Tag Archives: history

Book discussion questions: A Beautiful Woman in Venice

Posted on August 12, 2017 by

Does your bookclub need some ideas for your next reading endeavor? Consider A Beautiful Woman in Venice, my collection of biographies about Venetian women. Dip into 28 chapters on over 35 Venetian women spanning six centuries. From poets Veronica Franco … Continue reading →

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Redefining Beauty Videos: Anna Maria dal Violin

Posted on August 10, 2017 by

On this day in 1782, a great violinist died. She was Anna Maria dal Violin, who was orphaned, left at the Ospedale Santa Maria della Pietá in the scaffetta, a revolving door where babies could be left anonymously. She showed … Continue reading →

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Losing Sleep in Venice

Posted on August 3, 2017 by

A lot of people lost a lot of sleep over this show! My friend Adriano sent me a link to a recent RAI tv film about Venice. Although it’s all in Italian, even if you don’t speak that language, you … Continue reading →

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Casanova’s Secret Wife

Posted on August 1, 2017 by

No, that’s not my clever title for a blog post. It’s the title of a new book out by Barbara Lynn-Davis about Caterina Capreta (sometimes Capretta), one of Casanova’s great loves. I had  the great pleasure of zooming through this … Continue reading →

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Two Kinds of Venetians

Posted on July 31, 2017 by

“There are two kinds of Venetians,” she said, “those who are born in Venice, and those who become Venetian in their hearts.” Marisa Convento is sort of both kinds. She was born in Mestre but married a Venetian and moved … Continue reading →

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Tombola time!

Posted on July 23, 2017 by

A peek inside the Church of the Redentore, with Jesus high above the altar. The church was built in thanks for the end of the bubonic plague in 1576–and they’re still celebrating today. Well, wouldn’t you? The parish and neighborhood … Continue reading →

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Boston’s Beautiful Woman in Venice

Posted on July 13, 2017 by

Okay, one more post about the Boston-Venice connection. While in Boston, I also visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, my favorite type of museum because it is set up to feel like a home full of art. Isabella, a Boston … Continue reading →

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