A trip to Venice can be not only beautiful but also surprising, especially when you venture away from the usual destinations to discover what the lagoon conceals. A tour of the islands and the curiosities of the other Venice.
Wandering through the calli or gliding along the canals, one is always captivated by Venice, whether it is the first visit or one of many. The experience is always unique. For many it is the most beautiful city in the world, perhaps precisely because it never ceases to surprise: there are always new corners to discover, curious anecdotes to tell. Combining art, nature and history, we suggest some destinations in "alternative" Venice — the less well-known, less crowded side of the city, yet equally fascinating. A reading recommendation to prepare for the trip, a few curiosities, and then out onto the water to discover what lies beyond the most touristy Venice.
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When a Venetian talks about their city, there is always something new to discover: Venice shows us just how incredible human ingenuity can be in creating beauty even under unimaginable conditions, but it also reveals small, seemingly trivial curiosities. For instance, not everyone knows that the internationally recognised word "ciao" derives from Venetian dialect, specifically from the ancient greeting s'ciavo, meaning "slave" (implying: yours), used to express deference to one's lord. It then shifted in practically the opposite direction — from s'ciavo to s'ciao and finally "ciao" — becoming the most informal and friendly greeting imaginable.
Also rooted in the Venetian dialect is the word "ghetto": in the language spoken in the lagoon city during the early modern period, geto (or getto) was the name for a metal foundry. And it is in this very area of Venice, where an old disused foundry once stood, that the first ghetto in history was established in 1516 — which last year marked its 500th anniversary.
Other similar curiosities come to light when reading books by Venetian authors. Everything has already been written about Venice, and the countless published guides perhaps explore every conceivable aspect of the city. To truly understand it, however, setting aside the usual itineraries and making an effort to see it through the eyes of those who live there, the advice is to read a short text by Tiziano Scarpa entitled Venezia è un pesce. The title stems from the fact that on a map Venice looks like a fish, and the bridge connecting it to the mainland resembles a fishing line.
Within these pages you will find neither the Basilica di San Marco nor, still less, the Grand Canal. Scarpa instead, dividing this unusual guide into chapters that correspond to parts of the body, traces for each one a series of routes made up of stories, anecdotes and memories capable of astonishing the reader. It is the perspective of someone who has lived in the city, loved it and criticised it, and who fully conveys its uniqueness. Because Venice is unique: not as a world heritage site of Unesco, or because it is built on water, but because it is a collection of contradictions and unforgettable wonders.
Among the anecdotes Scarpa shares with us, the following experiment — to be carried out when you are in Venice — is worth remembering:
"…count the columns of the Palazzo Ducale, on the side facing the Bacino di San Marco, opposite the island of San Giorgio. Starting from the corner, make your way to the fourth column. You will notice that it is slightly out of alignment with the others, jutting forward by a few centimetres. If you press your back against the column and try to slide around its circumference, on the outer side of the colonnade, you will inevitably fall off the tiny white marble step that rises above the grey stones of the embankment. Try and try again: you will lose your balance and tumble off the step even if you press yourself hard against the column or stretch a leg out sideways to propel yourself past the edge and get beyond the critical point…"
But where does this tradition come from? Legend has it that those condemned to the death penalty were offered this last chance of salvation: if they managed to slide around the column without setting their feet on the grey stones, they would receive mercy at the final moment.
A perfect tour to pair with the one offered by LifeGate Experience — which runs from 10 to 12 November through unusual vistas, art and architecture in discovery of the Biennale — is a tour of the lagoon. Heading out by sea to discover what it holds: lesser-known islands that are no less interesting for it.
Let us begin with Giudecca. One of the best times to visit it is undoubtedly during the Festa del Redentore: this is a traditional event celebrated on the third Sunday of July. A celebration so grand that it might seem like the patron saint's feast day, as some mistakenly believe. San Marco actually falls on 25 April, a day that is already a public holiday, so it was decided to properly commemorate another important event for the city: the end of the plague in Venice, celebrated through the figure of Christ the Redeemer. When the two most devastating epidemics came to an end, two churches were built by order of the Senate as votive offerings. One is Palladio's church on Giudecca; the other, designed by Longhena, is Santa Maria della Salute, located at Punta della Dogana.
Beyond the religious celebrations, there is a portion of the festivities that involves all Venetians, who take part with particular enthusiasm. Even today, the true Venetian comes down to the calle, in some cases brings a table out into the street, and eats with family and friends. Among the most evocative traditions is undoubtedly the building of a pontoon bridge, again as a votive offering. On the night between Saturday and Sunday, spectacular fireworks light up the Bacino di San Marco, lasting up to an hour. The reflections on the water make the spectacle truly memorable.
Sant'Erasmo is the second largest island in the lagoon and one of the few where cars circulate. Many call it the vegetable garden of Venice for its agricultural vocation and for the famous violet artichokes that grow only here. But it is worth coming here for the Bacàn: a sandbank that, for six hours a day — when the tide is low — becomes a beach. Venetians arrive by boat, running it aground on the sandbank, and enjoy the sun. When the tide comes back in, the boat refloats and everyone sets off again. Since it lies in front of a harbour inlet, the current is strong and the water is clean — not exactly a common occurrence in these parts — so locals in particular make the most of it. Here you can watch beautiful sunsets far from the Venetian crowds.
Sacca means artificial island — in this case the result of excavations at the Porto del Tronchetto — while sessola derives from the fact that the island has taken on a shape similar to that of a typical Venetian tool used to bail water out of boats. In reality, however, it is better known as the island of roses. A pulmonary hospital once stood here, distinguished by wide terraces and vast, lush gardens: patients were particularly in need of spending time in the open air and breathing deeply, and here they could do so in absolute tranquillity, one imagines amid flowers and plants, including the aforementioned roses. To reach it today, you can take a shuttle from San Marco, free for everyone — residents and non-residents alike. This was made possible through an agreement between the municipality and the owners of the luxury hotel that has now taken up residence on the island and occupies most of it. The gardens are well worth a visit, and it is also worth treating yourself to even just an afternoon at the wonderful spa (the prices are not so prohibitive) or a glass of wine at the fourth-floor sky bar — not so much to feel like a VIP, but for the truly remarkable view.
If Sacca Sessola has "inherited" magnificent gardens from the pulmonary hospital, San Clemente — which from 1873 housed the central Venetian women's psychiatric asylum, closed in 1992 following the Basaglia Law 180/78 — gained a perimeter wall running all the way around the island for the less admirable purpose of preventing patients from escaping. It is said that Ida Dalser, Benito Mussolini's ill-fated companion, was also treated here. Unless you are staying at the luxurious five-star hotel that now occupies the island, there are no public transport links to it. It is remarkable that many of the lagoon's islands are barely accessible or not accessible at all because they are the "domain" of large private groups.
San Servolo also housed an asylum — the men's institution, until 1978