From the look of it, you'd think Venice spent all its time primping. Bask in the glory of Grand Canal palaces, but make no mistake: this city's a powerhouse. You may have heard that Venice is an engineering marvel, with marble churches built atop ancient posts driven deep into the barene (mud banks) – but the truth is that this city is built on sheer nerve. Reasonable people might blanch at water approaching their doorsteps and flee at the first sign of acqua alta (high tide). But reason can’t compare to Venetian resolve. Instead of bailing out, Venetians have flooded the world with voluptuous Venetian-red paintings and wines, music, Marco Polo spice-route flavours, and bohemian-chic fashion. And they’re not done yet.

Read more »

The Carnival of Venice is the most important and magnificent of Venetian celebrations, a much appreciated cocktail of tradition, spectacle, history and transgression set in a unique city, a festival that attracts thousands of people each year to the city from around the world.

The 2007 Carnival edition is dedicated to Carlo Goldoni. The year 2007 is the three-hundred year anniversary of the birth of Venice's most famous and most representative playwright. The 2007 Carnival will be a popular and all-embracing one. It will be a mosaic of arts, made up of numerous pieces, with various and entertaining themes: live music, comedy, acrobats, dancing, costume parades with competitions for the most beautiful masks.