right|thumb|The city of [[Venice, ranked many times as the most beautiful city in the world. It is the primary tourist destination and the capital of Veneto.]]

thumb|right|Lake [[Alleghe near Belluno]]

thumb|right|[[Cortina d'Ampezzo]]

thumb|right|The [[Piave (river)|Piave River]]

thumb|right|The [[Venetian Lagoon at sunset]]

thumb|[[Flamingos in the delta of the Po river]]

Veneto,

Veneto has about 4,851,851 inhabitants as of 2025, ranking it as the 5th most populated region in Italy. Veneto is also the 5th most densely populated region at 264.5 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>. This is particularly true in the provinces of Padua, Venice and Treviso, where the inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup> are above 300. Belluno is the least densely populated province, with 54.7 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>. 49.3% of the population are male and 50.7% are female. Minors make up 14.7% of the population, and seniors make up 24.9%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively. Many emigrated to Brazil and Argentina. After World War II, they moved to other European countries. In 2008, there were 260,849 Venetian citizens living outside of Italy (5.4% of the region's population), the largest number was found in Brazil, with 57,052 Venetians, followed by Switzerland, with 38,320, and Argentina, with 31,823. There are several million people of Venetian descent around the world, particularly in Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. Local names in Southern Brazil such as Nova Schio, Nova Bassano, Nova Bréscia, Nova Treviso, Nova Veneza, Nova Pádua and Monteberico indicate the Venetian origin of their inhabitants. In recent years, people of Venetian descent from Brazil and Argentina have been migrating to Italy.

Due to the impressive economic growth of the last two decades, Veneto has turned into a land of immigration and has been attracting more and more immigrants since the 1990s.

{| class="wikitable floatright"

|+Foreign population by country of birth (2024)

Religion

thumb|[[St Mark's Basilica, the seat of the Patriarch of Venice. It is one of the best known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.]]

Veneto converted to Christianity during Roman rule. The region venerates as its patrons the 2nd-century bishop St. Hermagoras and his deacon St. Fortunatus, both of Aquileia and both martyrs. Aquileia became the metropolitan see of Venetia. Aquileia had its own liturgical rites which were used throughout the dioceses of Veneto until the later Middle Ages when the Roman Rite replaced the Aquileian Rite. By the 6th century the bishop of Aquileia claimed the title of patriarch. Rejection of the Second Council of Constantinople (553) led to a schism wherein the bishops of Aquileia, Liguria, Aemilia, Milan and of the Istrian peninsula all refused to condemn the Three Chapters leading to the churches of Veneto to break communion with the Church of Rome. The invasion of the non-Catholic Lombards in 568 only served to prolong the schism until 606 and then finally 699 when the Synod of Pavia definitively ended the schism.

In 2004, over 95% of the population claimed to be Roman Catholic. The region of Veneto along with the regions of Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol form the ecclesiastical region of Triveneto under the Patriarchate of Venice. The Patriarchate of Venice is an archdiocese and metropolitan see of an ecclesiastical region which includes suffragan episcopal sees of Adria-Rovigo, Belluno-Feltre, Chioggia, Concordia-Pordenone, Padua, Treviso, Verona, Vicenza, and Vittorio Veneto.

The Archdiocese of Venice was elevated to an honorary Patriarchate by the pope on 8 October 1457 when the Patriarchate of Grado, a successor to the Patriarchate of Aquileia, was suppressed. The first patriarch of Venice was St. Laurence, a nobleman of the Giustiniani family.

During the 20th century the patriarchs were usually appointed cardinal, and three cardinal patriarchs, Giuseppe Sarto, Angelo Roncalli, and Albino Luciani, were elected pope: Pius X, John XXIII, and John Paul I, respectively. The Patriarchate of Venice claims St. Mark the Evangelist as its patron. The same saint, symbolised by a winged lion, had become the typical symbol of the Venetian Republic and is still represented on many civic symbols.

