Art and architecture in
Padua contains a
fresco cycle by
Giotto, an important masterpiece of
Western art. The Middle Ages stimulated the creation of monumental works such as the complex of churches on the island of
Torcello, in the Venetian lagoon, with the
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta founded in 639, its bell tower erected in the 11th century and the adjacent
Martyrium of Santa Fosca built around the 1100, notable for the mosaics. They saw the construction of the
Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in
Verona, which was Veneto's main centre for that esthetic movement and we note, by the mixture of styles that Verona was an important crossroads to the north of
Europe. Examples of
Gothic art, in addition to the Venetian church of
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and that of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, are the
Scaliger Tombs in the historical centre of
Verona. While in Veneto
Byzantine art was important, an element of innovation was brought to Padua by
Giotto, bearer of a new pictorial tradition: that of Tuscany. Towards the 1302 he was commissioned by
Enrico Scrovegni to paint the family chapel, now known just by the name of
Scrovegni Chapel, one of the most important artistic monuments of
Padua and Veneto. The influences of the contribution of Giotto were felt immediately, as in the frescoes of
Giusto de' Menabuoi in the
Baptistry near the
Cathedral of Padua and those of
Altichiero in the
Basilica of Saint Anthony. 's
The Tempest After a phase of development of
Gothic art, with the creation of important works including the
Ca' d'Oro and the
Doge's Palace in
Venice, and the churches of
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and of
Saints John and Paul in Venice, the influence of the
Renaissance ushered in a new era. In addition to
Donatello, an important Venetian Renaissance artist was
Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), whose most important work in Veneto is perhaps the
San Zeno Altarpiece, found in Verona. With the mainland expansion of the Venetian Republic and the consolidation of its institutions, there was also an artistic development of exceptional stature: Mantegna,
Vittore Carpaccio,
Giovanni Bellini,
Cima da Conegliano,
Pordenone laid the foundations for what would be the age of Venetian painting.
Padua was a cradle of the Venetian Renaissance, Where influences from
Tuscany and
Umbria filtered north. Amongst the Renaissance artists who worked there were
Donatello, who worked on an altar of the
Basilica of Saint Anthony, and
Pisanello, whose works are mainly in
Verona, for example, the fresco of
Saint George in the
Church of St. Anastasia. in Padua, a work of
Italian Renaissance architecture In the first phase with Carpaccio and Bellini, the influences of international painting were still evident and the references to
Flemish art were numerous. Artists of the successive phase included
Giorgione,
Titian,
Sebastiano del Piombo and
Lorenzo Lotto. Giorgione and Titian developed an original and innovative style, which characterised the painters of the
Venetian school rather than other traditions. Giorgione's enigmatic style infused his work with allegory, and he created his paintings with less reliance on a preparatory drawing than previous painters. This innovation was looking for the imitation of natural phenomena by creating atmospheres with the colours and shifting the emphasis from the pursuit of artistic perfection.
The storm (1506–1508), now in the
Accademia in Venice, is an example of this use of colour, where the mixture colour and texture continue indefinitely without preparatory drawing for the painting work gives a special atmosphere. Titian, born in Belluno
Pieve di Cadore, brought forward the use of this technique without pictorial design, creating masterpieces such as the
Assumption of the Virgin (1516–1518), an
altar made by imposing visible sizes on the main altar of the Basilica of
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, a work whose suggestion is due to the use of colour. At the end of his long life, he had acquired fame and commissions across the continent.
Tintoretto (1518–1594) recast Roman Mannerism in a Venetian style, less linear, and with more use of colour to distinguish forms, highlighting the bright prospects for its operations, giving unusual deformations of perspective, to increase the sense of tension in the work. His studio was prolific. Palaces and churches of Venice abound with his paintings. The
Scuola Grande di San Rocco alone sports 66 paintings by this painter. The
San Giorgio Maggiore houses a huge canvas by him depicting the
Last Supper.
