Families with kids find sometimes hard to travel around museums and exhibitions in Venice…we would like to give you some advice to make children appreciate visits to historical places as funny and interesting experiences. During the springtime many activities are organized to acknowledge the kids of Venetian history with funny games.

DUCALE PALACE

Find the assassin at Ducale Palace. A haunting to discover the secrets of a mysterious murder throughout the Palace. Looking for clues, the participants could learn the several phases of the construction of the building, the apartments of the doge, the history of the institutional saloons so to relive a obscure episode happened centuries before today. Sunday 20th March – 3 pm, 8th March – 11 am and 3 pm, 22nd March – 11 am and 3 pm

The fear time. An itinerary in the Prisons of the Ducale Palace to discover histories and memories of the prisoners who were held for an entire life. Sunday April 3rd, May 1st and September 25th at 11 am and 3 pm

MUSEO CORRER

A meter of colored beads. An interesting experience to run over the history of a particular product of the glass art, called “ glass of the conterie”, that are pearls extracted from the glass tube. In labs the participants have the possibility to compose long string of pearls to create framings or necklaces and use their fantasy. Sunday 27th March – 11 am and 3 pm, 17th April – 11 am and 3 pm

CA’ REZZONICO

Sky, clouds, rivers and hills. Oil painting. After a tour of the most important paintings in the museum, the visitors will realize their own painting with oils. Sunday 10th April – 11 am and 3 pm

At the BEST WESTERN PREMIER Sant’Elena families traveling with kids up to 8 years have now aspecial room with special amenities and services…it’s the “kids room”!

The Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture opens for ten days lots of monuments, museums, archaeological sites, archives, libraries with large popular events throughout the whole country.
Thousands of events: exhibitions, conferences, special openings, workshops, guided tours and concerts that will make more special the experience for all the visitors.
This year, the 12th edition of the “Culture Week” will take place from  April 16th to 25th.
The main purpose of this initiative is to promote culture awareness and to transmit the love of art to an ever wider audience of citizens that, for seven days, can choose from exhibitions, conferences, workshops, guided tours, concerts, shows , film showings and special openings in all regions of Italy.
Museums and Palaces in Venice will open their doors to experts and enthusiasts, through the organization of free guided tours and themed itineraries.

The main attractions that will open their doors free to the public are:
• The “Ca d’Oro” and the tour exhibition of Flemish tapestries of the 16th century.
• The Museum of Oriental Art and the opportunity to see some masks representative of traditional Japanese Noh theater.
• The  “Gallerie dell’Accademia”, where for the first time there will be organized the show of two drawings by Jacopo Tintoretto and Francesco Guardi, acquired in 2009.
• The “Palazzo Foscari”, last residence of the Doge Francesco Foscari and now seat of the Venice University, which hosted illustriouscharacters such as Henry III of Valois, King of France and Poland.
• The “Palazzo Grimani”, a noble residence in Venice of the sixteenth century.
• The “Libreria Sansoviniana”, with the inauguration of the exhibition ” Tesori della musica veneta del Cinquecento. La policolarità Giovanni Matteo Asola e Giovanni Croce”.
• The Provincial Museum of Torcello - Archaeological Section and Section Medieval and Modern, which includes ruins and artifacts related to the island and lagoon.
• The “Arsenale”, whose visit will be preceded by an introductory lesson by the architect Claudio Menichelli in cooperation with the Maritime Research Center.
• The house of the famous Venetian painter Jacopo Tintoretto.
• The National Archaeological Museum of Venice.

For more information or details regarding specific dates and opening hours, please visit the website: www.beniculturali.it

Mark the Evangelist is the patron of Venice: his feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the lion. Tradition identifies him with author of the Gospel of Mark, said to be the disciple and interpreter of Saint Peter, and the follower and Apostle of Jesus Christ. About 10 to 20 years after the ascension of Christ, Saint Mark traveled to Alexandria and formed what is now known as the Coptic Orthodox Church. Aspects of the Coptic liturgy can be traced back to Saint Mark. He became its first bishop and founder of Christianity in Africa.
What is the connection between St. Mark and Venice? We have to look for it in the Medieval history. Actually,  in 828, some relics believed to be the body of St. Mark were stolen from Alexandria by two Venetian merchants and taken to Venice, where the Byzantine Theodore of Amasea had previously been the patron saint. Therefore a basilica was built there to house the relics: the unique and famous St. Mark Basilica, which has become the symbol of Venice.

There is a mosaic on the basilica showing how the sailors covered the relics with a layer of pork. Since Muslims are not allowed to touch pork, this action was done to prevent Muslim intervention in the relics removal. Moreover, according to tradition, in 1094 the saint himself revealed the location of his remains by extending an arm from a pillar. The newfound remains were placed in a sarcophagus in the basilica.
Nevertheless, the destiny of  the relics of the Saint is vexed: copts believe that his head remained in Alexandria. Every year, on the 30th day of the month of Babah, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the commemoration of the consecration of the church of St. Mark, and the appearance of the head of the saint in the city of Alexandria. This takes place inside St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, where the saint’s head is preserved.

