Peter walks in the footsteps of English writer John Ruskin, and traces the development of the city’s buildings from its earliest beginnings through to the emergence of a uniquely Venetian architectural aesthetic, formed by the practicalities of building on – and defending against – the ever-encroaching waters. And what does the city do with the dead? He discovers the resting place of many poets and writers on the Isola di San Michele.
Peter explores the art and artists that Venice has inspired over the centuries, including Guardi and Canaletto who created the most recognisable views of perhaps the most frequently-painted city in the world. He finds it is the buildings that star in the paintings of Venice; not the people, and explores how the city inspired a number of uniquely Venetian innovations in its artists.
Peter tells the story of Venetian music, from the songs of women on the seashore waiting for their fishermen to come home, to gondoliers singing the poetry of Tasso, to the sacred music of Antonio Vivaldi. He looks at how music has woven itself into the fabric of the city, and how Venice’s musical awakening really came about as the expansion of its empire drew to a close.
If you know little else of Venice beyond its canals, the chances are you will have heard of its carnival. Peter explores the history of theatre, parades and carnival in the City of Water, discovering the controversy behind the rebuilding of its opera house La Fenice. But, asks Ackroyd, while the fantasy of masks, secrets and double lives was a glamorous one, what did it reveal of the Venetian nature?