Venice (Venezia) (approximately 272,000 inhabitants, about 1.6 million in the metropolitan area) is the capital of the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. The Republic of Venice was an important maritime power as well as an important center of commerce (especially the spice trade) and the art in the Renaissance.
The city is spread over 118 islands cut by 150 canals and connected by more than 400 bridges, giving it a unique environment. The historical center is divided into six rooms (sestieri).
The wealth of architecture, the uniqueness of the city and the numerous cultural events here combine to make Venice one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Unesco inserted in the list of World Heritage, Venice and its lagoon, in 1987.

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The Grand Canal, the main waterway of Venice, lined with Renaissance palaces, is full of gondolas and vaporetti. St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), the most famous square in Venice, St. Mark's is in the heart of the city, has always been the core of Venice. The square is dominated by the Basilica of San Marco, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Nearby is the Palazzo Ducale, the residence of the Doges.
The Basilica di San Marco (Basilica di San Marco) is a beautiful church that mixes the architectural styles of East and West, the most precious relic of the Basilica is the Pala d'Oro, a relief of Venetian-Byzantine gold adorned with precious stones. Take the lift to the top of the famous Venice brick steeple, the Belfry of San Marco (Campanile di San Marco), a spectacular view.
Palazzo Ducale, the most impressive secular building in Venice, served as the Senate House, administrative center, courthouse, public archives and prison until the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. The Bridge of Rialto built in 1588 has been the commercial center of Venice, is covered with many vendors, tourist shops and jewelery.
The most important Art Gallery of Venice, the Accademia located in an old church, the Galleria dell'Accademia contains masterpieces of Venetian painting up to the 18th century (works by Canaletto, Mantegna Giorgione, Antonello da Messina, Giambattista Tiepolo, Tintoretto , Titian, Veronese, Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci). The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the most eminent collection of modern art in Italy.
Apart from the tourist center there are about thirty islands on the lagoon to explore including Burano and Torcello as well as Murano where you can observe the world famous glass blowers at work and can buy their magnificent glass products.
The Film Festival of Venice (held on the Lido di Venezia every year in late August or early September) and Carnevale di Venezia (Carnival begins around two weeks before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) and ends on Tuesday's carnival (fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras), a day before Ash Wednesday) are highlights of the year.
Venice is a city of canals, here the only means of transportation are ferries and gondolas, there are no cars. The historic center of Venice is totally pedestrianized, it is fun to get lost in the streets and bridges that cross the numerous canals.
Each island is reached by ferry from the city, the most used are the ones that lead to the Lido, where is the famous Casino (Casinò di Venezia).

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Walking around Venice is charming, as it hides in its alleys "trattorias" that serve pasta and lovely shops.
Being a city closely linked to water, the forte in Venetian cuisine are fish. Spaghetti al nero di sepia (spaghetti with squid ink) and cod with polenta, as well as liver with onion and polenta, are typical dishes. But, of course, being in Italy, so there is a huge supply of pasta and risotto.

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Venice has a mixed climate between the Mediterranean and the continental climate, sea influences mitigate summer and winter temperatures, while continental means there is no real dry season.
In Venice it rains almost evenly throughout the year, with a monthly average that always exceeds 54 mm of rainfall. The average annual rainfall ranges from 800 mm to 850 mm.
Venice gets extremely hot during July and August, but outside these months the weather is not very radical. However, it should be noted that Venice, due to its location on the Adriatic coast, suffers from frequent thunderstorms and showers of rain. The city has an average of 78 days of rain per year and just over 2000 hours of sunshine.
In winter, frosts and fog are common, in one year Venice has 61 days of fog and 53 days of frost, concentrated in the months of November to February. Snow is quite common in the winter months, even if it stays on the ground normally for a few hours.
Venice can be flooded by high tide (acqua alta) during the winter, and most likely in the months of November and December.
In spring and autumn the weather is often beautiful and pleasant. In Venice it is high season, from April to October. The most enjoyable time of year for a trip to Venice are the days of late March to May and September to October.

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