WATER AND FOOD IN VENICE

WATER AND FOOD IN VENICE A History of the Lagoon and the City

This new exhibit casts a different light  and provides unusual  points of view on the  glorious history of the millenary “Serenissima” Republic, bringing visitors besides the great events and the heroes that made its reputation

Almost after 50 years after “The Veneto Lagoon” exhibition at Palazzo Grassi, the comprehensive iconographic and textual documentation has been enriched by the use of digitalization, thanks to the work carried out by a group of young researchers from the University of Architecture in Venice.

This exhibit is focuses on the complex network of support systems acquired by the city over the centuries, in order to survive, develop and prosper.

The curator Dr. Antonella Calabi selected over a hundred works, like old maps, paintings, engravings, sculptures from Venetian museums and private collections, together with multidisciplinary and interactive medias that aim to advance the understanding of the subjects.

The exhibit is organized in chapters corresponding to distinct themes: the development of the Lagoon over the centuries, the production and the sale of food on the mainland and in Venice through specific characters, such as cheese and fruit vendors, fishermen, and local bakers.

The third section deals with food as a social phenomenon, through the representations of the Doge’s banquets, Carnival outdoor games, and food fairs, while the fourth one explores the location and the role played by warehouses, military units, monasteries, convents and taverns where food was stored and handed out.

Here a video will show how in 1754 a merchant would apply to the “Cantina Do Spade” for board and lodging, a wine bar still operating near the Rialto market., still existing as a wine and fingerfood bar today!

The name of the last section, “In the middle of the water/with no water” points out the paradox of a city struggling with the lack of fresh water, and the many ways the Government managed to supply Venice and its large population over the course of time.

Venice, Doge’s Palace, Doge’s Apartment Sept. 26th, 2015 – February 14th, 2016 Open 7/7, h.9 am – 5 pm

No special fees required, the admission fee for the Doges Palace is valid for the exhibition too.

The Exhibition’s official site