fossilfly
12-06-2006, 11:26 PM
A great article for someone with a limited amount of time in Venice or Murano
Venice- Top 10 things to do in 36 hours!
By DANIELLE PERGAMENT
SINCE a fire brought down the Fenice opera house 10 years ago, Venice (http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features/travel/destinations/europe/italy/venice/?inline=nyt-geo) has suffered from crumbling palazzos, rising tides and its worst publicity since Napolean rode through town. But that’s all changing. “The hackneyed image of Venice as a drowning city isn’t entirely accurate,” said Andrea di Robilant, author of “A Venetian Affair,” a novel based on a scandalous 18th-century romance. “Lately, there’s been a resurgence, a great influx of artists, actors and creative people.” In other words, those droves that left the city of the Doges by the boatload are now paddling back, adding oomph to local restaurants, refurbishing hotels and injecting the city with huge doses of design and modernism. Sure, the old Venice is still there, but haven’t you heard? La Fenice has been rebuilt, and the city that everyone said was sinking is in fact on the rise.
Friday
1 p.m.
1) OLD HOUSE, MODERN ART
While everyone else is heading to see Peggy Guggenheim’s house for the early-20th-century masterpieces, start the weekend at the Palazzo Grassi (Campo San Samuele, 3231; 39-041-523-1680; www.palazzograssi.it (http://www.palazzograssi.it/)), a stately 18th-century palace currently wrapped in a lattice of wire — an installation by the Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Inside is some of the best modern art Venice has to offer, including works by Andy Warhol (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/andy_warhol/index.html?inline=nyt-per), Gerhard Richter and Damian Hirst. Now on display is a major Picasso (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/pablo_picasso/index.html?inline=nyt-per) exhibit, “La Joie de Vivre,” chronicling works between 1945 and 1948 (through March 11).
7 p.m.
2) BLEND WITH THE LOCALS
Around the corner from the Rialto Bridge is Campo San Giacometo, where it seems virtually every Venetian between 18 and 38 gathers come sundown to shake off the week and uncork a bottle of local wine with friends. It’s a recent enough phenomenon to have missed the latest editions of many guidebooks — but it won’t stay that way for long. Start at Naranzaria (San Polo, 130; 39-041-724-1035; www.naranzaria.it (http://www.naranzaria.it/)), which serves sushi by day and hearty dishes like polenta with minced duck by night. Work your way around the piazza to Al Pesador (San Polo, 125/126; 39-041-523-9492; www.alpesador.it (http://www.alpesador.it/)), where beautiful young people spill onto the square, brandishing ironic T-shirts and hand-rolled cigarettes.
9 p.m.
3) MOLTO ROMANTICO
With a name that was slang for the prostitutes who prowled Venice’s center as far back as the 1300s, the softly lighted Antiche Carampane is as romantic and delicious as dining gets in Venice (San Polo, 1911; 39-041-524-0165; www.antichecarampane.com (http://www.antichecarampane.com/)). It is in a quiet nook just past the Campo San Polo and is staffed by friendly waiters who’d rather recite the menu than hand it to you. If you can’t understand them, order the antipasti della casa, a generous platter of fresh seafood that can be eaten cotto (cooked) or crudo (raw). But be advised: The crudo version is only for the strong of stomach as it usually includes raw crayfish and shrimp. For the main course, try one of the deliciously briny pastas tossed with fresh fish, and wash it all down with a crisp white Friuli.
Saturday
10 a.m.
4) MASTERPIECE BREAKFAST
It’s not every morning you can have a caffè macchiato next to one of the most important pieces of Renaissance art. But that’s the beauty of Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, a centuries-old piazza lined with outdoor cafes, all facing the equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni by Andrea del Verrocchio, a feat of Italian artistry often regarded as the sculptor’s most important creation. If you’re not familiar with Verrocchio, perhaps you know some of his pupils: Perugino, Botticelli and Leonardo. When breakfast is over, peek inside the huge, gilded Dominican church that gives the square its name (Santi Giovanni e Paolo; 39-041-523-5913).
11 a.m.
5) AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH
If anyone tells you to visit the islands of Murano (for Venetian glass) or Burano (for Venetian lace), listen politely and then ignore them. Tourists have worn those islands down to mere nubs. Instead, hop on the 41 vaporetto to Isola San Michele. From afar, San Michele looks like a floating brick wall dotted with cypress trees. But it is Venice’s most illustrious graveyard, the final resting place of Ezra Pound, Igor Stravinsky (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/igor_stravinsky/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and other historic figures. Stand aside and watch elderly Venetians walk past the church of San Michele in Isola (39-041-729-2811) and leave flowers on the grave sites of loved ones. A stroll through the island is a welcome respite from the hordes of tourists that blanket the rest of the city.
