4 minute read
THE LUXURY HEART OF VENICE
SHOPPING
Eredi Jovon's cameo
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UNIQUE IN VENICE
Artisanal ‘botteghe’, tiny jewel-like boutiques and vintage shops, this 'unique' city offers an array of 'unique' locations where you can indulge in an authentic shopping experience and purchase objet d’art, fabrics and accessories that you'll be hard put to find elsewhere.
La Bottega dei Mascareri
The workshop of the Boldrin brothers specializes in the crafting of a variety of papier mache Venetian masks, including jesters, elves and characters from the ‘Commedia dell’Arte’ for a trip back into 18th century Venice. The Mascareri have also worked for the theatre, the cinemas and fashion shows, and are considered among several of the most established manufacturers of collector’s items. They were the first mask makers to embellish their masks with decorations by Tiepolo. Open daily 9am-6pm.
La Bottega dei Mascareri
www.mascarer.com San Polo, 80. T: 041 5223857 and San Polo, 2720. T: 041 5242887.
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Eredi Jovon Eredi Jovon
A celebrated Venetian jeweler since 1934, and the owner of one of the few remaining historical shops on the Rialto bridge, Eredi Jovon is famous for its hand-carved Italian shell and blue agate cameos, set in silver or gold, and available at factory prices or on special offer. The shop is also renowned for its beautiful coral, Murano glass and blackamoor jewelry. High quality, superior craftsmanship and its wide assortment of cameos and customized coral jewelry allow Eredi Jovon to satisfy the individual tastes of even the most discerning customers. EDITOR TIP On request, Eredi Jovon creates customized portrait cameos based on photos or digital files. Thanks to an efficient e-commerce service, all creations can be ordered online and shipped worldwide. Open daily 10am-7.30pm. www.eredijovon.com. Ponte di Rialto, 5325. T: 041 5228979
Piedàterre
Tucked away under an arcade just steps from the Rialto bridge is a tiny boutique with an astonishing selection of handmade slippers, where Alessandra and Renato make and sell colourful ‘furlane’ (slippers), handcrafted with recycled bicycle-tyre treads, ideal for finding your footing on a gondola. Their creations are available in coloured velvet, brocade, printed fabrics or recycled shirting, provided by their customers. Highly original and absolutely unmissable! Open daily 10am-7.30pm. www.piedaterre-venice.com San Polo, 60 (Ruga Rialto, Sotoportego dei Oresi). T: 041 5285513.
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STROLLING THROUGH BURANO
In addition to Murano and Torcello, this island on the Venetian Lagoon should not be missed. Loved (and widely photographed) by tourists, it is famous for its colourful houses, butter biscuits and above all, its handcrafted lace.
Glam
With a population of only three thousand inhabitants, the island’s row of houses, whose facades boast all the colours of the rainbow, are truly spectacular and make it one of the most picturesque places on earth! However, the origin of this tradition of painting the houses in bright colours was not only for aesthetic reasons. Legend has it that its fishermen, often confused by frequent banks of fog, devised a chromatic code that would help them identify their own landing piers more easily. Each colour corresponded to a family, to their house and to their address.
BURANO LACE. The island is also the capital of handmade lace, a craft kept alive for centuries by the wives of fishermen waiting for their husbands to return from sea. The work is extremely exacting, with each woman specializing in a single stitch. Since there are seven stitches in total, each piece is passed from
SHOPPING
woman to woman to finish. Groups of women work diligently for days to produce items, whether large or small, of matchless beauty: trims for dresses, accessories, tablecloths, gloves, umbrellas and masks, all made from this delicate, white lace, crafted with a painstaking attention to detail that has lasted for centuries. While on the island, make sure to visit the Museum of Lace-Making to understand why something so exquisite should not become extinct (Piazza Galuppi, 187). GASTRONOMIC TRADITION. Butter biscuits known as Buranelli (either ring or S-shaped) are famous on the island and you'll be offered them wherever you go. However, this is not the only specialty that you’ll find. The island has a longstanding gastronomic tradition linked, above all, to fresh fish.
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