caffè Florian is a good place for a rest, and counts Goethe, Proust and Thomas Mann among its more noteworthy guests. more

The island of Torcello, an hour from Venice, is one of the most charming lagoon islands thanks to its... art history treasures. Once boasting a population of 80,000, it was an important trade centre in the 5th century and became a diocese with the construction of the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral in the 7th century. The renovation in 1008 gave the oldest tourist attraction in the lagoon Venetian-Byzantine characteristics. The interior is decorated with wonderful mosaics in the style of Ravenna, including the Glorification of Christ and the Last Judgement. You should not miss the Santa Fosca baptistery, a round building from the year 1100 with tasteful columnar entrance hall, and the Museo di Torcello, which will fire your enthusiasm with its archaeological finds and artworks. The smallest of the known lagoon islands, with only around 10,000 inhabitants today, is attractive thanks to its beautiful landscape, its isolation and peace and quiet with a unique flair far from tourism kitsch. more

The filigree façade of the Ca’ d’Oro at one of the best-known palazzi at Canal Grande, represents... Venetian ornamented Gothic art at its best. Baron Giorgio Franchetti left the palace together with its great art to the state of Italy in 1916. Besides paintings of the Venetian school of the 15th-17th centuries, the richly adorned and often originally preserved rooms of the palace also show statues, medals, ceramics and bronze works of the Renaissance era. Among the outstanding masterpieces are “St. Sebastian” by Mantegna as well as paintings by the Venetians Antonio Vivarini, Vittore Carpaccio, Tizian, Tintoretto and of the Flemish school, “Venetian Vedute” by Francesco Guardi. Tullio Lombardo’s enchanting “Young Couple” is one of the most important sculpture works at the turn of the 16th century. The partly preserved picture cycles at the outside walls of some Venetian palazzi, such as the Titian at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi (1508), are indeed remarkable. more