Economy

thumb|United Colors of [[Benetton Group|Benetton store in Parma, Italy]]

Under Austrian rule, Veneto's agriculturally-based economy suffered, which later led to mass emigration. But, since the 1970s it has seen impressive development, thanks to the so-called "Veneto development model" that is characterised by strong export-oriented entrepreneurship in traditional economic sectors (€64.47 billion of exports in 2019 ) and close social cohesion – making it actually the third richest region in terms of total GDP (€166.4 billion) after Lombardy and Lazio.

Geography and historical events have determined the present social and economic structure of the region, centred on a broad belt running from east to west. The plain and the Alpine foothills are the most developed areas in contrast to the Po delta and the mountainous areas, with the exception of the surroundings of Belluno. This is why the Alps and the province of Rovigo are suffering more than other areas, from a trend of declining and ageing population.

Agriculture

thumb|Glera grapes on the vine in the [[Prosecco zone, pre-veraison]]

Though its importance has been decreasing for the past 20–30 years, agriculture continues to play a significant role in the regional economy. The agricultural sector of Veneto is among the most productive in Italy. However, it is still characterised by an intensive use of labour rather than capital, due to the specialisation in market gardening, fruit-growing and vine-growing throughout the plain and the foothills, requiring very much handicraft. In the south and in the extreme east of the region, grain crops are more common and land holdings are larger than in the rest of the region; mechanisation is more advanced here. The cattle stock, although declining, still represented 15% of the national stock. Fishing is also still important in coastal areas.

The main agricultural products include maize, green peas, vegetables, apples, cherries, sugar beets, forage, tobacco, hemp. Moreover, Veneto is one of Italy's most important wine-growing areas, producing wines, such as Prosecco, Valpolicella, and Soave. Overall, Veneto produces more bottles of DOC wine than any other area in Italy. The Amarone della Valpolicella, a wine from the hills around Verona, is made with high-selected grapes and is among the more expensive red wines in the world.

Industry

thumb|View of [[Marghera]]

In the last 30–40 years industrialisation transformed the appearance of the landscape, especially in the plains.

The regional industry is especially made of small and medium-sized businesses, which are active in several sectors: food products, wood and furniture, leather and footwear, textiles and clothing, gold jewelry, but also chemistry, metal-mechanics and electronics. This has led to the establishment of a strongly export-orientated system of industries.

Typical of Veneto is the partition of the territory into industrial districts, which means that each area tends to specialise in a specific sector. The province of Venice hosts large metallurgical and chemical plants in Marghera and Mestre, but is also specialised in glass handicraft (Murano).

The province of Belluno hosts the so-called eyeglasses district, being the largest world manufacturer Luxottica a firm domiciled at Agordo. Other important firms are Safilo, De Rigo, Marcolin.

Fashion industry is extremely strong all over the region: Benetton, Bottega Veneta, Geox, Diesel, Golden Goose, Calzedonia, Pal Zileri, Dainese, Lotto, Marzotto, Tecnica Group are all Venetian brands.

Other large Venetian companies are Aprilia, AGV, Campagnolo, De'Longhi, Fedrigoni, Laverda, Permasteelisa, Pinarello, Wilier Triestina, Zamperla.

During the last 20 years, a large number of Venetian companies relocated their plants (especially the most dangerous and polluting productions) in Eastern Europe, especially Romania. The Romanian city of Timișoara is also called "the newest Venetian province".

Tourism

thumb|The Punta San Vigilio on the [[Lake Garda]]

thumb|357x357px|Aerial view of the Venetian village of [[Asolo, province of Treviso]]

Although being a heavily industrialised region, tourism is one of its main economic resources; one-fifth of Italy's foreign tourism gravitates towards Veneto, which is the first region in Italy in terms of tourist presence, attracting over 60 million visitors every year, second after Emilia-Romagna in terms of hotel industry structures; the business volume of tourism in Veneto is estimated to be in the vicinity of 12 billion Euros.

