Long considered a quintessential contemporary art exhibition, the Venice Biennale Art Festival draws in hundreds of artists and hundreds of thousands visitors to its shoreline every other (odd) year. Should you be planning a holiday in Venice, keep in mind that the next Biennale will be held in the spring of 2013, however, various ‘parts’ of the exhibition are actually presented every few months (of every year); so research a particular artistic discipline you’re interested in, and then book that perfect vacation rental accordingly. What started as a simple showcase of local Italian artists in 1894 has morphed into the most prestigious exhibition the world has ever seen. International interest in the Biennale was sparked soon after the exhibitions began, with curators showing preference for increasingly new, and innovative, art representations. Whilst this show may have relied almost entirely on decorative arts at the start, its transition into modern art, and all that is visually appealing was quite swift. By the early 1900s there were already several countries represented, yet the exhibition gained its premium momentum in the years between the two World Wars. By the mid-30s art disciplines like music, cinema and theatre were included, which saw the inception of the world-famous ...

Venice, the famous Italian merchant city, has enjoyed a long and illustrious history and continues to inspire all who visit with its majestic architecture, mysterious atmosphere and awe-inspiring beauty. Venice’s bridges are possibly the most iconic sites in the floating city, and none have received more praise than the Rialto Bridge. Choose your Venice holiday apartment here to discover first-hand its amazing history. The Rialto Bridge is an epitome symbol of all that is so wonderfully Italian: stunning, inspiring and utterly romantic It is the oldest bridge crossing the Grand Canal and stands today as testament that a little vision and risk-taking can go a long way into creating history. Indeed, the bridge was initially considered by most to be ugly and unstable; yet 500 years later it still reigns supreme and is, alongside St Mark’s Square, the most visited tourist attraction in Venice. A gondola ride under the Rialto Bridge is the stuff of dreams, and an activity not to be missed while on a Venice holiday. The first bridge of Venice was built on this site in 1180, and its construction greatly facilitated trade between the two major fractions of the municipality: San Polo and San Marco. That is, of ...