Category: Life, customs and ways of doing things
Life in Venice is different because Venice is different from most other cities, and therefore customs and ways of doing things differ from other places.
-
Scuole Grandi
The Scuole Grandi — or the Great Schools — were Venetian medieval charities which due to their wealth became important institutions
-
Fornicators of Nuns
“Fornicators of Nuns” were criminals in ancient Venice, and harshly punished, but that didn’t stop nuns from having lovers.
-
Prostitution in Venice
In ancient Venice prostitution was considered a necessary evil, where more harm would come from a ban than from a de facto acceptance
-
Festa delle Marie
The “Festa delle Marie” celebrating the liberation of brides abducted by pirates, was an important event in medieval Venice.
-
Carnival in Venice
The Venetian Carnival was celebrated for centuries, until the end of the Republic. The modern carnival is only superficially similar.
-
Venice rhymes with Wine
Wine is all over in Venice, and always has been
-
Then and now, together
As many people still say about Venice: It’s beautiful, but I wouldn’t live there. Much the same can be said of the past.
-
More Veneto
“More veneto” refers to the official calendar of the Venetian State which was based on the ancient Roman calendar
-
Why rainwater?
The Venetians relied mostly on rainwater for their water supply, because other sources were unaccessible or unacceptable
-
Well, actually
Venice has been described as a city on water without water – still there’s a well in every square and every courtyard