Venice - Pure City
(Chatto & Windus) ISBN 978-0701172855 0701172851
For people planning Venice vacations, this comprehensive history book about Venice, Italy, is required reading. In Venice - Pure City, Peter Ackroyd helps you understand the people, politics, religion, architecture, art, watery environment, industry, music and festivals of Venice, in their historical context.
Venice - Pure City mixes interesting facts with Venice history. For example, you learn the number of islands in Venice (117) and how many pigeons there are in Saint Mark's Square (40,000), despite many failed attempts to decrease their numbers. According to Peter Ackroyd, vendors who sell corn to tourists to feed the 'doves of Saint Mark' support 19 Venetian families.
One chapter describes the history of Venice gondolas from the 11th century, who rode gondolas (wealthy patricians) and how the style of gondolas evolved (to longer and painted black) to the gondola ride enjoyed by tourists today.
Peter Ackroyd notes that there were 10,000 Venetian gondolas in the 16th century, but there are just 400 working gondolas in Venice today. Only four gondolas are built annually. After 20 years, when they wear out, the wood from old gondolas fuels the fires used by Murano craftsmen to make Venetian glass.
Readers also learn that the system of Venice house numbers is very confusing, because they reach into the thousands without reference to streets, squares or maps.
At the back of Venice - Pure City, a Venetian Chronology summarizes the history of Venice, Italy, from the fourth century to the 20th century AD.
A bibliography of books about Venice, with authors and publishers, is an excellent reading list for travelers planning Venice vacations.
The 403-page Venice travel book transports you, as if you were on a Venetian gondola, deeper and deeper into the history of Venice.
In 11 chapters of Venice - Pure City, Peter Ackroyd introduces you to the earliest inhabitants, the Veneti, craftsmen, such as the Murano glass-makers, Venetian painters, like Bellini and Tintoretto, Venetian playwrights, including Carlo Goldoni, Venice Doges (e.g., Leonardo Loredan) and merchants.
Interspersed with their stories are the histories of Venice landmarks, like Saint Mark's Square, the Ducal Palace and the Bridge of Sighs.
Color and black & white historic illustrations and photographs depict Venice maps, art, landmarks, bridges, canals and people.
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd is a broadcaster, biographer, poet, historian and award-winning novelist. This history of Venice, Italy, is his 30th book.
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