Venice has a history spanning almost 16 centuries: in fact the foundation of the Serenissima’s city is traced back to the legendary laying of the first stone of the San Giacomo of Rialto church, San Giacometo, as the Venetians still call it today. We are, according to tradition, in 421, on 25th March (in reality the church was almost certainly built after the year one thousand). This symbolic date is now in use to indicate the birth of the lagoon city. Precisely, on 25th March, the date of the Annunciation of Mary, that is the same of the Incarnation of the Lord: a circumstance that seems (indeed, is) made on purpose to justify the fact that in Venice March was the first month of the year. Until the fall of the Republic, that is until 1797, Venice had been celebrating the New Year at the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
This year, on 25th March, Venice celebrates 1598 years! Over the centuries, the city of St. Mark has become the jewel we can all admire. Even today, you cannot miss out the chance of getting lost in Venice, discovering its hidden treasures, visiting palaces, gardens, churches and museums less known and far from the most popular routes, exploring the historic City, the lagoon and the mainland to discover local cuisine, crafts, unique natural landscapes.
No doubt we are all called to adopt a few simple behaviors to ensure that our trip to Venice is as much as possible in harmony with the daily life of those who live there, and respect the beauty and uniqueness of the priceless heritage of the city, site protected by UNESCO.