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Longing to get a glimpse of Venice beyond the Sala Grande and cocktail parties? Make the most of your downtime with one of these cultural distractions.
Jaunts to the island of Murano to see glass blowers at work have become a hassle for visitors who feel pressured to leave with a pricey, fragile trinket or else. Now, the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (museiciviciveneziani.it) has partnered with the Abate Zanetti Scuola del Vetro (glass blowing school) to offer you an alternative: Glass in Action, from the Museum to the Furnace (€16.50 admission fee). On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30, this guided tour at the Murano Glass Museum begins with a look at ancient Roman glass artifacts from the first to third centuries A.D. and pieces from the Renaissance era. Look for chalcedony — milky red glass made to look like agate that dates back to the mid-15th century. And don’t miss the central chandelier that was created in 1864 has 60 branches of delicate hand-blown glass.
Using the word “ghetto” to describe an isolated area originated in Venice, where 700 Jews were displaced to a corner of the city in 1516. (Ghetto means slag or foundry.) Now, this less-traveled but culturally rich section features five synagogues and a Jewish Museum that offers exhibits of ancient scrolls, sacred silk textiles and ketubahs (ornate marriage contracts).
Every year, you vow to take interesting pictures. Every year, you come home from the festival with a blurry shot of the Piazza San Marco. This time around, commit to the craft by taking a one-day photography workshop (venicephotoworkshop.com). Helmed by ex-economist and lensman Norbert Heyl, this artistic traipse around the labyrinthine city will lead you to perches with the best views of canals, monuments and vistas. Heyl — who opened a studio in Venice almost 15 years ago and co-authored the photo book “Venice Master Artisans” — can tailor this tour to satisfy specific interests, from the architecture to the surrounding islands to the looming public arts at dusk.