Paolo Veronese (1528–1588) was about as prolific as Tintoretto, with works that celebrated the Venetian state, as well as decorating houses of Venetian nobles. He decorated large portions of the
Palazzo Ducale and the decoration of many villas
Palladian, including
Villa Barbaro.
Jacopo Bassano (1517–1592) and
Lorenzo Lotto were active in the mainland, and reflected some of the influences of
Milanese painters with the introduction of images taken from real life, enriched by a touch of drama. In architecture,
Andrea Palladio (1508–1580), born in
Padua, completed some highly influential works, including
Villas in the mainland, in
Vicenza,
Padua and
Treviso. In Venice, he designed the
Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, the
Il Redentore, and
Zitelle on the island of
Giudecca. Palladian Villa architecture, in masterpieces such as
Villa Emo,
Villa Barbaro,
Villa Capra, and
Villa Foscari, evoked the imagined grandeur of antique classical Roman villas. This aesthetic, through his publications, proved popular and underwent a revival in the
neoclassical period. In his villas, the owner shall permit the control over production activities of the surrounding countryside by structuring the functional parts, such as
porch, close to the central body. In the case of Villa Badoer, the open barn, formed by a large circular colonnade, enclosing the front yard in front of the villa allows you to create a space that recalls the ancient idea of the
Forum Romanum, and bringing all campaign activities to gravitate in front of the villa itself. 's
Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss'' The research style of Palladio has created an architectural movement called
Palladianism, which has had strong following in the next three centuries, inspiring architects, some of them his direct students, including
Vincenzo Scamozzi, after the death of the teacher who completed several works, including the first
Teatro Olimpico in
Vicenza. in Venice The 18th-century
Venetian school comprises many artists. Important painters include
Giambattista Tiepolo, his son
Giandomenico,
Giambattista Piazzetta,
Niccolò Bambini,
Pietro Longhi,
Marco and
Sebastiano Ricci,
Sebastiano Bombelli,
Gianantonio Fumiani,
Gaspare Diziani,
Rosalba Carriera, and the architect/painter
Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna. Sculptors include
Morlaiter,
Filippo Parodi,
Bernard Torretti and his nephew
Giuseppe Torretti, and at the end of the republic
Antonio Canova. Some other important artists are the architects
Girolamo Frigimelica Roberti,
Giorgio Massari,
Scalfarotto, and
Tommaso Temanza; the carver
Andrea Brustolon; playwrights
Carlo Goldoni and
Gaspare Gozzi; the poets
Alessandro Labia and
George Whisker; and composers
Benedetto Marcello and
Antonio Vivaldi.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770), described as "the greatest decorative painter of eighteenth-century Europe, as well as its most able craftsman." was a
painter and
printmaker, who together with
Giambattista Pittoni,
Canaletto,
Giovan Battista Piazzetta,
Giuseppe Maria Crespi and
Francesco Guardi formed the ultimate group of traditional great Venetian
old master painters of that period.
Perspective played a central role in Tiepolo's representations, and was forced beyond the usual limits in his ceiling decorations depicting levitating figures viewed from below. Another peculiar feature of Venetian art is
landscape painting, which sees in
Canaletto (1697–1768) and
Francesco Guardi (1712–1793) the two leading figures. Canaletto's rigorous perspective studies make for an almost "photographic" reality, in contrast to Guardi's more subjective
capriccios.
Antonio Canova (1757–1822), born in
Possagno, was the greatest of the
neoclassical artists. The
Temple of Possagno, which he designed, financed, and partly-built himself, is among landmarks of neo-classical architecture. His most important works include ''
Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss and The Three Graces''. After the
fall of the Republic of Venice in 1796, every city in Veneto created its own form of art. Important was, however, the role of
Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, who was able to attract many young artists from the surrounding territory. Among the many artists which were important in modern ages were
Guglielmo Ciardi, who incorporated the experience of
macchiaioli movement, uniting the typical colour of the classic Venetian school, and yet bringing out from his paintings a chromatic essence,
Giacomo Favretto, who too as Ciardi, enhanced the colour, which was sometimes very pronounced, painter
Frederick Zandomeneghi, who deviates from the tradition of Venetian colouring to venture in a style similar to French impressionism, and finally
Luigi Nono, whose works feel realistic, even if, in addition to painting genre scenes, includes portraits of finity for psychological enhancement.
