Category: Venetian Stories Newsletter
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Elephanticide
The Church of Sant’Antonin in Castello still carries the sign of an unfortunate episode with an elephant.
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A Catalogue of Courtesans
The famous courtesans of Venice were so famous somebody made a catalogue, with prices.
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Giuseppe Tassini — a human giant
The “Curiosità Veneziane” is an unmatched treasure trove of titbits of Venetian history, and the result of decades spent in the archives and libraries.
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The Castle of Love
In 1215, Venice and Padua fought a war for one of the silliest reasons imaginable: a brawl during a game of Castle of Love.
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Nightingale Muzak
Songbirds were an important part of the shopping experience in Venice in the 1600s and 1700s.
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404 Doctor Not Found
The iconic cloaked and beaked plague doctor is often associated with Venice, but there is no documentation that the figure ever existed in Venice.
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Slavery in Venice
Slavery existed in Venice throughout the history of the republic, and the Venetian profited from the lucrative trade.
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The Regata Storica and Politics
The annual Regata Storica is normally devoid of political messages, but not this year.
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Clara — the star of the Carnival
Clara the Rhino was an unusual participant of the Carnival in Venice of 1751, but not the less popular for it.
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An Englishman in Venice
On the Grand Tour in the 1640s, the English gentleman John Evelyn spent almost a year in Venice and Padua.