Most visitors who walk between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta in Padua see the Palazzo della Ragione from
Most American visitors who make it to Padua come for the Scrovegni Chapel and never realize they’re standing a few
Most Americans planning a trip to Venice don’t realize that two hours north of the lagoon, the flat Veneto plain
Most Americans who’ve had a glass of Prosecco have no idea it comes from a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That’s
Most Americans know Verona for one thing: a balcony that never existed, belonging to two teenagers who never existed either.
I’ve been taking American travelers to Padua for almost thirty years, and I still remember the first time I stood
Ask most American visitors what comes to mind when they picture the Veneto, and you’ll hear canals, gondolas, maybe vineyards.
If you’ve ever admired a building in the United States with a columned portico and a symmetrical, temple-like facade, from
Murano sits just over a mile north of Venice, close enough to reach in fifteen minutes by boat, and it
By Igor Scomparin, licensed Venice tour guide since 1997, Tour Leader Venice Ask most visitors what UNESCO protects in Venice,
Most visitors think the UNESCO listing means Venice, the historic center, full stop. It doesn’t. When UNESCO inscribed “Venice and
By Igor Scomparin, licensed Venice tour guide since 1997, Tour Leader Venice Introduction Most Americans land in Venice, spend two
Guests planning their first Venice trip almost always ask me the same question: what’s the one walk I should do
Guests often ask me where they should go to see “real” Venetian craftsmanship, as opposed to the mass-produced masks and
People often assume that Venice’s best views require a ticket — a campanile to climb, a rooftop terrace to book,
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion I see on the faces of new arrivals at the train station every morning.
Everyone who visits Venice knows the three headline islands: Murano for glass, Burano for lace, Torcello for its ancient cathedral.
Every time I bring a client along the Grand Canal, someone eventually asks the same question, standing in front of
Every day I watch tourists shuffle through the Rialto souvenir stalls, picking up a €5 glass trinket without realizing they’re
After thirty years walking this city with visitors, I’ve learned that Venice reveals its history most clearly not in its
I'm Igor Scomparin. I have been a Venice graduated and licensed tour guide since 1997. I will take you through the secrets, the history and the art of one of the most beautiful cities in the World.
