Anywhere you look, hidden history stares back at you.
An inconspicuous sign on a wall tells a story about long forgotten crafts and social welfare in the 15th century. Ancient graffiti under a portico reminds us how public transport worked in the 18th and 19th centuries. An oddly placed altar shows how faith was used to fight crime. History is all over.
The humblest of little signs on a wall hides a story worth being retold.
Even a short walk down the calli with a knowledgeable guide can teach you as much as a shelf full of guidebooks.
The Hidden History tour
I will meet you at your hotel, or at the restaurant where you’ve had lunch, or wherever it suits you in Venice, and we’ll walk around the city together, searching for messages from the past.
This is not a tour of great monuments and famous places. That’s all in the guidebooks, and you won’t need to for that. Rather, it is a search for all those little messages past Venetians have left around the city, that we don’t see even if they’re just in front of us.
We’ll talk about how social welfare worked in the renaissance, about the ancient links between Venice and the Byzantine Empire, about the Venetian trade on the Levant, and much, much more.
The hidden history is in front of our eyes, but we don’t always see it.
These articles cover some of the subjects we might cover on a hidden history walk:
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Long live the doge
Viva il doge – Long live the doge – the writing on the wall celebrating the election of Andrea Gritto…
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Palazzo Morosini
Palazzo Morosini is a mixed Venetian Gothic and Renaissance palace in the Castello Sestiere which is unfortunately inaccessible to the…
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Prostitution in Venice
In ancient Venice prostitution was considered a necessary evil, where more harm would come from a ban than from a…
What others said
Excellent tour! Recommend!”
René was an excellent connoisseur of Venetian history. He leads us back to the beginning of the first settlements of Venice and explains us how and why everything starts to become the important city of Venice . He shows us little details in the city to illustrate how people lived together in Venice in former times. René was very friendly and a sympathetic tourist guide who is highly recommendable.”
I’m not big on “tours,” so René’s hidden history experience was a perfect way for me to learn about Venice without the crowds. We started with a brief historical overview for context, then he led me through the city pointing out details from ancient graffiti to architectural oddities and sharing the incredible stories behind each one. I would fully recommend this experience for anyone who hates to wait in line for big church tours but is interested in learning about their surroundings.
Prices and booking
The hidden history walking tour can be two or more hours. The more time we spend together, the more we’ll see and explore.
Group tours
Groups can be from two to eight persons, so everybody can see and hear everything. The tour lasts 2-2½ hours.
The price for group tours is €30/person for the first two hours, and €10/person for each additional hour.
Children under five can come for free, and children fourteen or younger for €10.
Group tours usually start in Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo, either at 10am or 2pm.
Please note that I don’t do these tours every day, so if you want to come, please drop me a message, preferably at least the day before.
Private tours
A two-hour private tour is minimum €160 for the group, or €30/person. Longer tours are charged at €50 for each additional hour.
A private tour can start at a time and place of your choosing, and we can concentrate on whatever subjects you want.
You can use this link to book an private tour directly in my calendar. You get a confirmation email, and I’m notified when you click the confirmation link in that email.