Education , founded in 1222 Veneto hosts one of the oldest universities in the world, the
University of Padua, founded in 1222.
OECD investigations show that school education achievements in North-Eastern Italy (whose population comes mainly from Veneto) are the highest in Italy. In 2003 the university had approximately 65,000 students.
Language distribution in
Triveneto: Most of the people of Veneto speak
Italian, along with widespread usage of local varieties of the
Venetian language. Within Venetian there are distinct sub-groups centered on the major cities, and distinctions are also found between rural and urban dialects and those spoken in northern mountainous areas and on the plain. Venetian dialects are classified as
Western Romance. Linguists identify five major types of Venetian: an Eastern or Coastal (Venice) group, a Central (Padua, Vicenza, Polesine) group, a Western (Verona) group, a North-Central (Treviso) group, and a Northern (Belluno, Feltre, Agordo, Cadore,
Zoldo Alto) group of dialects. All dialects are mutually intelligible to varying degrees, are descended from
Vulgar Latin and influenced to varying degrees by Italian. Venetian is first attested as a written language in the 13th century. It is also spoken outside of Veneto, such as in
Friuli-Venezia Giulia (including in Trieste, see
Triestine dialect), Istria in Croatia and Slovenia and Dalmatia in Croatia,
Brazil (
Talian dialect) and
Mexico (
Chipilo Venetian dialect). The language of Venice enjoyed substantial prestige in the days of the
Venetian Republic, when it attained the status of a
lingua franca in the
Mediterranean. Notable Venetian-language authors include the playwrights
Carlo Goldoni (1707–1793) and
Carlo Gozzi (1720–1806), while
Ruzante (1502–1542) is best known for his rustic comedies "cast in mainland peasant
Pavan 'Paduan'".
Ladin, also Romance, is spoken in parts of the
province of Belluno, especially in the municipalities of
Cortina d'Ampezzo,
Livinallongo del Col di Lana and
Colle Santa Lucia, while
Cimbrian (Germanic) is spoken in two villages (Roana and Giazza respectively) of the
Seven Communities and the
Thirteen Communities. These are two historical groups of villages of Cimbric origin, which for a long time formed two distinct "commonwealths" under the rule of the Republic of Venice, among others. Furthermore, in the area around
Portogruaro people speak
Friulian. As the region does not enjoy a special status of autonomy,
minority languages are not granted any form of official recognition. A motion to recognise Venetian as an official
regional language has been approved by the
regional Parliament.
Literature Venetian literature, referring to works written in the Venetian language, experienced an initial period of splendour in the 16th century with the success of artists such as
Ruzante. It then reached its zenith in the 18th century, thanks especially to dramatist
Carlo Goldoni. Subsequently, literary production in Venetian declined, following the
collapse of the Republic of Venice. Nevertheless, during the 20th century there was a literary revival featuring lyrical poets such as
Biagio Marin of Grado.
Cuisine Cuisine is an important part of the culture of Veneto, and the region is home to some of the most recognisable dishes, desserts and wines in Italian, European and worldwide cuisine.
Wines and drinks Veneto is an important wine-growing area producing:
Soave,
Bardolino,
Recioto,
Amarone,
Torcolato,
Prosecco,
Tocai Rosso,
Garganega,
Valpolicella,
Verduzzo,
Raboso,
Moscato,
Cabernet Franc,
Pinot Nero,
Pinot Grigio, and
Merlot. Homemade
wine making is widespread. After making wine, the alcohol of the
pressed grapes is distilled to produce
grappa or
graspa, as it is called in the local language.
Prosecco is a dry
sparkling wine. It is made from the glera grape, a white grape formerly known as Prosecco, which is traditionally grown in an area near
Conegliano and
Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of
Treviso. The name of
Prosecco is derived from the northern Italian village of Prosecco (Trieste), where this grape variety is believed to have originated. Spritz, in the Venetian language also called "spriss" or "spriseto" depending on the area, usually consists of equal parts of sparkling wine,
Aperol and sparkling water. Campari may also be used instead of Aperol.
