Discovering the most authentic Venice.
A tour among historical workshops
As if it was a corner of an isolated world, Venice owns an unique charm,
authentic; an atmospher that only this city can offer.
Discovering the most authentic Venice.
A tour among historical workshops
This thanks also to workshops that enliven its streets (“calli”), stores with a centuries-old history, whose heart continues to beat animated by the burning fire of passion.
Moving away from the city’s most touristic stops, it’s possible in fact to come across small shops inside which you can breathe the real essence of the city.
It is the other side of luxury, to be considered as (true) exclusivity. In the Serenissima, among shop windows of great maison and concept stores of international designers, Venetian craftsmen workshops coexist, as if we were in a parallel reality; magical places where life is inseparably bound to a gesture, a name to a profession, year after year, generation after generation.
Among the Lagoon’s most famous workforce the most renowned is obviously the one of glassmakers, with the Murano’s fame which is known all over the world, but Venice is filled with workshops, whose artisans become keepers of ancient secrets and traditions, that cannot be found anywhere in the world.
From jewellery to masks for the famous Carnival, passing by atelier, goldsmiths, carpentries and so much more: the most authentic Venice must be lived by losing yourself in its side streets, admiring shops wooden signs around every corner, that’s the reason why we decided to make a list of some of the most popular reality of the city, just few steps far from our hotel.
- Canestrelli Mirrors: a tradition that dates back to 1300, the one of the mirrors of “the witch”. The name is due to their resemblance to ancient crystal balls, from which they inherit the shape of this reflective surface, round and convex. Made with ancient craft techniques, these mirrors are actual unique pieces, characterized by nuances, materials and a different reflectivity everytime.
- The Peacock: an old workshop in which paper is transformed and coloured giving life to artwork. Using techniques inspired by woodcut, master craftsmen create unique and custom decorated papers in this shop. Perfect destination for those who love books and that wonderful scent that only paper can have.
- Attombri: the ancient Venetian tradition of perlere, women who used to make glass pearls at home during the nineteenth century, it’s the starting point of this workshop specialised in jewellery and furnishing objects. Here Murano glass becomes the main ingredient to create colourful compositions.
- Papier Machè: the right place to fully understand the meaning of Venetian Carnival. A simple material like papier-mache, between the craftsmen’s hands, it’s transformed in masks of a thousand expressions: it’s just impossible not to find one that suits you.
- Foundry Valese: about one kilometer far from Ca’ Bonfadini Hotel, it is the last artistic foundry in Venice. Through a centuries-old technique, they create handmade items with copper and bronze.
Those are just some of the most famous realities in Venice, but the lagoon hides dozens of these workshops, all of them easily reachable within walking distance from our hotel.
A tip to find out which is your favourite? Turn off the GPS and surrender to the rhythm of the city, Venice will take you by the hand.
