PEN & PALETTE
LITERARY VENICE IN THE 19th CENTURY
Sept 16-23, 2012 Sign up for portions of this tour,
For example, 2 days on Proust,
Contact us for cost
Experience Venice in the 19th century through
the eyes and writings of authors (Byron, Browning, Henry James,
John Ruskin), and an artist (John Singer Sargent). All were inspired
and seduced by Venice.
The most prominent writers of the 19th century made their way to Venice where
they lived Venice life to the fullest. We explore many of these authors from
Byron to Proust . They caroused (Byron), lived in famous palazzos and wrote
( Henry James ), gloried in wandering the calles and getting lost (Proust)
marveled at the art and architecture (Ruskin).
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Authors and Artist Influentials
Clockwise from top left - Henry James, Byron
Self Portrait -Tintoretto and
John Singer Sargent |
Of the many contemporary artists who shared Venice with these authors,
John Singer Sargent stands
out. We visit some of the sites that Sargent painted so brilliantly from
a gondola. His stunning watercolors of Salute and San Marco are luminous.
2012 Literary Venice expanded itinerary:
VENETIAN ARTISTS: Any discussion of Venice
must include its renowned artists from other centuries. Titian, Tintoretto,
Carpaccio & Veronese are the Venetian artists who were strong influences
to writers and artists alike. We visit the Scuola Grande di San Rocco to
see Tintoretto as Ruskin did; San Sebastiano church for a soaring collection
of Veronese; and Carpaccio at the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni..
Proust in Venice… we explore Proust’s dream
of Venice, San Marco, the Piazzetta, the Fortuny connection. And you will
follow us on our creation of Proust’s famous “lost walk” through
Venice.
Venice Update : use your Optional Day to see the latest
Venice lures: The Palazzo Grassi and a new contemporary
museum right next to the Salute, Punta della Dogana. Don’t
miss it!
What’s Cooking : Venice’s restaurants have improved
a lot in the last couple of years.
We have a new favorite and there’s lots of fun little places now
right by the Rialto Market.
Of course, we’ll take a cicheti stroll; introduce you to Venice’s
favorite drink, the
Spritz and recommend my favorite, addictive little sandwiches for a lunch
break.
Donna Leon…if you’re a fan of these mysteries that are placed in
Venice we can even treat you
to a Commissario Guido Brunetti walk.
About our Lecturers:
Gregory Dowling is Associate Professor of American Literature at Ca' Foscari University in Venice. He is a graduate in English Literature at Oxford. He has led our Venice tours over the past ten years. In addition to his many scholarly writings, Gregory has penned four mysteries. One of which, Every Picture Tells a Story, is set in Venice. He also writes the literature section of Time Out Venice, attends a prestigious poetry conference in Pennsylvania every year and continues to astound us with the depth of his knowledge of both Venetian artists and literary figures.
Stan Burnett is a Proust Group Lecturer at the Center for Fiction in New York City, a Senior Research Fellow, Yale University and a prize winning author. We are indeed lucky that Stan and his wife, Fiona are in Venice at the time of our tour. They are on an almost two year tour of Europe.
Mary Ann Zimmerman, president SWT Tours, considers Venice, a second home. She has created dozens of lifestyle tours for her travel company with Venice her special love. She will share her insights into enjoying Venice with non-touristy verve.
Luisella Romeo one of Venice’s best and most popular official guides. She is perky, fashionable and brings energy and life to what could be dull history.
Day 1 - Sunday September 16th
Arrive in Venice, transfer
on your own to our hotel, The Hotel Ala, with a perfect location, just a 5 minute walk from
San Marco and a few steps from a vaporetto stop (our water bus transportation).
As our introduction to Literary Venice, we listen to the words of Ruskin,
Dickens, George Sand, Marcel Proust, Robert Browning and others.
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Salute at Night |
See what these writers saw as we glide down the Grand Canal, not in
a gondola, as they did, but in our private motor launch. We will see
famous and infamous palazzi; hotels they called home; glorious Ca' Rezzonico
where Browning died; and a peek at where Lord Byron lived. Tea at Jeremy’s…most
Sundays. Jeremy, a Brit who teaches at Ca' Foscari University in Venice,
hosts a tea for expats, many of them writers, at his lovely apartment. He has a vast collection
of books and videos.
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Venice Canals |
Day 2 - Monday September 17th
Gregory Dowling
will regale us with Byron stories and readings from Childe Harold and Don Juan.
He will also touch on Robert Browning and his days in Venice after his wife,
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, died in Florence. Ca’ Rezzonico on the Grand
Canal was the scene of Browning’s death.
