VeniceWord.com

"BUONGIORNO VENEZIA - The News from Venice"

published weekly by VENICEWORD INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SERVICES in Venice, Italy -- 1st December 2008

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE:

• NEWS. High tides strike
• TIPS: coping with the high tide in Venice 
• NEWS. "Save Venice" called on the canvas
• NEWS. Rich in culture, poor in cash
• NEWS. The nitty Gritti
• NEWS. Lying at the movies
• REMINDER. Biennale Theatre... in two acts
• SERVICES. The Venice Card delivered: don't visit Venice without it
• UPCOMING EVENTS:
  MUSIC, THEATRE, and EXHIBITS
• Memories and Microcosms
• DINING. Suggested restaurants

Memorie e Microcosmi at Giudecca 795

UPCOMING EVENTS IN VENICE

(more details and suggestions)

EXHIBITS

• "Carlo Cardazzo. A New Vision for Art", 1 November 2008 - 9 February 2009 - Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. Hommage to the Veentian gallerist and artist Carlo Cardazzo, and its important collection of art
• Depero: Works from the collection Fedrizzi, until 1 March 2009, Museo Correr,
• "Edouard Angeli", until 8 December 2008 , Museo Correr
• "Georges Barbier in Venice, the birth of Deco art" until 5 January 2009, Palazzo Fortuny
• "Italics. Italian Art between Tradition and Revolution, 1968-2008", Palazzo Grassi until 22 March 2009
• "Anne Frank, una storia attuale", Jewish Museum until 29 November 2009

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & THEATRE

• NOT TO MISS IN OTHER CITIES:
  VICENZA, Celebrations for the Quincentenary of Andrea Palladio's birth

DINING

"Harry's Bar", San Marco 1323, Calle Vallaresso. Open every day. Phone 041 - 5285777.
The legendary restaurant and café owned by Arrigo Cipriani, favourite of Hemingway yesterday, Woody Allen today.
BUY NOW Harry's Bar Cookbook
See also Restaurants.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Dressing up for dinner?
The Editor's pick

Not to miss: Collective exhibit of the Artists: Igor Imhoff (video) - Federica Menin (photography) - Silviya Radeva (paintings). Curators: Emanuela Vozza e Matteo Efrem Rossi. Vernissage: Saturday 29 November from 6 PM. Opening hours: 29 November - 13 December 2008, Tuesday to Sunday 3:30 PM-8 PM. Closed on Monday. Other opening hours by appointment. Free admission. Giudecca795.com, Fondamenta S.Biagio 795, Venice (50 mt from Hilton Hotel Stucky). "Memories and Microcosms" originates from the screening of the new works of about 175 emerging artists participating to "Accade 2008: Mutazione contemporanea". The two young curators found it easy to identify a common path in a jungle of signs. An intimate, lyrical thread links the works of these 3 artists in the process of "sculpturing" their own identity. The challenge is between adapting to a technological contemporary era leading to fastness, saturation of the senses, and a historical archetypical past of expanded time and mostly bidimensional images. Silviya Radeva, Federica Menin and Igor Imhoff, using personal languages, refine this research using painting, photos, and video. Intimate geographies, microcosms scattered with traces of life, of memories, in slow and silent mutation.

Greetings from Venice!

NEWS. The effects of an unexpectedly high tide (about 160 cms) were worsened this morning, 1 December, by a 24 hour national strike involving the staff of ACTV, which provides Venice's ground and water transportation services. The current acqua alta was expected to reach only 130 cm. Yet, this morning, the Municipality's Centro Maree sent out a series of updates and, by noon, the tide was nearly 160 cm (156 according to the Centro, whilst the locals measured a higher level that accommodated wave height). As a result, Venice was completely flooded for about two hours. The tide then slowly returned to a normal level; slowly because of the presence of Scirocco winds which contribute to high tides. As of 3 pm, the ACTV cancelled the strike and was calling all of its employees back to work, but it will take several hours to have the whole staff on the job.  The absence of mainland busses and Venetian vaporettos - except for the guaranteed services - created chaos in the city while making ground and water taxi drivers very happy as they transported worried citizens to their homes and businesses. The extent of the damage to shops, restaurants, and hotels is yet to be determined.

