Situated
at the commercial crossroads between the flourishing markets of Europe
and the exotic emporiums of Asia, Venice was a natural meeting point for
both peoples and cultures.
In
A
City of Nations
you’ll enter into the tiny worlds created by the many ethnic groups
that populated the Mediaeval and Renaissance city to discover how they
lived and worked and learn the various economic, political, and
religious forces that brought them to
Venice. Throughout the visit, you'll also discover the
impact of their new cultural environs on their religious convictions
and artistic traditions.
Beginning at the former German Exchange, we’ll see how the Venetian
government viewed the many foreigners in the city and how transient
merchants actually lived and conducted business inside the Exchange. We’ll
then set off for the Jewish Ghetto where the gilded synagogues, the
former pawn shops, and the cramped living quarters all await you.
Along the way, we’ll discuss some of the many issues raised by the
presence of the foreigners: the repression of heretical beliefs, the
economic concessions made to skilled immigrant artisans, and the
commercial privileges reserved for the Venetian citizenry among
others. We’ll then relive the moment of economic and military
crisis that led to the segregation of the city’s Jewish population and
recreate day-to-day life inside the Ghetto when Christian printers
published authoritative Hebrew commentaries and Jews from throughout
Europe came to study with Venice’s learned rabbis. Next, it’s
off to the Turk Exchange where we’ll talk about the commercial
relationships between Venice and its nemesis during times of war and
about the problems of public order created by the presence of Turkish
merchants in the city. At the
church of the Holy Cross, we’ll then relive the saga of the Armenian
people before traveling to the Dalmatian School, religious and
cultural heart of the community that rendered hundreds of years of
faithful service to the Venetian Republic. Our journey will then
conclude at the church of Saint George of the Greeks where we'll immerse
ourselves in the mysticism of the Near East. Retracing the history
of the city’s all-important Greek community from the exodus of the
first artisans at the time of the iconoclastic crisis up until the loss
of Venice’s Greek colonies, we’ll also talk about its fundamental
role in the diffusion of classical culture throughout Renaissance
Europe.
DURATION
MAJOR
SIGHTS
-
German
Exchange
-
Church
of Saint Bartholomew (Tuesdays and Thursdays only)
-
Jewish
Ghetto
-
Turk
Exchange
-
Dalmatian
School
-
Church
of the Holy Cross of the Armenians (private
visit)
-
Church
of Saint George of the Greeks (private
visit)
PRINCIPAL
TOPICS
-
Heretics,
schismatics, and infidels: economic integration and
religious isolation
-
Transient foreigners:
sojourn permits and the
policing of the state
-
De
intus et extra: the road to citizenship
-
The
Venetian press in Europe: culture and faith in the Jewish,
Armenian, and Greek diasporas
-
Apologetics: the justification of cultural
differences
-
"Turcherie":
the fashion for a declining foe
-
The
icon: Eastern faith and Western art
AVAILABILITY
This
itinerary is not available in its entirety on
Saturdays and on all Jewish and Christian
holidays. The itinerary does not include the
interior visit to the Dalmatian School on Mondays.
PRICE
AND SPECIAL NOTE
The
price indicated is intended to cover the costs of the
Association's continued research initiatives and
organization and is in compliance with the conditions
concerning the activities of non-profit organizations as set
forth in the Italian Ministry of Finance Unified Code Article
111, paragraph 3 (Art. 111, T.U., comma 3)
- Price:
$250.00 (U.S. dollars) for
two (2) persons (incidental
transportation costs and entrance fees are not included).
Each
additional adult costs $50.00.
Minors
under the age of 18 cost $25.00 each.
- Special
note:
The
private visits to the Armenian and Greek churches and
the Church of Saint Bartholomew cannot be confirmed
prior to arrival in Venice.
Comments
on
A City of
Nations
“
We were introduced to the many arriving cultures and peoples and to how
they lived side by side and, on occasion, atop one another. Venice
was a city full of Greeks, Slavs, Germans, Turks, Jews, and Italians
from everywhere else, and its culture is a hotchpot of each of these
groups. For someone to be able to convey to the uninitiated the
differences is a wonder, and we are richer for it.”
|
Scott
Clarkson and Cheryl Friedling
Los Angeles, Califormia
|
“
A wonderful glimpse back at the groups of people who came to Venice and
at each group's impact on the history of the city. The
neighborhoods, churches, and synagogues were both fascinating and
awe-inspiring. Without this in-depth tour, we would have missed a
very important part of the story of Venice.”
|
Steve
and Nancy Wiley
Ann Arbor, Michigan
|
“
Absolutely fascinating! “A
City of Nations” is essential to understand what made
Venice such an international city and how differing cultures and faiths
interact, clash, or simply coexist. I was especially interested in
the Jewish Ghetto with its remaining synagogues. But I discovered
to my delight that there were equally fascinating treats in store —
the Scuola di san Giorgio degli Schiavoni, one of the city's
missed artistic jewels, opened my eyes to the contributions of the
Dalmatians to the greatness and glory of Venice whilst the private visit
to the Armenian church proved another of the day's highlights.”
|
Amy
Selwyn
London, United Kingdom
|
“ Very moving as well as educational. Our fellow travelers expressed
great disappointment to have missed out on experiencing such an
important part of local as well as world history. Standing in the
square of the first ghetto was a moving moment. Following along from
there to learn the history and experiences of other ethnic groups was
important in understanding the “soul” of Venice.”
|
Pete
and Lorelei Redding
Kettering, Ohio
|
“
Full of fascinating information about the development of the city by
various groups”.
|
Paul Stark and Susan Ulick
New York, New York
|
|
