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| Arriving in Venice |
The beauty of Venice, a city of 200 bridges, carnivals and architectural wonders, is revealed slowly though layers of historical details, interesting characters, and Benendt's ability to capture the soul of the city in prose while meandering it's intricately woven alleyways and waterways. The prose is so beautiful that you do not realize that you are reading a book that is non-fiction. The story begins and ends with investigative details regarding the burning of the Gran Teatro La Fenice in 1996, In the opening chapters you watch the tragedy through the eyes of Signor Seguso, a master glassblower, as he witnesses the inferno from his bedroom windows. The Fenice is part of a neighborhood with buildings so close that two people can not pass in the alleyway without one of them stopping and tuning sideways to let the other pass. When you understand where the Fenice is located you experience a sense of fear that must have prevailed at that moment in the city.
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| Teatro La Fenice |
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| Taverna La Fenice beside La Fenice |
This is a story about Venice and about the people and organizations around the world that want to save Venice - the most well known organization probably being Save Venice. Tours are available for all the churches and many other buildings that have been restored. Another interesting aspect of the book is Berendt's investigation into some pretty horrific art deals.
Rich in story details, characterizations and prose, this is one of the most remarkable books I have ever read. I have one warning though. After you read it you may want to schedule a trip to Venice to experience a city without cars for yourself. Just remember, it's a city for walking so make sure you buy good shoes before you go.
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