Veneto has many small and picturesque villages, 11 of them have been selected by (), a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities. These villages are:

{|class="wikitable" style="width:70%;"

|-

! ||2000 ||2001 ||2002 ||2003 ||2004 ||2005 ||2006 ||2015

|-

|Gross Domestic Product (million €)||111,713.5 ||116,334.1 ||118,886.3 ||124,277.6 ||130,715.9 ||133,488.0 ||138,993.5 ||166,400

|-

|GDP per capita (PPP) (€)||24,842.9 ||25,742.2 ||26,108.2 ||26,957.1 ||27,982.2 ||28,286.7 ||29,225.5 ||33,500

|}

Economic sectors

The main sectors in the economy of Veneto are:

{|class="wikitable" style="width:70%;"

|-

|Economic activity ||GDP product ||% sector (region) ||% sector (Italy)

|-

|Primary (agriculture, farming, fishing)||€2,303.3 ||1.66% ||1.84%

|-

|Secondary (industry, processing, manufacturing)||€34,673.6 ||24.95% ||18.30%

|-

|Constructions||€8,607.7 ||6.19% ||5.41%

|-

|Tertiary (Commerce, hotels and restaurants, tourism, (tele)communications and transport)||€28,865.8 ||20.77% ||20.54%

|-

|Financial activities and real estate||€31,499.4 ||22.66% ||24.17%

|-

|Other types of services||€19,517.2 ||14.04% ||18.97%

|-

|VAT and taxes||€13,526.4 ||9.73% ||10.76%

|-

|GDP of Veneto (2020)||€163 billion ||||

|}

Unemployment rate

The unemployment rate stood at 5.8% in 2020 and was lower than the national average. However, Veneto was along with Liguria the only northern region where the unemployment rate increased between 2017 and 2018.

{| class="wikitable"

!Year

!2006

!2007

!2008

!2009

!2010

!2011

!2012

!2013

!2014

!2015

!2016

!2017

!2018

!2019

!2020

|-

|unemployment rate<br/>(in %)

|4.1%

|3.4%

|3.4%

|4.7%

|5.7%

|4.9%

|6.4%

|7.6%

|7.5%

|7.1%

|6.8%

|6.3%

|6.4%

|5.7%

|5.8%

|}

Culture

Art and architecture

thumb|[[Scrovegni Chapel in Padua contains a fresco cycle by Giotto, an important masterpiece of Western art.]]

The Middle Ages stimulated the creation of monumental works such as the complex of churches on the island of Torcello, in the Venetian lagoon, with the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta founded in 639, its bell tower erected in the 11th century and the adjacent Martyrium of Santa Fosca built around the 1100, notable for the mosaics.

They saw the construction of the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in Verona, which was Veneto's main centre for that esthetic movement and we note, by the mixture of styles that Verona was an important crossroads to the north of Europe.

Examples of Gothic art, in addition to the Venetian church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and that of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, are the Scaliger Tombs in the historical centre of Verona.

While in Veneto Byzantine art was important, an element of innovation was brought to Padua by Giotto, bearer of a new pictorial tradition: that of Tuscany. Towards the 1302 he was commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni to paint the family chapel, now known just by the name of Scrovegni Chapel, one of the most important artistic monuments of Padua and Veneto. The influences of the contribution of Giotto were felt immediately, as in the frescoes of Giusto de' Menabuoi in the Baptistry near the Cathedral of Padua and those of Altichiero in the Basilica of Saint Anthony.

thumb|[[Giorgione's The Tempest]]

After a phase of development of Gothic art, with the creation of important works including the Ca' d'Oro and the Doge's Palace in Venice, and the churches of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and of Saints John and Paul in Venice, the influence of the Renaissance ushered in a new era. In addition to Donatello, an important Venetian Renaissance artist was Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), whose most important work in Veneto is perhaps the San Zeno Altarpiece, found in Verona. With the mainland expansion of the Venetian Republic and the consolidation of its institutions, there was also an artistic development of exceptional stature: Mantegna, Vittore Carpaccio, Giovanni Bellini, Cima da Conegliano, Pordenone laid the foundations for what would be the age of Venetian painting.

