Comments on
Story of a Mercantile Empire
“It
was the highlight of our trip. We particularly enjoyed understanding
the political, economic, and religious history to pull together what the
city is about and the “whys” of the architecture and art.”
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Karen Rhyne and Michael Michel
Newport Beach, California
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“A
beautifully prepared and detailed presentation and a day we will never
forget. The tour was so evocative of time and place; it took us away
from the bustle of tourist-filled streets and gift shops to a Venice of
fascinating proportions. We could imagine the city’s beginnings in
silt and salt, its glory days of rich fabrics and spices, and the sorrows of
its plagues and wars.”
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John Steve and Nancy Davis
Spokane, Washington
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“A
beautifully constructed and enthrallingly told history of Venice, from early
life in the fifth-century swamps to her eventual reign over the surrounding
land and seas. How did little Venice, whose only natural resource was
salt, become the most powerful and wealthy empire of her time? What
role did she play in the complex power struggles of church and state, east
and west? How did she spur the economic and industrial growth of all
of Europe? And why, eventually, did her enormous power decline?
If you are interested in history, you must not miss this experience.”
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Jerry and Carolee Kolve
Portland, Oregon
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“The
tour surpassed my expectations. I wanted to know why Venice is Venice
and what events occurred that made it so. The insight into the
development of the Venetian Empire is invaluable. I particularly
enjoyed the Arsenal. The organization with which the Venetians
produced and maintained their ships was amazing to me.”
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Martin Hunt
Vienna, Austria
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“The
day was a back-stage look at this museum city, delving into world history,
religion, architecture, art, economics, shipbuilding, and political and
private culture in order to understand the historical and religious
connections that created and then ultimately destroyed Venice as a world
power.”
|
Scott Clarkson and Cheryl
Friedling
Los Angeles, California
|
“We
most enjoyed learning in detail of the origins, history, and central
importance of Venice during the 13th - 16th centuries. It made the
city come alive for us. The detailed knowledge and obviously
meticulous study of the history, architecture, culture, and importance of
Venice made this marvelous tour truly unique.”
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David and Bonita Turner
Evanston, Illinois
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“The
private visit to the Pisani Moretta house stood out. It was there that
we understood how a grand mansion actually lived and worked — from
finance, mercantile practices, and alternative forms of investment to the
extravagant entertaining, inheritance rights, and education. This made
it concrete how different the Venetian nobility was from the landed nobility
elsewhere in Europe.”
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Alan and Jeanna Struthers
Ridgewood, New Jersey
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“The
tour proved to be essential to our understanding of Venice and everything we
saw. We would not have had the same experience without this “Venice
101”. The thoughtfully produced and beautifully written reference
guide with maps and a timeline is an added benefit.”
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Terry and Ethel DeMarr
Scottsdale, Arizona
|
“The
tour was well thought out and organized yet not rigid. Historical
information was both in-depth and put into a broader context. Overall,
we probably learned more about Venetian history than if we had taken a
semester course and will certainly remember more because of the fascinating
presentation.”
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Cliff and Kathy Murphy
New York, New York
|
“We
saw places and things that we would never have seen with an ordinary tour
and learned numerous insights that we would never have picked up on.
The tour did an excellent job of breaking up a vast amount of information
into digestible pieces and engaged both of our children by presenting
history and art in a meaningful way.”
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David and Leueen Willoughby
Toronto, Ontario
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“Very
informative yet relaxed. My son got a history lesson in great detail
without his understanding that he was getting an in-depth history lesson.”
|
R. Daniel Jacob
New Orleans, Louisiana
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For further information about this
unique guided walking tour,
call 011 39 041 520 6361 or write to:
We'll
begin our adventure at the gondola building yard almost
sixteen hundred years ago when the roots of Venice formed.
As we visit the workshop and discover how the natural
environment was originally created and later affected the
development of the city's traditional boats, we'll also talk
about the genesis of the first permanent human settlements and
about early life on the Venetian Lagoon. Moving on to
the banks of the Grand Canal, we'll then see how the primitive
economy evolved as the Venetians began to venture onto the
open sea and learn about the distant origins of the city's
noble families. As we wind through the back streets,
we'll also talk about construction techniques and building
materials and about the urban development of the Rivoalto
settlement as it grew and became the city of Venice. The
people and events of the decisive ninth century will then take
center stage. We'll witness the clash of two empires as
they seek to control the emerging city and discover how the
intense theological debates in distant Constantinople led to
the creation of a Venetian national identity around the relics
of the evangelist Saint Mark. At our next stops, we'll
see Venice expand its dominion from the slopes of the Alps to
the shores of the Black Sea and penetrate into the heart of
the Mongol Empire. We'll discuss the economic interests
that dictated Venice's policy of expansion as well as the
tremendous commercial importance of Marco Polo's travels and
the role of Asian technology in the growth of European
manufacturing. We'll then enter into the sumptuous
residence of a noble-merchant dating from the city's golden
age to talk about the mechanics of the lucrative trade with
the Orient from the role of the State and the nationalization
of the merchant galleys to private initiative and the birth of
the joint venture. Our story will then take us to the
Arsenal for a closer look at ship building when Venice was the
world's mightiest sea power and then on to the magnificent
Basilica of Saint Mary of Good Health to see how the city's
economy changed with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and
talk about the final decline and fall of Europe's oldest
republic.
