Venetian Grace: Tiara Above the Waves by Daphne Beames

When ‘Neptune’s people’ first colonised the islands of the Venetian lagoon in the early 5th-century a unique trilogy was born: a glamorous skyline; bewitching colours and a maze of shining, iridescent waterways. Like Botticelli’s Venus - Venice rises from the waves: an alluring, pastel palette enhanced by rippling reflections, brush-stroked with gold and soaked in romance.

St. Mark still smiles down on the fascinating city that once captivated Napoleon and Byron, Tchaikovsky and Browning – has, throughout history, ensnared millions - and continues to dazzle today.

Only a bridge anchors Venice to the earth - unchained she would escape to a celestial realm.

She may be sinking but she oozes charm - she may be shabby but she is also the undisputed ‘Queen of the Seas’ – a grand, floating stage where the soul of the East meets the spirit of the West. A visit to Venice is still to dine at the world’s top table!

Marco Polo International Airport is located on the mainland, 15kms from the action, and a bus ride in the fast lane will transport the traveller lagoonside, to Piazzale Roma, in just 20 minutes. (The blue ATVO buses are convenient, frequent and inexpensive at around 4 Euros per trip – tickets may be bought in the airport lounge. Motorboat taxis and boats of the Alilaguna Company go directly from the airport to the hotels but this is the expensive option. For those arriving by car, there is ample, if expensive, parking at the garage San Marco – also at Piazzale Roma.)

Bound for the Londra Palace Hotel - situated on the Riva degli Schiavoni along the Bacino San Marco – we decided to atone for extravagance, make a token stab at economising, and also to absorb more of the local colour by driving into the historic centre on a recommended blue bus. This proved a good choice – until we alighted in the Piazzale to be met by a smiling, smarmy porter who obsequiously rubbed his hands together before grabbing our cases and carrying them the few steps to the vaporetto landing stage. His smile quickly faded when we refused to pay the exorbitant price he demanded for this unsolicited aid and, still shouldering the bags, he turned and trudged back again! (A useful tip is to bargain for goods and services in Venice as the price is often as high as the traffic will allow.)

The afternoon was already well advanced as the vaporetto swiftly whisked us down the Grand Canal (a mirror reflection of a gigantic ‘S’) towards the San Zaccaria stop. Long, dancing shadows played on the blue waters as we passed below the landmark Rialto Bridge, sped past the Mocenigo Palace (former playground of Lord Byron), gazed at Ca’ Rezzonico (last home of Robert Browning), sailed under the famous Ponte dell Accademia and finally entered the Lagoon Basin.

Gleaming black gondolas glided like black swans over the shining surface of the lake; candy-striped mooring posts formed a decorative fringe along the quayside and the huge, turquoise dome of the Church of the Salute dominated the skyline. Standing on the prow and gazing at the fragile beauty of the scene was truly a ‘titanic moment’!

We checked into our white, one-hundred-windowed palace with the exotic address of ‘Quay of the Slavs’ and then - as the Adriatic sunset began turning canals to fire and waves to flame - set out to explore the legendary Piazza San Marco and to join the scores of tourists, celebrities masquerading incognito, and Venetian businessmen enjoying their Bellinis and Chianti at ‘Harry’s Bar’ or the celebrated 18th-century Caffé’s: ‘Florian’ and ‘Lavena’. (The latter an erstwhile haunt of composers Liszt, Wagner and Rubenstein.)

The tall, red brick Campanile; the gleaming façade of the Ducal Palace and the five, glistening domes of the Cathedral all beckoned – inviting closer inspection the next morning.

Ownership of the great, beautifully proportioned ‘square’ is claimed by the most cosseted pigeons in Italy. This geometrical gem – once described by Napoleon as ‘the Drawing Room of Europe’ - is surrounded on three sides by the arched walkways of the Procuratie and the neo-classical Napoleonic wing - housing the Correr museum. In the north-eastern corner stands the ornate Clock Tower where two famous bronze ‘Moors’ strike away the hours – and from where the iconic, winged lion: symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist – keeps watch over the city. The Clock Tower is also the entrance to one of the oldest Venetian pedestrian walkways, the Merceria, linking San Marco to the Rialto Bridge.

As twilight fell, there was just time to stroll along this historic thoroughfare crammed with evening shoppers - to marvel at the splendid goods on display; to bargain for soft, woollen sweaters and to stock up on cameos, souvenir masks and coral trinkets. Emerging on the Grand Canal – we stopped in delight; directly before us, silhouetted against the evening sky, rose a life-size setting for ‘The Merchant of Venice’: the definitive, 16th-century Rialto Bridge, lined with distinctive, covered archways - a tourist hot-spot and the colourful site of lively, morning markets.