Padua was a cradle of the Venetian Renaissance, Where influences from Tuscany and Umbria filtered north. Amongst the Renaissance artists who worked there were Donatello, who worked on an altar of the Basilica of Saint Anthony, and Pisanello, whose works are mainly in Verona, for example, the fresco of Saint George in the Church of St. Anastasia.

thumb|The [[Prato della Valle in Padua, a work of Italian Renaissance architecture]]

In the first phase with Carpaccio and Bellini, the influences of international painting were still evident and the references to Flemish art were numerous. Artists of the successive phase included Giorgione, Titian, Sebastiano del Piombo and Lorenzo Lotto. Giorgione and Titian developed an original and innovative style, which characterised the painters of the Venetian school rather than other traditions. Giorgione's enigmatic style infused his work with allegory, and he created his paintings with less reliance on a preparatory drawing than previous painters. This innovation was looking for the imitation of natural phenomena by creating atmospheres with the colours and shifting the emphasis from the pursuit of artistic perfection. The storm (1506–1508), now in the Accademia in Venice, is an example of this use of colour, where the mixture colour and texture continue indefinitely without preparatory drawing for the painting work gives a special atmosphere.

Titian, born in Belluno Pieve di Cadore, brought forward the use of this technique without pictorial design, creating masterpieces such as the Assumption of the Virgin (1516–1518), an altar made by imposing visible sizes on the main altar of the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, a work whose suggestion is due to the use of colour. At the end of his long life, he had acquired fame and commissions across the continent.

Tintoretto (1518–1594) recast Roman Mannerism in a Venetian style, less linear, and with more use of colour to distinguish forms, highlighting the bright prospects for its operations, giving unusual deformations of perspective, to increase the sense of tension in the work. His studio was prolific. Palaces and churches of Venice abound with his paintings. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco alone sports 66 paintings by this painter. The San Giorgio Maggiore houses a huge canvas by him depicting the Last Supper.

Paolo Veronese (1528–1588) was about as prolific as Tintoretto, with works that celebrated the Venetian state, as well as decorating houses of Venetian nobles. He decorated large portions of the Palazzo Ducale and the decoration of many villas Palladian, including Villa Barbaro.

Jacopo Bassano (1517–1592) and Lorenzo Lotto were active in the mainland, and reflected some of the influences of Milanese painters with the introduction of images taken from real life, enriched by a touch of drama.

thumb|[[Villa Cornaro]]

In architecture, Andrea Palladio (1508–1580), born in Padua, completed some highly influential works, including Villas in the mainland, in Vicenza, Padua and Treviso. In Venice, he designed the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Il Redentore, and Zitelle on the island of Giudecca. Palladian Villa architecture, in masterpieces such as Villa Emo, Villa Barbaro, Villa Capra, and Villa Foscari, evoked the imagined grandeur of antique classical Roman villas. This aesthetic, through his publications, proved popular and underwent a revival in the neoclassical period. In his villas, the owner shall permit the control over production activities of the surrounding countryside by structuring the functional parts, such as porch, close to the central body. In the case of Villa Badoer, the open barn, formed by a large circular colonnade, enclosing the front yard in front of the villa allows you to create a space that recalls the ancient idea of the Forum Romanum, and bringing all campaign activities to gravitate in front of the villa itself.

thumb|[[Antonio Canova's Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss]]

The research style of Palladio has created an architectural movement called Palladianism, which has had strong following in the next three centuries, inspiring architects, some of them his direct students, including Vincenzo Scamozzi, after the death of the teacher who completed several works, including the first Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.

thumb|right|The Church of [[Santa Maria della Salute in Venice]]

The 18th-century Venetian school comprises many artists. Important painters include Giambattista Tiepolo, his son Giandomenico, Giambattista Piazzetta, Niccolò Bambini, Pietro Longhi, Marco and Sebastiano Ricci, Sebastiano Bombelli, Gianantonio Fumiani, Gaspare Diziani, Rosalba Carriera, and the architect/painter Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna.

