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Rising from the waters of Venice Lagoon is a place like no other,
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The Italian city of Venice.
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Once the world’s greatest port,
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here, protected from the swells of the Adriatic,
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Venetian merchants created an impossible city of incredible wealth.
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Long hailed as the most breathtaking city on earth,
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there is no denying that sometimes,
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Venice can be overwhelmed with admirers.
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But if you take your time, and treat her gently,
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she will reward you with moments of profound beauty and bliss.
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Most visits begin in the central district of San Marco,
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where you’ll find one of the world’s great squares, St Marks.
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Arrive with the dawn, and the piazza will be yours to enjoy,
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without the crowds.
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St Mark’s Square is surrounded by some of the city’s finest architectural jewels.
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But there are none greater than St Mark’s Basilica,
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a treasure house of holy relics, from the body of St Mark,
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to a lock of The Virgin Mary’s hair.
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St Mark was known as Mark the Lionhearted,
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and everywhere you turn in Venice you’ll see this proud symbol.
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Across from the Basilica, stands the city’s beloved bell tower,
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St Mark’s Campanile.
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Climb the tower to see Venice stretch out in all her marble and red-tiled splendor,
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Below the tower, is one of the city’s great landmarks,
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Doge’s Palace. For centuries this Venetian Gothic masterpiece
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was the seat of the republic’s power and prestige. Today,
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its courtyards, apartments and chambers are a museum,
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which celebrates centuries of Venetian achievement and glory.
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Just outside, stand the Columns of San Marco and San Teodoro,
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the traditional gateway to the city.
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Here, under the Winged of Lion of Venice,
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begin your journey along one of the world’s great aquatic thoroughfares,
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The Grand Canal.
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For almost two and a half miles,
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the canal winds through Venice,…it is her main artery, her lifeblood.
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Ride the Vaporetto dell’ Arte and explore the canal’s treasures at your leisure.
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Or ride in true Venetian style, by gondola, which Mark Twain once called,
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the gentlest form of locomotion ever devised.
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Near the canal’s southern mouth,
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rises the graceful dome of Santa Maria della Salute.
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Beset by plague in the 17th century,
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Venice turned to the Spirit of Mother Mary for deliverance.
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The plague lifted, and grateful Venetians raised this new church in her honor.
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All along the canal, elegant palazzos,
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once the homes of wealthy merchants,
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slip by as if in a dream.
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The timeless wake of river traffic laps at their doorsteps, just as it has for centuries.
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Today, many of the Palazzos, are home to museums and galleries.
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Ca Rezzonico allows visitors to experience the opulence of 18th century Venice.
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While Palazzo Grassi’s bold restoration and artworks
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are the perfect reflection of a city that cherishes its past,
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and embraces the new.
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Venice has a way of capturing hearts.
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In the 1940s, American heiress, Peggy Guggenheim,
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made her home on the Grand Canal.
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Today her passion for Venice lives on, through her incredible collection of modern art,
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which brings joy to the hundreds of art lovers who visit each day.
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Venice is known as The City Of Bridges,
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many of which are works of art too.
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The Accademia Bridge links the San Marco district to the Accademia Gallery,
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and offers some of the Grand Canal’s finest views.
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The oldest of the Grand Canal’s four crossings, is The Rialto Bridge.
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For over three hundred years this was the only way to cross the canal on foot,
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and today still stands as the grand gateway to the Rialto Markets.
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Away from the Grand Canal there are hundreds more bridges to explore,
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from the purely functional, to the breathtaking.
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The most famous of all,
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connects Doge’s Palace to the historic prison. From the enclosed walkway,
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the condemned would capture one last look at their beloved city,
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and sigh,…hence the name, the Bridge of Sighs.
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Venice is a city to get lost in,
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so put away your map and let her surprise you.
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Follow winding alleyways that suddenly emerge into quiet piazzas
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and onto the steps of ancient churches.
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In the central area of San Marco,
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discover cultural treasures like the Teatro La Fenice,
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which despite being destroyed three times by fire,
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arose from the ashes each time, just like its namesake.
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The further you roam, the fewer travellers you’ll see and the more locals you’ll meet.
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These are the places, where the city surrenders its most intimate pleasures…
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When the city’s embrace becomes too tight,
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there are places to catch your breath,
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…like the waterfront promenades
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…or the sleepy canals and spacious piazzas of Castello.
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Venice was long the epicenter of European glassmaking.
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Fearing an inferno,
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in the 13th century Venice relocated all her glassmakers to the island of Murano.
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700 years later,
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the decedents of these artisans still create works of incredible delicacy and color.
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Further across the lagoon,
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is another island famed for its color, the tiny island of Burano.
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Legend has it,
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that fishermen painted their houses in distinctive colors
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so they could find their way home through the lagoon’s fogs.
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While here, shop for some of the island’s exquisite lace,
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just as Leonardo da Vinci did when he visited in 1481.
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From the adventures of Marco Polo and Casanova,
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to the artistry of Vivaldi and Bellini,
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Venice has shone her light into the far corners of the world for over one and a half thousand years.
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And now, the world comes to her.
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Just remember,
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Venice smiles upon those who linger. So stay for a few nights,
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or stay for a month,
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and savor every sweet moment she has to offer.