1 p.m.
6) ISLAND HOPPING
Venice was made to get lost in — sidewalks that end without warning, streets that lead to brick walls, steps that descend into water. And there’s no better place to wander aimlessly than the narrow sliver of Giudecca. One side of the island overlooks the commotion of San Marco; the other side offers views of quiet Lido Island. Perhaps you’ll stumble onto the church of Santissimo Redentore, built in the 16th century to commemorate the bubonic plague that killed 30 percent of the Venetian population that century. Before you leave, grab lunch at any of the island’s fantastic trattorias. Listen to the fishermen complain about the morning’s catches at La Palanca (Giudecca, 448; 39-041-528-7719), or feast on homemade squid ink gnocchi (12 euros, about $15.40 at $1.31 to the euro) at the family-run Trattoria Altanella (Calle delle Erbe, 268, Giudecca; 39-041-522-7780).
4 p.m.
7) FOLLOW THAT SOUVENIR
See that gigantic tourist serpent? The unbroken crowd filling the streets between San Marco square and the Accademia? Jump right in. There are actually some great finds among all those Santa-on-a-vaporetto snow globes and Bart Simpson glass paperweights. At Venetia Studium (San Marco, 2425; 39-041-523-6953; www.venetiastudium.com (http://www.venetiastudium.com/)) fine velvets and silks of every imaginable color are woven into delicate evening bags, scarves and pillows. Down the street is Zora da Venezia (San Marco, 2407; 39-041-277-0895; www.zoradavenezia.com (http://www.zoradavenezia.com/)), which is popular among well-heeled Venetians for its elegant wineglasses, intricately carved rings and giant bunches of glass grapes that make funky centerpieces.
6 p.m.
8) PRE-DINNER THEATER
It’s the reason you came to Venice in the first place — to snack on homemade bruschetta and sip wine alongside locals. So head to the quiet neighborhood of San Barnaba, order a glass of amarone from Enoteca Già Schiavi (Dorsoduro, San Trovaso, 992; 39-041-523-0034), walk outside and dangle your feet off the bridge next to artists, visiting professors and young couples who’ve come to chat before heading to dinner — that is, if they make it to dinner. It’s also the place you’re least likely to run into your Aunt Elaine from Fort Lauderdale.
8 p.m.
9) STAND ON WATER
It may take a small mortgage to hire one of Venice’s slick and polished water taxis, but it’s worth it. A ride through the canals can run upward of 50 euros — that’s the bad news. The good news is that a route through small canals will show you the city the way it was meant to be seen: at night and from the water. You will glide past bobbing gondolas, streetlamps and accordion players under a canopy of Venice’s loveliest bridges. The driver won’t sing, nor will he be wearing a striped shirt, so it’s more “The Italian Job” than Ragú commercial. Also, the bridges are low, so don’t forget to duck.
9 p.m.
10) NOUVEAU VENICE
Ask to be dropped off at Lineadombra (Ponte dell’Umilta, Dorsoduro, 19; 39-041-241-1881; www.ristorantelineadombra.com (http://www.ristorantelineadombra.com/)), not the only modern restaurant in Venice, but maybe the best. Weather permitting, sit on cushy chairs on the outdoor deck and order the mille-feuille of scampi with onions and green apples (18 euros). Weather not permitting, ask for a table in the back room where the slick, modern design looks more like a trendy spot in Amsterdam (http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features/travel/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/?inline=nyt-geo) than a restaurant on a Venetian canal. Unfortunately, like much of Venice, it will close in the winter, from Jan. 7 to Feb. 28.
Sunday
10 a.m.
11) ART IN A PARK
If you missed the Biennale (www.labiennale.org (http://www.labiennale.org/)), arguably the world’s most prestigious art show, don’t worry. You can still see its impressive permanent collection of modern art at the Giardini della Biennale, a gorgeous park with pavilions built by Alvar Aalto, Gerrit Rietveld, Lawrence Scarpa and other top architects. The next Biennale Exhibition of Contemporary Art (June 10 to Nov. 21 2007) is being curated by Robert Storr, the dean of the Yale (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/y/yale_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org) School of Art.
