Venetian Life and Culture
Animals
Cats of Venice
Forget the Lion of St. Mark--Venice's real-life mascots are feline, but they're a
good deal smaller and more abundant than their African cousins.
Pigeons of Venice
These birds rival cats as the unofficial mascots of Venice, but you could be
fined more than �500 if you feed pigeons outside of designated areas.
Venice's Oldest Cat?
A tribute to Neno, a Venetian cat who enjoyed boating and swimming
until the age of 22.
Books
Venice Master Artisans
If you buy just one coffee-table book about Venice, make it this one. The
large-format, 272-page book has 210 color photos and 30 profiles of artisans
who use traditional techniques to make everything from glass to footwear to
metal castings. (There's even an American-born gondola maker.)
Venetian Life
In 1866, W.D. Howells wrote a lively book that could have been titled An American
in Venice. It's still a great read, as we demonstrate with selected
excerpts and a link to the full text at Project Gutenberg.
Venetian Life, Part 2
William Dean Howells paints a chilling portrait of "The Winter in
Venice."
Venetian Life, Part 3
W.D. Howells discusses "The Ghetto and the Jews of Venice." This
feature has links to Web sites about Jewish life in Venice.
Carnival
Venice Carnival -
Carnevale di Venezia In Venice during February, "Who was that masked man?' isn't a question
about the Lone Ranger.
Venice Carnival Dates Plan your trip to the
Carnevale di Venezia with this calendar.
Venice Carnival Masks
Whether you're headed for Carnevale or enjoying it
vicariously at home, you can learn about Venetian Carnival masks--and where
to buy them in Venice.
History
Winged Lion of St. Mark
Q: Why does the maritime city of Venice have a lion as its mascot? A:
Because the Venetian businessmen who kidnapped St. Mark stole his logo along with his
bones.
Jewish Venice
Venice's Ghetto
Europe's oldest ghetto has five synagogues, a Jewish museum, and a kosher
restaurant.
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