Our evening meal was superb. We dined in the Do Leoni restaurant at the Londra Hotel - surrounded by Biedermeister furniture, gilded mirrors and Venetian grace. (In 1877 - it was within these elegant walls that Tchaikovsky found the inspiration to compose his 4th Symphony.)

The treasures of Venice can be viewed in two days but the sightseeing will be frenetic! We began with the must-see sights.

First on our list was the Oriental-style Doge’s (or Ducal) Palace. (The last Doge abdicated in 1797 to make way for Napoleon.) Begun in the 9th-century and open daily, this shimmering, soft pink confection - laced with finely wrought loggias and intricate mosaics - boasts an amazing collection of paintings by Tintoretto and Titian. To reach the first floor loggia, where Doges were crowned after a service in St Mark’s, scale the ‘Giant’s Staircase’ in the enormous courtyard – here you will find the ‘God of the Sea’: a huge statue of Neptune standing alongside his magnificent brother, Mars.

Stop to drink in the pleasures of the rich Venetian craftsmanship, the stucco ceilings, the Golden Stairway (Scala d’Oro) and the elaborate Hall of the Great Council. Then move through the impressive Armoury and the Senate Chamber (one of the grandest rooms in the palace). Be sure to book a specially recommended secret tour (mornings only) to view the intriguing, hidden history: the prisons and the torture chamber. Finally, gaze out over the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs). This notorious but beautiful, covered bridge is one of the most photographed sights in Venice. Sad prisoners were led across it, through two parallel passageways - from the courtrooms in the Palace of Justice to the prisons - and often to their deaths.

Only the superior claim of a saint could rival the alluring abode of the Doge!

To the left of the palace rises a triumph of Byzantine design: the Basilica of San Marco - adorned by four of the most famous horses in the world (bronze statues brought from Byzantium after the Fourth Crusade) and reputed to house the relics of St. Mark. The internal space of this masterpiece is framed by gold backgrounds and filled with magical vibrations in harmony with filtered light. The floor plan is a Greek Cross and the five dome-shaped cupolas (one central and one on each of the arms of the cross) are supported by the pilasters of the nave. Behind the high altar is the Palo d’Oro a supreme example of the goldsmith’s art. For a breathtaking view, remember to buy a ticket that includes a visit to the ‘terrace of the horses’ (on the first floor overlooking the Square) and includes entrance to the sacred resting place of the relics.

When Peggy Guggenhiem first threw open the doors of her modern art museum, she did more than just create a gallery with wonderful, light-filled rooms. The collection on display in this elegant, low, white palace - standing just upstream from the Academy Bridge, where the Grand Canal meets the Lagoon Basin - is a joy worth savouring. (Open from Wed – Mon.)

By night - when moonbeams and shadows come out to dance with ripples and reflections on the glassy water – Venice glows and shimmers. Enjoy a magical, lantern-lit gondola ride down the Grand Canal. Consider attending a performance at the Opera, ‘Teatro La Fenice’ (the name belongs to the phoenix that twice rose from the ashes after devastating fires) where stunning architecture and appointments lend a rich dimension to the evening’s entertainment; or take the ‘Ghost Tour’ and stroll through ‘Assassins’ Alley’ and a labyrinth of misty, back streets to discover the mysteries and legends of original Venice. (The tour begins at Rialto at 8.00 pm and lasts 90 minutes. It is available Wed. and Sat. from March to Nov.)

If you have an extra day it should belong to the Blue Lagoon!

The three islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello can all be visited in one day. Motor boat nos 41 or 42 will whisk you from Fondamenta Nuove to the ‘glass island’ of Murano - in just ten minutes. Here the exquisite art of the glass-blower, the superb craftsmanship of the ornaments in the Glass Museum and the splendid 8th-century Basilica Dei Santa Maria e Donati, will enchant.

From Murano, vaporetti of the LN line cross to the ‘lace-island’ of Burano – one of the brightest and prettiest places in the lagoon. The highlights are the Lace Museum, the Church of San Marino and the confectionery – try the decadent cakes christened ‘bussolai buranelli’.

Then, take a motorboat to the greenest of the islands: the charming and sparsely populated Torcello and lunch, like Hemingway, at the Locanda Cipriani. Here, too, you will find the ‘Devil’s Bridge’ and the ancient Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. (Locanda Cipriani will send a launch to San Marco to collect guests for a romantic meal.)

Finally, visit the famous Lido - so loved by Byron and Shelley - a 12kms strip of sandy beach, fringed with greenery. It is home to one of the few department stores on the lagoon islands and is the only place where cars are allowed.