About the Daily Life in Renaissance Venice Walk in Venice
Architectural decoration and an exploration of the lagoon's urban fabric can be used to understand the daily life of Venetians during the Renaissance period. The aim of this walk is to reconstruct what it was like to live during this period and will, on the one hand, consider external factors affecting one's comfort and quality of life. These factors include the layout and decoration of the domestic home, which we will view and discuss during time in the Ca' d'Oro.
We will also spend some time discussing how Renaissance Venetians made a living, what they did in their leisure time, and how they moved about the city. As we stroll the back streets of the city, we will study architectural and spatial elements that characterized the city when it was at the height of its powers. We will discuss public and private life, and contrast the experiences of women and men, the rich and the humble.
During the course of our walk we will learn to "read" much of th
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Architectural decoration and an exploration of the lagoon's urban fabric can be used to understand the daily life of Venetians during the Renaissance period. The aim of this walk is to reconstruct what it was like to live during this period and will, on the one hand, consider external factors affecting one's comfort and quality of life. These factors include the layout and decoration of the domestic home, which we will view and discuss during time in the Ca' d'Oro.
We will also spend some time discussing how Renaissance Venetians made a living, what they did in their leisure time, and how they moved about the city. As we stroll the back streets of the city, we will study architectural and spatial elements that characterized the city when it was at the height of its powers. We will discuss public and private life, and contrast the experiences of women and men, the rich and the humble.
During the course of our walk we will learn to "read" much of the history by studying the decorations of the palaces and even the street names, and we will also explore the social and political functions of the city's open spaces. We will also come into contact with some decorative motifs found on Venetian houses that will inform your understanding of issues of visibility, communication, and politically inspired decoration. The walk will also explore issues of clothing, etiquette, and personal hygiene in order to obtain a more intimate understanding of the sacrifices individuals were prepared to make in order to appear 'fashionable.'
In covering these topics, the walk will touch upon wider issues of identity, sex, gender, and class in the Renaissance period. It will also allow you to have a better understanding of how the city itself was developed and used by the Venetians during this time.
