History of Pearls, the Ghetto and the foundries

Meeting point at 10.00 a.m. in front of the Santa Lucia train station and, after a few steps, visit of the "imperaressa" Luisa Conventi who will catapult us into the world of glass beads. In her workshop she keeps rare testimonies of the past with a small museum that perfectly combines the latest fashionable productions with a touch of originality and ancient mastery. Recently, the "savoir faire of pearls and impiraresse" has been recognised as a Unesco intangible heritage.

At the end of the visit, we will go to the Jewish Ghetto to learn about the first Ghetto in history, which is also linked to the world of pearls.
We will walk to Madonna dell'Orto, pointing out here and there other places linked to the history of the pearl until Campo dei Mori, where we will see the House of Jacopo Robusti called Tintoretto and the famous church of Madonna dell'Orto, among anecdotes, curiosities and historical information.

Not far away you will visit the only remaining foundry in Venice - City Centre. Brass or bronze metal and various alloys are brought to a liquid state using an ancient technique that few companies still employ. Among the products of the Valese Foundry, you can admire original masks from the commedia dell'arte, the lion of St. Mark and reproductions of the most famous monuments in Venice.

At the end of the visit, we will continue towards the Abbey and the Scuola Grande della Misericordia before reaching a unique space in Venice: La Scatola Magica (The Magic Box) which offers clothes and costumes for dance, theatre and Carnival.

The tour will end in Campo dei Gesuiti, also represented by Canaletto in the 18th century.