Venice- Top 10 things to do in 36 hours!
By DANIELLE PERGAMENT
SINCE a fire brought down the Fenice opera house 10 years ago, Venice (http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features/travel/destinations/europe/italy/venice/?inline=nyt-geo) has suffered from crumbling palazzos, rising tides and its worst publicity since Napolean rode through town. But that’s all changing. “The hackneyed image of Venice as a drowning city isn’t entirely accurate,” said Andrea di Robilant, author of “A Venetian Affair,” a novel based on a scandalous 18th-century romance. “Lately, there’s been a resurgence, a great influx of artists, actors and creative people.” In other words, those droves that left the city of the Doges by the boatload are now paddling back, adding oomph to local restaurants, refurbishing hotels and injecting the city with huge doses of design and modernism. Sure, the old Venice is still there, but haven’t you heard? La Fenice has been rebuilt, and the city that everyone said was sinking is in fact on the rise.
Friday
1 p.m.
1) OLD HOUSE, MODERN ART
While everyone else is heading to see Peggy Guggenheim’s house for the early-20th-century masterpieces, start the weekend at the Palazzo Grassi (Campo San Samuele, 3231; 39-041-523-1680; www.palazzograssi.it (http://www.palazzograssi.it/)), a stately 18th-century palace currently wrapped in a lattice of wire — an installation by the Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Inside is some of the best modern art Venice has to offer, including works by Andy Warhol (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/andy_warhol/index.html?inline=nyt-per), Gerhard Richter and Damian Hirst. Now on display is a major Picasso (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/pablo_picasso/index.html?inline=nyt-per) exhibit, “La Joie de Vivre,” chronicling works between 1945 and 1948 (through March 11).
7 p.m.
2) BLEND WITH THE LOCALS
Around the corner from the Rialto Bridge is Campo San Giacometo, where it seems virtually every Venetian between 18 and 38 gathers come sundown to shake off the week and uncork a bottle of local wine with friends. It’s a recent enough phenomenon to have missed the latest editions of many guidebooks — but it won’t stay that way for long. Start at Naranzaria (San Polo, 130; 39-041-724-1035; www.naranzaria.it (http://www.naranzaria.it/)), which serves sushi by day and hearty dishes like polenta with minced duck by night. Work your way around the piazza to Al Pesador (San Polo, 125/126; 39-041-523-9492; www.alpesador.it (http://www.alpesador.it/)), where beautiful young people spill onto the square, brandishing ironic T-shirts and hand-rolled cigarettes.
9 p.m.
3) MOLTO ROMANTICO
With a name that was slang for the prostitutes who prowled Venice’s center as far back as the 1300s, the softly lighted Antiche Carampane is as romantic and delicious as dining gets in Venice (San Polo, 1911; 39-041-524-0165; www.antichecarampane.com (http://www.antichecarampane.com/)). It is in a quiet nook just past the Campo San Polo and is staffed by friendly waiters who’d rather recite the menu than hand it to you. If you can’t understand them, order the antipasti della casa, a generous platter of fresh seafood that can be eaten cotto (cooked) or crudo (raw). But be advised: The crudo version is only for the strong of stomach as it usually includes raw crayfish and shrimp. For the main course, try one of the deliciously briny pastas tossed with fresh fish, and wash it all down with a crisp white Friuli.
Saturday
10 a.m.
4) MASTERPIECE BREAKFAST
It’s not every morning you can have a caffè macchiato next to one of the most important pieces of Renaissance art. But that’s the beauty of Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, a centuries-old piazza lined with outdoor cafes, all facing the equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni by Andrea del Verrocchio, a feat of Italian artistry often regarded as the sculptor’s most important creation. If you’re not familiar with Verrocchio, perhaps you know some of his pupils: Perugino, Botticelli and Leonardo. When breakfast is over, peek inside the huge, gilded Dominican church that gives the square its name (Santi Giovanni e Paolo; 39-041-523-5913).
11 a.m.
5) AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH
If anyone tells you to visit the islands of Murano (for Venetian glass) or Burano (for Venetian lace), listen politely and then ignore them. Tourists have worn those islands down to mere nubs. Instead, hop on the 41 vaporetto to Isola San Michele. From afar, San Michele looks like a floating brick wall dotted with cypress trees. But it is Venice’s most illustrious graveyard, the final resting place of Ezra Pound, Igor Stravinsky (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/igor_stravinsky/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and other historic figures. Stand aside and watch elderly Venetians walk past the church of San Michele in Isola (39-041-729-2811) and leave flowers on the grave sites of loved ones. A stroll through the island is a welcome respite from the hordes of tourists that blanket the rest of the city.
