In a city as ancient as Venice, myths & legends passed down from generation to generation record more than just love or murder. They are the storehouse of a city`s mores, emblems of its identity. In ” Venetian Curiosities”, acclaimed novelist Donna Leon recounts some of Venice`s most intriguing tales: an elephant brought in for Carnival wreaks havoc upon the city before seeking refuge in a church, the city employs prostitutes in an attempt to prevent homosexuality, innocent men are mistakenly condemned to death, a gambler bets the family palazzo. In an introduction & seven essays, Leon offers enchanting details & astute insights into Venetian customs of the past & present. ” Venetian Curiosities” is beautifully illustrated &, like Handel`s Bestiary, it comes with a CD. Here the music is by Antonio Vivaldi, with tracks for each section of the book, expertly played by Il Complesso Barocco. With the splendid music, the delightful images, & the perceptive, amusing words of Donna Leon, ” Venetian Curiosities” is a harmonious exploration of one of the world`s most beloved cities. ...

In ” Venetian Empire”, Jan Morris reconstructs the whole of this glittering dominion in the form of a sea-voyage, travelling along the historic Venetian trade routes from Venice itself to Greece, Crete & Cyprus. For six centuries the Republic of Venice was a maritime empire, its sovereign power extending throughout much of the eastern Mediterranean – an empire of coasts, islands & isolated fortresses by which, as Wordsworth wrote, the mercantile Venetians `held the gorgeous east in fee`. This is a traveller`s book, geographically arranged but wandering at will from the past to the present, evoking not only contemporary landscapes & sensations but also the characters, the emotions & the tumultuous events of the past. The first such work ever written about the Venetian ‘ Stato da Mar’, it is an invaluable historical companion for visitors to Venice itself & for travellers through the lands the Doges once ruled. ...

The residential interiors included here range from fabric designer Mirella Spinella s house, full of Asian influences & the blue-&-white harmonies of the Palazzo Pisani Rubelli, to the cutting-edge geometrics of London-based architect Michael Carapetian & the home of DJ Spiller, who combines high-tech electronics with frescoed ceilings & rocaille wood panelling in an ancient noble mansion. Featuring a lively anecdotal text & stunning colour photographs of private interiors otherwise not open to the public, this beautifully illustrated volume is essential for anyone who has fantasized about living in one of the most romantic cities in Europe. This is an enchanting volume for browsers, armchair tourists, & anyone interested in interior design. ...

A Venetian Journal
- Food, Travel, Dreams is a celebratory compendium of the city by bestselling chef Tessa Kiros, which encourages
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Four itineraries to discover the darkest & most fascinating secrets of Venice. Journalist Alberto Toso Fei is a descendant of one of the oldest families of glassmakers on the island of Murano & is a passionate scholar of local history & tradition. His text is complemented by beautiful black & white photos by Vito Vecellio & maps illustrating the itineraries. The size of this book makes it absolutely ideal to carry around Venice but the attention to detail & the accomplished graphics will turn it into an entertaining read wherever you sit down with it. Much more than Venice's mysteries emerge from Alberto's storytelling: following the itineraries the rich & multicultural history & traditions of Venice are brought to life. ...

In the 1380s & 90s, Nicolo & Antonio Zen journeyed from Venice up the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes, fighting savage natives &, just possibly, reaching the New World a full century before Columbus. This title tells the story of their adventure travelled throughout Europe, from the workshop of the great cartographer Mercator to the court of Elizabeth I. For centuries, the brothers were international celebrities, until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a `tissue of lies` & the Zens faded into oblivion. Following in their footsteps Andrea di Robilant sets out to discover the truth about the Zen voyages in a journey that takes him from the crumbling Palazzo Zen in Venice to the Orkney Islands, the Faroes, Iceland & Greenl&. Part history, part travelogue, ” Venetian Navigators” is a charming tale of great journeys, fine detective work & faith, against the odds. ...

A lined journal, in an ingeniously printed faux leather cover which captures the flavour of finely wrought Renaissance-style leather bindings. It is intricately embellished with one of three designs to reproduce the delicate gold tooling which was brought to Europe via the flourishing trade routes with the east. Closes with a fold-over cover flap. Smythe sewn with 144 pages, plus memento pouch & ribbon page marker. 18x 23cm ...

Bring out the Burgundy, light a pipe, & set the game board. A beautiful table is not available when you're on safari. Folding Mombasa chairs & a campaign box will have to do: after all your camping out in the Serengeti. Glints of exquisitely varnished cherry, matching aged bronze. Hand blown oversized marbles in white & black complete the palette. Independently beautiful, it pays off to take things along. ...

Veneto & Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Touring Club Italiano’s series of regional road maps of Italy at 1:200, 000, used by millions of locals & tourists alike & always among Stanford’s perennial best-sellers. Coverage extends from Lake Garda to Trieste & from Merano southwards to Ferrara, &

Includes:: Bolzano, Cortina d’ Ampezzo, Trento, Belluno, Udine, Treviso, Vicenza, Padua, Mantua, etc.TCI maps have subtle but very effective relief shading plus spot heights to present the topography. Names of mountain ranges, valleys, peaks, etc. are shown & national parks & other protected areas are prominently highlighted. Road network is presented in great detail, from motorways to dirt tracks navigable only with difficulty. Minor roads are very clear & easy to read &, where necessary, are drawn without generalizing their course, showing the twists & turns across the mountainous terrain. Steep roads are annotated with three levels of gradient markings. Scenic routes are highlighted. Motorways have the usual features such as toll barriers, services, etc. Railway network shows stations & level crossings &, where appropriate, ferry routes are marked. In mountainous areas refuges, cable car lines, chair lifts, etc. are marked Towns & villages of particular interest are highlighted in three grades, with symbols indicating various monuments, castes, churches, etc. The maps have no geographical co-ordinates. On the reverse each title has an index plus a national distance table. Map legend

Includes:: English. To see the other titles in this series please click on the series link.



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Veneto at a detailed scale of 1:150, 000 on a large, double-sided map in Freytag & Berndt’s very popular “ Top 10 Tips” series. A booklet attached to the map cover provides descriptions of the region’s 10 best sights, a street plan of Venice, plus the map index. Many place names are in large print to make navigating easier. Coverage extends east to include Bolzano, Trento, Lake Garda & Verona & Mantua, & south Ferrara. Maps in this series have topography well presented by subtle hill-shading with spot heights, plus colouring for woodlands; national & regional parks are highlighted. Road network emphasizes motorways & regional roads, but also

Includes:: small local roads & selected country tracks, most annotated with driving distances. Scenic routes are highlighted & the maps show roads closed to motor vehicles and/or not recommended for caravans, winter closures, toll routes, etc. Names of larger local towns are in bold print, making navigating in unfamiliar terrain much easier. Railway lines & ferry routes are included & local airports are marked. Picturesque locations are highlighted & in each title 10 best places of interest are prominently marked & briefly described in a booklet attached to the map cover. Symbols indicate various landmarks & facilities, e.g. archaeological sites, churches & castles, campsites, hostels, etc. Latitude & longitude lines are drawn at 10` intervals. The index, listing all the localities with their postcodes, is in the booklet attached to the map cover. The booklet also provides street plan (s) of the region’s main town (s). Map legend & the descriptions include English. To see other titles in this series please click on the series link.

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