Sculptors include Morlaiter, Filippo Parodi, Bernard Torretti and his nephew Giuseppe Torretti, and at the end of the republic Antonio Canova. Some other important artists are the architects Girolamo Frigimelica Roberti, Giorgio Massari, Scalfarotto, and Tommaso Temanza; the carver Andrea Brustolon; playwrights Carlo Goldoni and Gaspare Gozzi; the poets Alessandro Labia and George Whisker; and composers Benedetto Marcello and Antonio Vivaldi.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770), described as "the greatest decorative painter of eighteenth-century Europe, as well as its most able craftsman." was a painter and printmaker, who together with Giambattista Pittoni, Canaletto, Giovan Battista Piazzetta, Giuseppe Maria Crespi and Francesco Guardi formed the ultimate group of traditional great Venetian old master painters of that period. Perspective played a central role in Tiepolo's representations, and was forced beyond the usual limits in his ceiling decorations depicting levitating figures viewed from below.

Another peculiar feature of Venetian art is landscape painting, which sees in Canaletto (1697–1768) and Francesco Guardi (1712–1793) the two leading figures. Canaletto's rigorous perspective studies make for an almost "photographic" reality, in contrast to Guardi's more subjective capriccios.

Antonio Canova (1757–1822), born in Possagno, was the greatest of the neoclassical artists. The Temple of Possagno, which he designed, financed, and partly-built himself, is among landmarks of neo-classical architecture. His most important works include Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss and The Three Graces.

After the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1796, every city in Veneto created its own form of art. Important was, however, the role of Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, who was able to attract many young artists from the surrounding territory.

Among the many artists which were important in modern ages were Guglielmo Ciardi, who incorporated the experience of macchiaioli movement, uniting the typical colour of the classic Venetian school, and yet bringing out from his paintings a chromatic essence, Giacomo Favretto, who too as Ciardi, enhanced the colour, which was sometimes very pronounced, painter Frederick Zandomeneghi, who deviates from the tradition of Venetian colouring to venture in a style similar to French impressionism, and finally Luigi Nono, whose works feel realistic, even if, in addition to painting genre scenes, includes portraits of finity for psychological enhancement.

Education

thumb|[[University of Padua, founded in 1222]]

Veneto hosts one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Padua, founded in 1222. OECD investigations show that school education achievements in North-Eastern Italy (whose population comes mainly from Veneto) are the highest in Italy. In 2003 the university had approximately 65,000 students.

Language

thumb|[[Venetian language distribution in Triveneto:

]]

Most of the people of Veneto speak Italian, along with widespread usage of local varieties of the Venetian language. Within Venetian there are distinct sub-groups centered on the major cities, and distinctions are also found between rural and urban dialects and those spoken in northern mountainous areas and on the plain.

Venetian dialects are classified as Western Romance. Linguists identify five major types of Venetian: an Eastern or Coastal (Venice) group, a Central (Padua, Vicenza, Polesine) group, a Western (Verona) group, a North-Central (Treviso) group, and a Northern (Belluno, Feltre, Agordo, Cadore, Zoldo Alto) group of dialects. All dialects are mutually intelligible to varying degrees, are descended from Vulgar Latin and influenced to varying degrees by Italian. Venetian is first attested as a written language in the 13th century. It is also spoken outside of Veneto, such as in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (including in Trieste, see Triestine dialect), Istria in Croatia and Slovenia and Dalmatia in Croatia, Brazil (Talian dialect) and Mexico (Chipilo Venetian dialect).

The language of Venice enjoyed substantial prestige in the days of the Venetian Republic, when it attained the status of a lingua franca in the Mediterranean. Notable Venetian-language authors include the playwrights Carlo Goldoni (1707–1793) and Carlo Gozzi (1720–1806), while Ruzante (1502–1542) is best known for his rustic comedies "cast in mainland peasant Pavan 'Paduan'".

