Rene has an encyclopedic knowledge of Venice’s history. In fact, his grasp of world history in general is so expansive that he was easily able to pivot off of questions to draw connections between broader themes. The richness of his account and his enthusiasm for the subject made this a singular travel experience.

I took every available tour of Venice during my three days here. Rene beats all other guides here 10 to 1, he is simply the BEST story teller, accurate research, curious facts and attention to detail, very passionate about the city and loads to learn even for a book worm like me. If I could give him ten stars I would. He will definitely be my guide next time in Venice. You can miss out on all the other tours here but you will not have seen Venice if you don’t go on his tour. Thank you so much Rene for making this visit so special!

Book this experience, you’ll thank me later! Rene is a phenomenal story-teller and possesses such a wealth of knowledge on the history of Venice. If you want something more beyond the basic facts you learn on the mainstream history tours, this is the experience for you. He opened our eyes to a Venice we would have never seen otherwise and kept us engaged the entire time and even long after we finished the tour. From climate-change and political/socio-economic forces that shaped the city to ancient graffiti and chips on a blank stone that mean way more than you would think they do. This was, hands-down, one of the most valuable experiences we had as first-timers and lovers of history in Venice.

Thank you for a fabulous tour of the island on Saturday and the absolutely wonderful kayaking adventure around the northern lagoon earlier in the week. I very much enjoyed meeting Martina and rowing with her. Please share with her my gratitude for the day and her fun camaraderie on the adventure! You are both delightful hosts.

You are a brilliant guide; your ability to weave your extensive history readings and education with the actual places and locations we are standing (or paddling through) is a rare gift. Your interpretation of the landscape is a valuable resource that you share with visitors to the lagoon and its islands.

We have been to Venice many times, so we didn’t want a conventional tour of the usual sights, which was why we were attracted to Rene’s offer. We learnt a lot which we didn’t know and saw details which we have always missed. Very worthwhile.

I was looking for a tour with a historian that would get me off the main tourist circuit and help me dive a little deeper into interesting stories from Venetian history. René was the perfect guide for that. The tour was interesting, and his passion for history shone through. Highly recommended!

We joined a tour of Lazzaretto Nuovo that Rene led on Saturday 31st May. After enjoying a quiet walk around the nature trail, watching the birds and seeing some of the vegetation of the lagoon close-up, we were fascinated by René’s historical tour of the built and found remains on the island. We greatly appreciated both the vast amount of knowledge that René shared and his interpretation, which helped to make the information very accessible and interesting. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and would recommend both Lazzaretto Nuovo and René’s tours to others.

My daughter and I are both interested in the history of places, and the people that formed it into what we see today. René was the perfect guide for this, telling stories and showing us details that helped us understand the essence of Venice a little more. We certainly only scratched the surface, and woke our interest to discover more.

I and my 14 yo daughter loved this tour. There were only the two of us on this tour, so the tour was a mix of Rene sharing his “must-know” information and his answering our questions. Rene has a wonderful depth of knowledge and keeps the tour interesting by tying pieces of historical information to things we might relate to in the modern day, e.g., the relationship between the Phrygian caps worn by the doge and the smurfs. He is not only a scholar, but also a gentleman – responding eagerly to our questions, taking us into a less windy spot when we looked uncomfortable, giving us extra time, and walking us to our restaurant where we had reservations after the tour. Next time I’m in Venice, I will be sure to book more time with Rene.

Bellissima esperienza, da rifare!

René was amazing- so knowledgeable and friendly, and tailored it perfectly to our interests!

Thanks Rene! An interesting and informative tour.

Rene was very knowledgeable and friendly. The tour was very informative and it was nice being able to ask questions and talk with Rene.

As all have said, René has a great wealth of knowledge and seems passionate about sharing it. I also adore his dog 😉 It was a great experience and a treat to ask many questions that had been accumulating as I’d wandered the streets on my own.

Great informative & interesting history of Venice! Very knowledgeable & passionate!

I spent a lovely and informative morning with Rene this January! He indulged all of my questions and interests. I felt like I had a private tutor in Venetian history – he has an abundance of knowledge and is a lively conversationalist. I highly recommend his tours. Thank you, Rene!

Finding this opportunity to learn more about the history of Venice and the abandoned islands was everything I had hoped for! Make the time. Forget the overpriced shopping and see this magical city differently.

This was an amazing experience of a Venice walking tour. I really wanted to learn and dig more into the Venice history and Renée made it real in the most inspiring way.

I found him along with so many other walking tours but this was convince me.

He understood our needs of learning more of the history and it exceeded our expectation.

This is not the traditional walking tour that takes you to the super highlights and touristic spots. If you want a very special tour, and unique, this is the experience.

Rene waited for us, even though we were late to the tour. He is a wealth of knowledge, and could expand on any of our questions.

We had a wonderful tour with René. He took us all around and shared the stories behind the beautiful places we were seeing. The pace was perfect for us as a family of 4 with two young children. We learned so much and it was truly a highlight of our time in Venice.

Rene really knows his stuff and showed us a number of interesting things, right there in one square! Quite a lot of history.

René is a Venetian by choice who has become a natural. He is extremely passionate about the history of this city and has abundance of knowledge. He showed us details that we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

René is really knowledgeable and has lots of stories to tell that will help you better understand the history of the city and how to see the city. I’ve really enjoyed my tour!

Excellent. Fun and content

The tour was packed with information. Rene really knew his stuff. We learned to spot ancient graffiti and identify the age of buildings by their architecture, and we kept thinking about these things throughout our Venice trip. The walking was less than we anticipated and I would have liked to walk a bit more, but I think Rene can tailor to his audience. I’d definitely book another tour with Rene for more insights next time I visit Venice.