DK Travel : Venice

The uniquely romantic city of Venice was built entirely on water and has managed to survive into the 21st century without cars. Narrow alleyways and canals pass between sumptuous palaces and magnificent churches, colourful neighbourhood markets and quiet backwaters, unchanged for centuries. Few cities possess such an awesome line-up of sights for visitors.

For guided tours around Venice (see Guided Tours)

Claudio Monteverdi

This late Renaissance madrigalist (1567–1643) is attributed with the introduction of the solo voice to theatre. His opera Proserpina Rapita was the first to be performed in Venice. After long periods at the court of the Gonzagas, he accepted an appointment at the Basilica San Marco and worked for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (see Scuola Grande di San Rocco).
Cloister of Sant’Apollonia

Venice’s only authentic Romanesque cloister has a courtyard with twin-columned arcades, now part of a church museum.
Clothes

All the top fashion names can be found in Venice.
Coffee

Straight espresso , frothy cappuccino or caffè latte in a tall glass with hot milk.
Coin Department Store

It’s impossible to walk past the stylishly dressed windows of Coin without being impressed. Centrally located close to the Rialto GPO, this branch of Italy’s largest department chain has an elegant clothing range and sleekly designed homeware.
Concerts in Costume

Youthful but expert singers and musicians perform comic operas at the Scuola dei Carmini (see Scuola Grande dei Carmini). It makes for a memorable evening.
Cormorants

Hundreds of elegant jet-black waterfowl inhabit the lagoon, to the chagrin of the fishermen.
Corte de Ca’ Sarasina

Shrine dating back to the 1600s in memory of the dead.
Corte del Duca Sforza

A picturesque courtyard opening onto the Grand Canal, it was named after the duke of Milan who took over a partially constructed palace here in 1461. However, work did not go much further than the diamond-point ashlar on the façade. The artist Titian used it as a studio when working on the Doge’s Palace.
Corte delle Fate

Ultra-modern footwear and zany accessories in the shape of bags, jewellery and garments for the young.