ACQUA ALTA? A high tide information service alerts the cities and islands which face the Venice lagoon (such as Venice itself and Chioggia) some hours before the peaks. Sirens placed throughout the city and SMS messages on residents' cellphones try to update pedestrians and SMS subscribers ASAP. You can get information from a 24 hour call centre - with recorded messages - on (+39) 041.24.11.996. To subscribe to the free SMS service, click here. Weather forecasts can be found at:
http://www.veniceword.com/weather.html

NEWS.  The Save Venice Committee, founded in 1967, is financing the restoration of seventeen oil-on -canvas paintings by Tintoretto at Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
The funds raised by Save Venice are fundamental for initiating the restoration, which is also financed by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and supervised by the Superintendent of Fine Arts. The canvasses, painted by Jacopo Tintoretto between 1564 and 1565, adorn the ceiling of the Sala dell'Albergo, are encased in golden frames, and cover 130 square metres. They were last restored 100 years ago. The centre of the ceiling is the oval "San Rocco in Glory" surrounded by the allegorical representations of other Venetian "Scuole Grandi", the representation of the four seasons, two female figures, and of the virtues of Hope, Faith, Happiness, Goodness, and Generosity.
See: www.scuolagrandesanrocco.it and
www.savevenice.org

NEWS. The bad news on the cultural front is that the ministry funds designated for Venice will be cut by 370,000 euros next year. Some urgent restorations, such as the Giacomelli photo archive, which is also financed in part by Save Venice, and the sheet music of the city orchestra, are now in question.
Five million forty thousand euros must be stretched by the Municipality to support the city's theatres, cinemas, and libraries as well as the yearly calendar of art and culture. The Giacomelli historical photo archive consists of 180 thousand negatives, yet only thirteen thousand have been restored so far. The collection of the historical city orchestra consists of a very important archive of sheet music, photos, and important documents.

NEWS. Starwood Hotels has already sold the Excelsior Hotel and the Hotel Des Bains on the Lido, and the company also seems interested in selling the Gritti in the historical centre of  Venice.
The Gritti Palace in Campo Santa Maria del Giglio is the favourite of many celebrities, and it appears to have been valued at over 100 million euros. If confirmed, the palazzo, built as the residence of the doge Andrea Gritti in 1525, may continue to be managed by Starwood, as is another luxury Venetian hotel, the Danieli. The Gritti has been named as one of the best hotels in the world by most tourist guide books.

NEWS. "Proiezioni supine"  means watching films while lying on one's back, in some cases from 8 PM until past midnight in movie marathons. The Eyemove and Cinit associations organise programmes of screenings on the ceiling of the Parish Cinema in Calle Drio l'Archivio ai Frari in Venice. The movies are viewed while lying on the ground on thin mattresses. Covers and pillows are not included, but you can bring them from home. Ceiling screening marathons are scheduled until 6 May 2009.
The next announced Proiezioni Supine movie marathons:

Thursday 22 January 2009
Proiezioni Supine: "I Neo-Noir"
8:00 pm: A History of Violence by David Cronenberg (2005, 96')
10:00 pm: Notturno Bus by Davide Marengo (2007, 104')
12:00 am: Slevin - Patto Criminale by Paul McGuigan (2006, 110')

8:00 pm: Charlie Bartlett by Jon Poll (2007, 96')
10:00 pm: Guida per riconoscere i tuoi santi by Dito Montiel (2006, 98')
12:00 am: C.R.A.Z.Y. by Jean-Marc Valée (2006, 127')

May we also suggest you:
Thursday 15 January 2009 (regular screenings... with dinner!): "Maratona Cinegastronomica IV Edizione: Il piacere del cibo sugli schermi e a tavola"
7:00 pm (aperitif): Big Night by Stanley Tucci (1996, 107'); 9:00 pm (main course): L'abbuffata by Mimmo Calopresti (2007, 102');11:00 pm (desserts and coffee): Lezioni di cioccolato by Claudio Cupellini (2007, 107')

Admittance requires the Cinit Frari 2008 Card, and reservations are required. Contact us.

See the webcam over the Calatrava bridge at and the other active webcams of Venice clicking here


REMINDER.  The International Theatre Workshop took place in Venice from 27 October to 29 November 2008. Shortly after, the 40th International Theatre Festival will take place, running from 20 February to 8 March 2009. The programme of the Venice Biennale's Theatre section is closely integrated in to two segments. The first, in October-November 2008, features an international training and specialisation workshop; the second, in 2009, will incorporate an International Theatre Festival in February of that year. Both are associated with a single artistic theme: the Mediterranean.

