Venise licencieuse

Venice: city of promiscuity. City of luxury, romantic intrigue and betrayal, and at the same time city of love. A milieu of majestic dwellings, set alongside casinos and brothels.

Still echoing among canals, alleyways and squares are the revelries and tales of lovers united and betrayed. Noblewomen escape the prying eyes of husbands and relatives, concealed behind the traditional “bauta” mask. Courtesans – beautiful, sophisticated, desired – guard the secrets to the art of Love. Combining erotic and amorous guile with intellectual artfulness, they considered the body an instrument of seduction, pleasure and power. Nuns – through the call of obligation rather than God – abandon themselves to a life of luxury in collusion with monks inside the convent walls. And then the prostitutes, now less desired and struggling in a city in which their profession was permitted by the State.

Even this was Venice.

There were numerous ‘places of pleasure’ scattered throughout the city. Discovering them can be a fun way to appreciate the infinite intricacies of Venetian life. The suggestive names in some spots provide us with hints: “ponte delle tette”, “traghetto del buso” and “carampane”. Erotic tales carved into the columns of buildings paint a more genuine picture of city life for us. Pubs, bars and “malvasie” were the meeting places for this diverse melting pot of humanity that could only be found in Venice.

You will encounter tales and anecdotes on this delightful tour that switches between the serious and the light-hearted.