Dowling’s article on Byron states, “There are several good reasons
for talking about Byron in Venice, one is that he has become one of the many
legends of the city ... there is much talk of his notoriously debauched life
here, his hundreds of women, his palazzo on the Grand Canal complete with monkeys,
dogs and foxes and his incredible swimming feats.”
Visit to the Armenian Monastery where Byron made a desultory attempt at studying
the Armenian language. The monastery is a fascinating place with a magnificent
library.
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Commissario Guido Brunetti's Hang Out |
Day 3 - Tuesday September 18th
Henry James Day, with particular emphasis on Wings of the Dove and Aspern
Papers. James loved Venice and this novel and short story are engrossing
stories set in Venice.
Henry James "Travelling Companions" is a story that illustrates the doubleness of Venice-its dark and its bright side. The main characters, Mr. Brook and Charlotte. visit the Chiesa St. Cassiano, and admire the Tintoretto's.They find them overpoweringly tragic. They then go to the Doge's Palace to see Veronese's Rape of Europa and Tintoretto's Bacchus and Ariadne to cheer themselves.
In the first chapter of Italian Hours, James touches on a number of artists and places in Venice. Gregory will make the connection for us particularly with the church of San Giovanni Crisostomo and the court of Il Milion where Marco Polo was born and which has a wonderful Byzantine arch, described and drawn by Ruskin.
Day 4 - Wednesday September 19th
8:45…Meet Luisella, our guide extraordinaire, at the entrance to the Doge’s Palace. Ruskin described the Doge’s Palace as “the work” of art in Venice. The palace is filled with huge paintings, especially those of Tintoretto and Veronese. After our hour long highlight tour, we will visit St. Marc’s and its golden altar screen and the mosaics that so intrigued Proust. If you have small opera binoculars, bring them. They give you a better view of ceiling art. If we want to get the best look at the mosaics we will have to wait an hour until mosaics are illuminated.
Lunch at Pensione Calcina, if the weather is good. Lovely waterside terrace. Ruskin lived here briefly.
Afternoon: Stan Burnett and I have studied Proust together for about ten years.
Our Proust in Venice discussion will cover the Venice section of Proust’s iconic novel, In Search of Lost
Time.
We will “try”to recreate Proust’s wanderings through Venice. If we find what we think is his “spacious
piazza”, we will celebrate and accept the fact that we might not be able to find it again. That’s part of the Venice mystique. For the dedicated Proust reader, there will be more Proust discussions Perhaps on the morning of your Optional Day.
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Wandering through Venice and getting lost along the way |
Gondolas figured prominently in Venice's history |
HOMAGE TO THE GONDOLA… The gondola is much more than the iconic tourist ride complete with serenade.
I will discuss our featured authors’ fascination with the gondola, famous gondolieri and their influence and other juicy tid-bits.
Day 5 - Thursday September 20th
Optional day… To do what you wish. We will give you our recommendations
And help you plan.
Day 6 - Friday September 21st
One of our most popular events of our Venice tours has been our visit to the atelier of Venice’s best bookbinder, Palo Olbi. He showed us some of his most extraordinary leather volumes executed with other craftsmen. Murano glass, for example.
At the moment, this tour is unconfirmed. Palo Olbi is selling his business and may not be available.
If Palo is not available, we will have more time for exploration of Venice and art.
John Singer Sargent …We examine Sargent’s love of Venice with a discussion of his Venetian paintings and a visit to at least one of the sites that inspired his work.
Time Permitting just two of the art venues that we may visit:
San Sebastiano to see an amazing collection of Veronese.
A stroll on the eastern end of Venice will take us to San Francesco della Vigna, off the beaten track and visited by few tourists. The church boasts two paintings by Veronese and a Madonna and Saints by Bellini.
The Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco are two other art destinations that might be part of your Optional Day.
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Spritz is THE drink of Venice |
Day 7 - Saturday September 22nd
More Proust in Venice including Fortuny influences
and Commissario Guido
Brunetti walk (optional).
Day 8 - Sunday September 23rd
Depart for home.
Note: This is a jam packed itinerary and some of the activities may be switched to different days or times.
Dinners: 4 are included in tour price:
…Sunday evening after Jeremy’s “salon”
…Lunch at Pensione Calcina counted as a dinner. Wonderful on a nice day
…Cichetti Stroll…enjoy these small bites at two different venues. Eating cichetti is quintessential Venice.
…Farewell dinner..at apartment with a small garden, unique in Venice.
Cost
$3,450 USD includes 7 nights hotel (no single supplement), 7 buffet breakfasts,
4 group dinners, most activities, 2-3 day vaporetto passes. The price does
not include airfare, airport transfers, lunches, coffee stops, wine or
alcoholic beverages, personal expenses.
Itinerary subject to minor revisions in itinerary, mostly switches in
days of activities. |