Cheeses and crackers Cheeses of Veneto include:
Asiago (
PDO),
Piave (
PDO),
Monte Veronese (
PDO),
Morlacco,
Grana Padano (
PDO).
Salamis and meats The
sopressa vicentina (
PDO) is an aged salami, cylindrical in shape and prepared with raw, quality pork meat. It may or may not include
garlic in its ingredients and comes in medium and large sizes.
Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo (
PDO) is obtained from the fresh
meat of a top breed of adult hogs. The aroma is delicate, sweet and fragrant.
Vegetables Radicchio rosso di
Treviso (
PGI) is a peculiar vegetable with a faintly
bitter taste and a crunchy texture. The production area encompasses many town districts in the provinces of Treviso, Padua and Venice. The
radicchio Variegato di
Castelfranco (
PGI) has a delicate and slightly sweet taste and a crunchy texture.
Veronese Vialone Nano Rice from
Verona (
PGI) is a type of rice with short, plump grains, which have a creamy consistency when cooked. They are commonly used in
risotto dishes and have a high starch content. The
Bean of
Lamon (
PGI) is particularly prized for its delicate flavour and extremely tender skin. The White
Asparagus of
Cimadolmo (
PGI) has a peculiar scent and a very delicate taste. The White
Asparagus of
Bassano is a typical product of the northern part of the
province of Vicenza. The
San Zeno di Montagna (
Verona)
chestnut has
Protected Geographical Status.
Desserts Tiramisù (a dessert made from
mascarpone,
coffee,
Marsala wine,
savoiardi and
chocolate) originates from Veneto.
Festivals tradition is most famous for its distinctive masks. Each town, often every quarter, has its
patron saint whose
feast day is solemnly celebrated. Many other festivals are closely linked to the religious calendar. Among these: •
Carnival of Venice celebrated the Tuesday before
Ash Wednesday; • Panevin celebrated around
Epiphany; • Pasqua (
Easter Sunday); • Saint Mark's feast day (25 April); • La Sensa (Ascension Thursday); • San Giovanni Battista (24 June); • La festa del Redentór (mid July); • Vendemmia (grape harvest in September); • San Nicolò de Bari (
St. Nicholas, 6 December); • Nadàl (Christmas)
Music , chiesa della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, named
La Rotonda, 27 september 2022: Giuliano Carella conducted the orchestra
I Solisti Veneti in
La tromba, regina degli ottoni (The trumpet, queen of the brass). Veneto, and in particular
Venice and
Verona, are important Italian musical centres, home to a vibrant musical life. The city of Venice in Italy has played an important role in the development of the
music of Italy. The Venetian state—i.e. the medieval Maritime Republic of Venice—was often popularly called the "Republic of Music", and an anonymous Frenchman of the 17th century is said to have remarked that "In every home, someone is playing a musical instrument or singing. There is music everywhere." In
Padua, musical ensembles such as the
Amici della Musica di Padova, the
Solisti Veneti and the Padova-Veneto Symphony are found. Concerts are often held in the historic
Loggia Comaro, built in 1524. As well, the city is the site of the Teatro delle Maddalene, the Teatro delle Grazie, the Giuseppe Verdi Theater, and the
Cesare Pollini music conservatory.
