A VENETIAN
« Those who haven't seen it don't believe what they're told about it, and those who see it can hardly believe what they're seeing. Those seeing it for the first time fall in love with it for life and never again leave it; or if they do leave it, it's with the intention of returning again soon. »
Dictionnary amoureux de Venise -
Luigi Grotto Cieco d'Hadria, 23 August 1570
Venetia: veni etiam: come back again.
You discover Venice from a distance as you arrive, spreading out amidst the islands surrounding it. The first rays of the sun on the horizon reveal the outline of the city, establishing a sense of a mysterious and romantic place in which time seems to have come to a standstill.
Venice has an enlarging, magnifying effect. It is a treasure of a thousand jewels, with love hiding around every corner. Love? Yes, and in all its senses: love for architecture, paintings, music and literature.
There is no better place to experience the atmosphere of Venice and admire its splendid palaces and typical terraces than from on board a Riva.
As you pass each bridge, you can imagine the multitudes of lives that have made its very heart pulse and vibrate, and you discover the mysteries with which it overflows.
To see Venice is to fall in love at first sight, whether with its buildings and architecture or its soul; you always end up coming back.
Serenissima
Take the time to discover every little corner of La Serenissima and the Venitian art of living:
go sightseeing, drink a coffee on the terrace of a café, wander from art gallery to art gallery and from canal to canal, and round it all off watching the sun go down as you gently sip a Spritz.
Palazzo
The moment you step through the door of a palazzo, you can clearly imagine all the history and splendour behind the architecture.
If only the walls could talk...
Like as if we're Venetian nobility, a concierge awaits us on the private jetty, ready to introduce us to the elegance of the surroundings.
The sublime double-height windows, surrounded by gothic arches and opening out onto a balcony with breathtaking views of the Grand Canal, and the opulent interior furnished with chandeliers and gilded antiques instantly transport us to another century.
Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco, the beating heart of the city – the square of a thousand faces.
At sunrise, the square is virtually deserted, but then come whole processions of tourists right until the moment the sun goes down. When night falls and the mist rises, the square continues to be a magical place, romantic even.