A new and enthralling way to visit Venice and its treasures: what  you need is only a map, a “whaiwhai” notebook and a mobile. “Whaiwhai” is an interactive story and a particular hunt to Venice treasures, to discover the most original and exciting aspects of the city.

In order to participate to this adventure, it is necessary to buy a whaiwhai notebook on the website or in one of the bookshops of the city. Once you bought the notebook that contains the stories that will drive you in the several places of the research, just to start, it is sufficient to send a message to a mobile number you find in the notebook.

To read the several stories about Venice, you should obtain the codes that will be sent you by sms: only in this way you could reassemble the pages, read what is written and know some peculiarities of the city where the discover will continue.

In order to proceed with the research, you should solve some riddles, sending the solution by sms to the number you find in our notebook ( the cost of a sms is the cost fixed by your operator). The notebook contains lots of stories and it will permit to play with whaiwhai till three times and to do different journeys in every treasure hunt. We will wait for you in Venice to look for some clues and to discover new hidden places of this wonderful and unique city.

Sunday Guided Tour: from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. than a suggestive aperitif in our Sant’Elena hotel.

Meeting point at the Hotel Sant’Elena of Venice for the tour “Between Convents and Gardens of Sant’Elena” escorted by the architect Mrs Gabriella Bondi part of the Wigwam Club Giardini Storici di Venezia.

Departure will be the grassy court of the formal monastic complex of Mantellate, built in the thirties which today hosts the elegant Hotel Sant’Elena.

A sophisticated aperitif, arranged by The Chef Giovanni Montella, will be served between the splash of roses’ colors and officinal herbs.

An introduction to the History of this marvelous part of Venice still not assaulted by tourists, will be offered on the spot.

A guided walk will take us to the near Sant’Elena island, located at the oriental extremity of Venice, where we will visit orts, fifteenth-century kiosk and the Church of the Convent complex dedicated to the mother of Emperor Costantino.

For centuries a thriving cultural and artistic center with very well furnished library of the venetian lagoon, its origin are very ancient and date back to XI Century.

We’ll walk through the recent area born from drainages Vittorio Emanuele III, crossed by rows of big linden trees of the Viale IV Novembre and the breezy pine wood facing the Basin of San Marco reachable crossing a bridge from the Gardens of the Biennale.

An italian scholar discovered that the origin of @, sign used in email communications, is Italian. It was invented by Italian merchants at least 500 years ago. The symbol  stands for “anphora”, which was aweight unit used by ancient Greeks and Romans. The “anphora” (@) is the misure of capacity based on terracotta jars used for transportation in the ancient Mediterranean world. For example Lapi wrote, describing the arrival in Sapin of three Ships bearing gold and silver from Latin America in that way: “Three an @ of wine, which is one thirtieth of a barrel, is worth 70 or 80 ducats”.

Are you looking for a special gift to buy in Venice? Do you want something particular, original and stylish? This new collaction is ideal for you…
The passionate love of art and the original vision of Peggy Guggenheim have inspired the collection of objects and accessories expressely create by the designer of the Benetton Group’s communication research center “Fabrica” for the special occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Foundation. The prestigious new collection of items named “Who is Peggy?” is on sale in the two shops of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice. Moments of her life documented in black and white photographs are the original motive present in the bag silk-screened. Than a series of coloured notebooks with figures which seem to move. Our favorite item is the the elegant ceramic typewriter that could be a sicret container. It remaind the passion of Peggy for letter-writing and it’s a stylish house ornament.

You can find this creative and unique collection at:
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Palazzo Venier dei Leoni
701 Dorsoduro, Venice

About Peggy
Peggy Guggenheim was born in New York on 26 August 1898, interested in culture, art and intellectual activities, had the opportunity in 1921 to travel in Europe. She lived in Paris heart of bohème and American ex-patriate society and in 1937, encouraged by her friend Peggy Waldman, Peggy decided to open an art gallery in London. Than she moved from America to Europe promoting new artists and cultural activities.

The Biennale Film Festival ended on 6^th September. Many actors and produces plough the famous red carpet of Venice Lido: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Natalie Portman… But our favorite are the five native Brasil indians actors that flew over the ocean to land in Venice for the official worldwide premiere of the film “Birdwatching – La terra degli uomini rossi”.

They have never acted before, but they have been able to explain and represent their situation. The Chilean/Italian director wanted the Guaranì-Kaiowà Indios to highlight the plight of the tribe; the distroing of their lands for biofuels production.

It’s a perfect example of the historical pourpose of the Biennale Film Festival as event that promote the cinema has art and entertainment with the spirit of tolerance and freedom deriving from the intercultural exchange.

The movie gives them the opportunity to come in Italy, taste pasta with ragù (meat sauce), very appreciate from the tribu leader Ambrosio Vilhalva and the yunger members decided to drink pepsi instead of wather. They are used to live in the forest in a completely different ambient so also they are really surprised to see the waves of the see, at first they look at it with tier, than they loved it, Venice and Italian people.