Venezia Trip Overview
Hear about the stories about the cross-dressing in cat masks, exploring the places of cruising from middle ages through the later centuries up to the tolerant attitude of nowadays Venice.
Take a trip over the centuries through the gay history of Venice, which is as labyrinthine as the city’s convoluted system of canals. Travel back to Middle Ages, when the practice of sodomy was deemed a sin. Learn about the history of Rolandina, a transgender who was burned at stake, as several other men of all social statuses have being condemned for their same-sex relations in the following centuries. Visit the city as a European tourists did during their discovery trip “Grand Tour” in the 17th century and how Thomas Mann and Frederick Rolfe made Venice a place of homosexual imagery during Belle Epoque. Learn about the fascist attempt to “clean up” the city, while following the location of a music video by a gay-icon as Madonna and checking out how is gay life nowadays in the floating city.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 hours
Starts: Venezia, Italy
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Venezia Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Venezia, Veneto, Italy
Hear about the stories about the cross-dressing in cat masks, exploring the places of cruising from middle ages through the later centuries up to the tolerant attitude of nowadays Venice.
Take a trip over the centuries through the gay history of Venice, which is as labyrinthine as the city’s convoluted system of canals. Travel back to Middle Ages, when the practice of sodomy was deemed a sin. Learn about the history of Rolandina, a transgender who was burned at stake, as several other men of all social statuses have being condemned for their same-sex relations in the following centuries. Visit the city as a European tourists did during their discovery trip “Grand Tour” in the 17th century and how Thomas Mann and Frederick Rolfe made Venice a place of homosexual imagery during Belle Epoque. Learn about the fascist attempt to “clean up” the city, while following the location of a music video by a gay-icon as Madonna and checking out how is gay life nowadays in the floating city.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Campo San Giacomo da l’Orio, Campo S. Giacomo da l’Orio, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy
We will pass by where used to live an italian poet, who came out in the early 70s and committed suicide some years ago. His works were some of the first Italian poetry to explore homosexuality
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Fondamenta del Megio, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy
We will pay respect to was a Venetian historian living between 15th and 16th century. His most significant work is his “Diarii” (chronicles), intended to be an comprehensive a history of Venice, before another literate was officially appointed to do so. He was said he was kind, extremely kind but we will learn why it was not really a compliment.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Chiesa Santa Maria Mater Domini, Campo Santa Maria Mater Domini Santa Croce 2123, 30135 Venice Italy
We will visit a church whose arcades were placed under surveillance by public authorities to prevent sodomites from using it to cruise and meet in 1488.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Ponte delle Tette, San Polo, 30125 Venice Italy
We will walk in what was the red light district par excellence of Venice in 15th century. Back in those days under these shadowy porticos around this bridge neighbourhood prostitutes were encouraged by authorities to display their wares in order to prevent sodomy in town. In the same streets walked the “gnaghe”, queers or men dressed as women covering their faces with cat masks and emitting the plaintive calls of cats in heat, making explicit proposals to passers-by.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Chiesa di San Cassiano, Campo San Cassiano, 30125 Venice Italy
We will hear the story of Rolandina Roncaglia, the first trans person we know of in Italy. She was born as Rolandino, for seven years she lived as a woman in a house nearby. Beside selling eggs and the local market, she became a prostitute. Once discovered in 1355, she had a terrible death.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Campo San Cassiano, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
In this area there used to be a theatre that boasted the title of the first public opera house in the world. It was also in place of homosexual encounters as Giacomo Casanova even points out when he worked as a spy for the state inquisitors in the 18th century
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Calle dell Ogio, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy
On this short bank along Canal Grande a famous writer and pioneer of the British gay movement met, and not by chance, a beautiful 19 year old porter.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Campo San Giacomo di Rialto, Campo S. Giacomo di Rialto, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
In this campo a famous statue was used as a podium for proclamations and announcements, including bans relating to sodomy: an officer read the names of thoese sentenced to death standing on the block at the end of its staircase. The location in the immediate vicinity of the Rialto market, one of the most frequented by the population at the time, made it ideal for this kind of communication.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Ruga dei Oresi, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Here a “suspicious” pharmacy was located, used by sodomites for their meetings. Just getting close could be grounds for condemnation to death!
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Palazzo Ca’ Zenobio, Sestiere Dorsoduro, 2596, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy
Palazzo Zenobio is considered to be one of the most significant examples of Venetian late Baroque design, both architecturally and in interior decor. Throughout the XVIII century the Palace became a venue for intense intellectual life. Since 1993, after a complete restoration, it now serves as a research centre for Armenian studies. Most importantly, it was the main indoor location of Madonna’s “like a virgin” video hot in the 80’s.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Chiesa di San Sebastiano, Campo San Sebastiano, 30123 Venice Italy
One of Venice’s leading art venues thanks to its magnificent cycle of paintings by Paolo Veronese, who is buried here. We will understand why San Sebastiano is considered the patron saint of the LGBT community worldwide.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Campanile di San Marco, Sestiere San Marco 328, 30124 Venice Italy
Outside the tallest bell tower in Venice, an iron cage called “cheba” dates back to the 15th century and in the 16th century. It was also used as to expose somodimite priests to them to the bad weather and taunts of the crowd below.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Piazzetta San Marco, Piazzetta S. Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
Between these two columns the executions took place up to the middle of the 17th century, as Casanova also confirmed
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Harry’s Bar, Sestiere San Marco 1323, 30124 Venice Italy
Despite the founder said it was just a rumours, we will check out a famous bar where gay travellers gathered up to the 70’s
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Riva degli Schiavoni, Between Doge’s Palace and the Arsenale, Venice Italy
we will visit a palace where a love story was staged between a venetian rower and a famous german writer.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Calle del Dose da Ponte, C. del Dose da Ponte, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
In this hotel a famous lesbian US painter used to live, collecting love affairs with men and women.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Palazzo Dario, Campiello Barbaro, 352, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy
This palace is famous for an unrelated series of unfortunate events that happened to some of its owners, many of them gay.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Palazzo Mocenigo, Santa Croce 1992, 30125 Venice Italy
In this palace used to live a famous british poet, aknoledged not only for his poetry but also for a more or less important bisexual component in his very complex sentimental and sexual life.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Chiesa di San Martino, Fondamenta del Piovan o Erizzo, 2294, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy
In ancient times the church had a no longer exisiting porch that a law of 1450 listed among the places of the night sodomites crusing.
Duration: 15 minutes