1 p.m.
6) ISLAND HOPPING
Venice was made to get lost in — sidewalks that end without warning, streets that lead to brick walls, steps that descend into water. And there’s no better place to wander aimlessly than the narrow sliver of Giudecca. One side of the island overlooks the commotion of San Marco; the other side offers views of quiet Lido Island. Perhaps you’ll stumble onto the church of Santissimo Redentore, built in the 16th century to commemorate the bubonic plague that killed 30 percent of the Venetian population that century. Before you leave, grab lunch at any of the island’s fantastic trattorias. Listen to the fishermen complain about the morning’s catches at La Palanca (Giudecca, 448; 39-041-528-7719), or feast on homemade squid ink gnocchi (12 euros, about $15.40 at $1.31 to the euro) at the family-run Trattoria Altanella (Calle delle Erbe, 268, Giudecca; 39-041-522-7780).
4 p.m.
7) FOLLOW THAT SOUVENIR
See that gigantic tourist serpent? The unbroken crowd filling the streets between San Marco square and the Accademia? Jump right in. There are actually some great finds among all those Santa-on-a-vaporetto snow globes and Bart Simpson glass paperweights. At Venetia Studium (San Marco, 2425; 39-041-523-6953; www.venetiastudium.com (http://www.venetiastudium.com/)) fine velvets and silks of every imaginable color are woven into delicate evening bags, scarves and pillows. Down the street is Zora da Venezia (San Marco, 2407; 39-041-277-0895; www.zoradavenezia.com (http://www.zoradavenezia.com/)), which is popular among well-heeled Venetians for its elegant wineglasses, intricately carved rings and giant bunches of glass grapes that make funky centerpieces.
6 p.m.
8) PRE-DINNER THEATER
It’s the reason you came to Venice in the first place — to snack on homemade bruschetta and sip wine alongside locals. So head to the quiet neighborhood of San Barnaba, order a glass of amarone from Enoteca Già Schiavi (Dorsoduro, San Trovaso, 992; 39-041-523-0034), walk outside and dangle your feet off the bridge next to artists, visiting professors and young couples who’ve come to chat before heading to dinner — that is, if they make it to dinner. It’s also the place you’re least likely to run into your Aunt Elaine from Fort Lauderdale.
8 p.m.
9) STAND ON WATER
It may take a small mortgage to hire one of Venice’s slick and polished water taxis, but it’s worth it. A ride through the canals can run upward of 50 euros — that’s the bad news. The good news is that a route through small canals will show you the city the way it was meant to be seen: at night and from the water. You will glide past bobbing gondolas, streetlamps and accordion players under a canopy of Venice’s loveliest bridges. The driver won’t sing, nor will he be wearing a striped shirt, so it’s more “The Italian Job” than Ragú commercial. Also, the bridges are low, so don’t forget to duck.
9 p.m.
10) NOUVEAU VENICE
Ask to be dropped off at Lineadombra (Ponte dell’Umilta, Dorsoduro, 19; 39-041-241-1881; www.ristorantelineadombra.com (http://www.ristorantelineadombra.com/)), not the only modern restaurant in Venice, but maybe the best. Weather permitting, sit on cushy chairs on the outdoor deck and order the mille-feuille of scampi with onions and green apples (18 euros). Weather not permitting, ask for a table in the back room where the slick, modern design looks more like a trendy spot in Amsterdam (http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features/travel/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/?inline=nyt-geo) than a restaurant on a Venetian canal. Unfortunately, like much of Venice, it will close in the winter, from Jan. 7 to Feb. 28.
Sunday
10 a.m.
11) ART IN A PARK
If you missed the Biennale (www.labiennale.org (http://www.labiennale.org/)), arguably the world’s most prestigious art show, don’t worry. You can still see its impressive permanent collection of modern art at the Giardini della Biennale, a gorgeous park with pavilions built by Alvar Aalto, Gerrit Rietveld, Lawrence Scarpa and other top architects. The next Biennale Exhibition of Contemporary Art (June 10 to Nov. 21 2007) is being curated by Robert Storr, the dean of the Yale (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/y/yale_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org) School of Art.