The director of the Theatre section, Maurizio Scaparro, has conceived Venice as a workshop-city. Through the use of open-air spaces (San Trovaso, San Maurizio, and Santa Maria Formosa squares) and in the Arsenale venues, the Venice Biennale has, over the years, become a lively place for innovative creativity in disciplines beyond the merely theatrical. In historical spaces, the present is set, and tradition is newly interpreted with the eyes of contemporaneity. An Ariadne's thread made of water will reach from the middle of the lagoon to the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea being the theme of the Theatre section's current activities. In November 2008, Lebanese director Roger Assaf will be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Many of the workshops scheduled in October-November will then be part of the 40th International Theatre Festival, which will run from 20 February to 8 March 2009. The International Theatre Workshop also includes performances in front of an audience.
 

FOOD. The Espresso Guide has announced the best restaurants in Italy. The top spots in Venice, in the guide authors' opinions, are still two hotel restaurants -- the Bauer's and the Metropole's. 

According to the Espresso Guide, these are the Top Ten restaurants in the Veneto region:

* Le Calandre, Loc. Sarmeola, Rubano (Padova), tel. 049.630303, closed on Sunday and Monday. Average price per person: 150 euro
* Perbellini, Isola Rizza (Verona), tel. 045.7135352; closed on Monday, Tuesday, Sunday evening. Average price: 130 euro
* La Peca, Lonigo (Vicenza), tel. 0444.830214. Closed on Monday and Sunday evening. Average price: 98 euro
* Dolada, Loc. Plois, Pieve d'Alpago, tel. 0437.479141, Open only PM; closed on Monday and Sunday. Average price: 85 euro
* Locanda San Lorenzo, Puos d'Alpago, tel. 0437.454048, Closed on Wednesday. Average price: 65 euro
* Hotel Villa del Quar Arquade, Loc. Pedemonte, San Pietro in Cariano (Verona), tel. 045.6800681,  closed on Monday. Average price: 100 euro
* Laite, Borgata Hoffe 10, Sappada, tel. 0435.46907, Closed on Wedneday and Thursday lunch. Average price: 70 euro
* Il Desco, Verona, tel. 045.595358, closed on Monday and Sunday. Average price: 120 euro
* Antica Osteria Cera, Loc. Lughetto, Campagna Lupia (Venezia), tel. 041.5185009, closed on Monday and Sunday evening. Average price: 100 euro
*  Locanda di Piero, Montecchio Precalcino, tel. 0445.864827, Closed on Sunday, Monday lunch. Average price: 65 euro

SERVICES. Avoid queues at the ticket office... We are launching a new service for the online purchase and home (or hotel) delivery of  Venicecard tickets, complete with a map and PDF guide. Please allow 10-15 days for mail delivery!!! Click for details.

You may remember a series of children books dedicated to a young "detective", Nancy Drew. She's back in a videogame, which offers a new perspective to discover Venice, with the 360 degrees images of its set.

In  "Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice," from Her Interactive for the PC, Nancy has been invited to help the Italian police solve a series of crimes where priceless Venetian artifacts have been stolen. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Venice, as depicted in almost photo-realistic scenes, the mystery takes you around the city to many of its famous piazzas and other locations, letting you ride on gondolas to get from place to place. You play as Nancy and see Venice through her eyes. The game uses point-and-click navigation, with several of the scenes allowing you to look in 360-degree views by placing your cursor at the edge of the screen. The book which inspired the videogame is PHANTOM OF VENICE (NANCY DREW 78): PHANTOM OF VENICE (Nancy Drew).

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Would you like to own a gondola?  Buy a gondola, "park" it in Venice, and someone will take care of it for you in the wintertime, ensuring that you'll always have your own gondolier when you come to Venice, (and even give you rowing lessons, if you wish, so that you can be the gondolier!). Or you may decide to have the gondola packed and shipped home. This strange but, just as strangely, well-received idea already has many fans. If you're interested, contact us. (More about gondolas)

VENICEWORD INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SERVICES

Editing of the English language edition of BUONGIORNO VENEZIA
courtesy of Wordsworth & Company, www.wordsworthandco.com