Rovigo is the site of the
Teatro Sociale, built in 1819. In the 20th century it was the venue for the career beginnings of
Tullio Serafin,
Beniamino Gigli and
Renata Tebaldi. The town of Rovigo is also the site of the
Francesco Venezze music Conservatory. The city of
Verona is the site of the Roman amphitheater known as the "Arena" which has been hosting musical events since the 16th century, but more recently the spectacular outdoor staging of
Verdi's Aida, an event staged for the first time in 1913. The city also has the Felice Evaristo Dall'Abaco music conservatory;
Musicians and composers •
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), composer, opera pioneer, and director of music at San Marco •
Alessandro Marcello (1669–1747) was a nobleman, poet, philosopher, mathematician and musician. •
Tomaso Albinoni (1671–1751) was a composer and violinist of the
Baroque period. •
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was a violinist and composer of
Baroque music. •
Benedetto Marcello (1686–1739) was a composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. •
Baldassare Galuppi (1706–1785) was a composer and organist. •
Antonio Salieri (1750–1825) was a conductor and composer of sacred, classical and opera music. •
Mario Brunello (1960 – ) is a renowned worldwide cellist and musician. •
Jacopo Foroni a Venetian musician from Valeggio sul Mincio, in the province of Verona. •
Luigi Nono (1924–1990) was a contemporary music composer. •
Giuseppe Sinopoli (1946–2001) was a conductor, composer and Italian essayist. •
Rondo Veneziano are an Italian musical ensemble that mixes
Baroque music with
pop music and
rock. See also
Theatres •
Teatro La Fenice is the main opera house of
Venice. Repeatedly destroyed by fire and later rebuilt, it is home to an important opera season and to the International Festival of contemporary music. Teatro La Fenice in Venice was designed in 1790 by
Gian Antonio Selva for the society of the Venetian artistocracy, and the Venetian Theatre was built rapidly despite the many controversies about its location and its rational structure and neoclassical style. •
Teatro Malibran is a Venetian theatre. In the 17th and 18th centuries it bore the name of Theater St. John Chrysostom. •
Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni" corresponds to the ancient Teatro Vendramin, also known as San Salvador or San Luke, and was opened in 1622. The Teatro Carlo Goldoni is located in the vicinity of the
Rialto bridge, in the historical centre of
Venice. It is a film set, with rooms structured in four tiers of boxes, stalls and galleries. With a total of 800 seats, the stage is off 12 Underground and 11.20 deep and is
framed in
iron. The Teatro Goldoni season hosts Prose organised by the Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni", the review of Children's Theatre, opera, concerts, ballets and other events in the concession. •
Teatro Verdi (Padua) is the main theatre in
Padua. Commissioned by a society formed specifically for the purpose of establishing a major theatre in the city, it was built by the Paduan architect
Giovanni Gloria (–1753) to designs by Antonio Cugini (1677–1765), an architect from
Reggio Emilia. It opened in 1751, and was known as the
Teatro Nuovo until 1884. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 1847, 1884 and 1920. Currently the Teatro Verdi is the operational headquarters of the Teatro Stabile del Veneto. • '''''' is a theatre designed by the Renaissance architect
Andrea Palladio in 1580 and located in
Vicenza. It is generally considered the first example of a modern indoor theatre set. The realisation of the theatre, in a pre-existing medieval complex, was commissioned by the Olympic Palladio for the staging of classical plays. Its construction began in 1580 and was inaugurated on 3 March 1585, after the realisation of the stationery scenes of
Vincenzo Scamozzi. These wooden structures are the only of the Renaissance to be extant, however, they are still excellent condition. The theatre is still the seat of performances and concerts and has been included in 1994 in the list of World Heritage Sites' s
UNESCO, as other works by Palladio to
Vicenza. •
Philharmonic Theater (Verona) is the main opera house of
Verona. It is owned by the
Accademia Filarmonica di Verona, since its foundation, but is used by the foundation of the Arena as the site of the opera season in winter. •
Teatro Filarmonico in Verona (built in the XVIII century) •
Roman Theatre of Verona is Verona's main arena, located in the northern part of the city at the foot of Colle San Pietro. This
theatre was built at the end of
BC, a period in which
Verona has seen from the monumental St. Peter of the hill. Before, it was built between the Stone Bridge and Gates of the embankments, which were built on Tyrol parallel to the theatre itself, in order to defend against the possible flooding of river. It is considered the largest Roman theatre in the north of
Italy. Today it is used for theatrical and operatic productions during the summer. •
Teatro Salieri in
Legnago,
Verona ==Tourism==