Leisure

A passion for shopping

Craftsmen’s shops and fashion boutiques stand harmonically next to each other both in Venice and Treviso, reflecting the merchant spirit that has always characterised the history of La Serenissima. Alongside mono-brand stores and boutiques, for those who love high quality shopping we recommend a visit to the refined Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice, just a few steps from Rialto Bridge, housed in a magnificent 13th century building, with a splendid panoramic terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, and the McArthurGlen Outlet in Noventa di Piave, with its 150 retail stores that attracts visitors from all over the world.

Golf in Veneto

Among the many different sports activities that can be practised in the local area, golf certainly deserves a mention. There are indeed many golf courses in the Veneto, and Asolo Golf Club, our partner facility, is definitely one of the most excellent. It offers 3 different courses, 9 holes each, as well as a splendid Club House housing a restaurant, American bar and spa centre.

Activity holidays

The whole Veneto region, especially Treviso and its province, have always been considered one of Italy’s sports capitals, and offer countless opportunities for people who love activity and open-air holidays. The morphology and diversity of the landscapes are in fact ideal for hiking and cycle tours, with gentle hills or challenging Alpine ascents to climb, or placid watercourses to follow leading to the lagoon and sea, which take you through splendid nature reserves teeming with wildlife for you to observe.

Exploring the Prosecco Hills

Since 2019 when they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Prosecco Hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene have been a must-destination for lovers of good wine and food. A visit to the numerous wine cellars dotted over the area is a delight for the palate, with glasses of sparkling wine accompanied by a selection of typical local products, but also for the eye, with breath-taking panoramic views over the luxuriant green hills covered with endless rows of verdant vines.

The Treasure of St. Mark’s

The Treasure of St. Mark’s is the wealth of treasure collected by the Most Serene Republic from the 12th century onwards after the conquest of Constantinople and impoverished after the invasion by Napoleon in the late 1700s. The Treasure comprises valuable liturgical objects used in celebrations in the Venetian Doges’ Chapel. It brings together ancient artefacts, gold and silver items, precious stones, glass objects and magnificent paintings. The Basilica’s Treasure is kept in ancient rooms between the Church and the Doges Palace, accessed by means of a door in the south transept embellished with a 13th century mosaic. The small vestibule leads, to the left, into the sanctuary, and to the right, to the actual Treasure. In eight niches in the sanctuary walls there are numerous precious reliquaries containing the relics of saints gathered from Constantinople to the Holy Land. They testify to the devotion, and especially, the wealth of the relic market in medieval times, of which the Venetians were undisputed leaders.

The islands on the Lagoon

The islands on the Venetian Lagoon represent a natural and artistic heritage that includes myths and legends. The three main islands, Murano, Burano and Torcello are definitely worth a visit. Famous all over the world for its hand-blown glass, Murano with its 30,000 inhabitants is the largest island on the Venetian Lagoon. Glass indeed is the main source of livelihood on the island due to the many shops and workshops where you can watch the glass being blown. Anyone visiting Burano will be enchanted by the colourful houses lining the canals. Burano is known for its lace produced locally and the fish landed freshly every day. The island of Torcello is noted mainly for its Devil’s Bridge, named after a legend according to which, the devil himself waged that it could not be built in a day. After crossing the second bridge on the island, we come to the earth and gravel square where we can admire the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which conserves an immense authentic Byzantine mosaic.

Gallerie dell’ Accademia

During the Napoleonic occupation in 1807, the art school and its works were moved to a more worthy and comfortable location where three important religious buildings are currently housed: the Scuola Grande, the Church of Santa Maria della Carità and the Monastero de Canonici Lateranensi. Between 1816 and 1856, the Gallerie dell’Accademia were endowed with various private collections, which have embellished these rooms with undisputed masterpieces of Italian art. Today the rooms host an outstanding collection of Venetian paintings ranging from 13th century Byzantine to Gothic right through to Renaissance artists such as Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto and Titian, without forgetting Giambattista Tiepolo and the 17th century vedutisti, Canaletto, Guardi, Bellotto and Longhi. All artists that have influenced the history of painting in Europe.