Venezia
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The testament of Marco Polo
We don’t know the exact date of the death of Marco Polo, but his last will and testament is dated January 9th, 1323 M.V.
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Ca’ Dario
The Ca’ Dario on the Grand Canal in Venice has lately acquired a bad reputation, but it is almost guaranteed ghost-less.
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Sestiere Cannaregio
The Sestiere Cannaregio is the second largest of the six, extending from the railroad station to the Rialto. It covers almost half of the northern part of Venice.
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Sestiere Dorsoduro
The Sestiere Dorsoduro is the southernmost part of Venice along the Giudecca canal.
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When you could hang for wearing a fake beard
A spate of killings in the 1100s in Venice by assassins wearing false full beards, led a ban under capital punishment for wearing fake full beards.
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Ghetto – A Venetian word
The now almost extinct Venetian language was once widely spoken around Europe, and some Venetian words have survived.
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Bad air will get you sick
Bad air was believed to be a major cause of sickness in the past, based on Aristotle’s idea of miasma as the cause of disease.
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Runes in Venice
Who would expect to find runes in Venice? Yet, in central Venice a statue of a lion is covered in runic inscriptions
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Mezzo — Curiosità Veneziane
“Mezzo (Calle di) in Ruga Giuffa, a S. Maria Formosa.” from Curiosità Veneziane by Giuseppe Tassini
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St Nicholas — protector of sailors, virgins and reindeer
St Nicholas is celebrated on December 6th in much of Christianity. Associated with sailors and gift-giving, he is the origin of Santa Claus.