Ladin, also Romance, is spoken in parts of the province of Belluno, especially in the municipalities of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana and Colle Santa Lucia, while Cimbrian (Germanic) is spoken in two villages (Roana and Giazza respectively) of the Seven Communities and the Thirteen Communities. These are two historical groups of villages of Cimbric origin, which for a long time formed two distinct "commonwealths" under the rule of the Republic of Venice, among others. Furthermore, in the area around Portogruaro people speak Friulian.

As the region does not enjoy a special status of autonomy, minority languages are not granted any form of official recognition. A motion to recognise Venetian as an official regional language has been approved by the regional Parliament.

Literature

Venetian literature, referring to works written in the Venetian language, experienced an initial period of splendour in the 16th century with the success of artists such as Ruzante. It then reached its zenith in the 18th century, thanks especially to dramatist Carlo Goldoni. Subsequently, literary production in Venetian declined, following the collapse of the Republic of Venice. Nevertheless, during the 20th century there was a literary revival featuring lyrical poets such as Biagio Marin of Grado.

Cuisine

thumb|Waiter pouring [[Prosecco]]

Cuisine is an important part of the culture of Veneto, and the region is home to some of the most recognisable dishes, desserts and wines in Italian, European and worldwide cuisine.

Wines and drinks

Veneto is an important wine-growing area producing: Soave, Bardolino, Recioto, Amarone, Torcolato, Prosecco, Tocai Rosso, Garganega, Valpolicella, Verduzzo, Raboso, Moscato, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Nero, Pinot Grigio, and Merlot. Homemade wine making is widespread. After making wine, the alcohol of the pressed grapes is distilled to produce grappa or graspa, as it is called in the local language.

Prosecco is a dry sparkling wine. It is made from the glera grape, a white grape formerly known as Prosecco, which is traditionally grown in an area near Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso. The name of Prosecco is derived from the northern Italian village of Prosecco (Trieste), where this grape variety is believed to have originated.

Spritz, in the Venetian language also called "spriss" or "spriseto" depending on the area, usually consists of equal parts of sparkling wine, Aperol and sparkling water. Campari may also be used instead of Aperol.

Cheeses

thumb|right|[[Asiago cheese and crackers]]

Cheeses of Veneto include: Asiago (PDO), Piave (PDO), Monte Veronese (PDO), Morlacco, Grana Padano (PDO).

Salamis and meats

The sopressa vicentina (PDO) is an aged salami, cylindrical in shape and prepared with raw, quality pork meat. It may or may not include garlic in its ingredients and comes in medium and large sizes. Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo (PDO) is obtained from the fresh meat of a top breed of adult hogs. The aroma is delicate, sweet and fragrant.

Vegetables

Radicchio rosso di Treviso (PGI) is a peculiar vegetable with a faintly bitter taste and a crunchy texture. The production area encompasses many town districts in the provinces of Treviso, Padua and Venice. The radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco (PGI) has a delicate and slightly sweet taste and a crunchy texture. Veronese Vialone Nano Rice from Verona (PGI) is a type of rice with short, plump grains, which have a creamy consistency when cooked. They are commonly used in risotto dishes and have a high starch content. The Bean of Lamon (PGI) is particularly prized for its delicate flavour and extremely tender skin. The White Asparagus of Cimadolmo (PGI) has a peculiar scent and a very delicate taste. The White Asparagus of Bassano is a typical product of the northern part of the province of Vicenza. The San Zeno di Montagna (Verona) chestnut has Protected Geographical Status.

Desserts

thumb|right|A slice of [[tiramisù]]

Tiramisù (a dessert made from mascarpone, coffee, Marsala wine, savoiardi and chocolate) originates from Veneto.

Festivals

thumb|The [[Carnival of Venice tradition is most famous for its distinctive masks.]]

Each town, often every quarter, has its patron saint whose feast day is solemnly celebrated. Many other festivals are closely linked to the religious calendar. Among these:

  • Carnival of Venice celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday;
  • Panevin celebrated around Epiphany;
  • Pasqua (Easter Sunday);
  • Saint Mark's feast day (25 April);
  • La Sensa (Ascension Thursday);
  • San Giovanni Battista (24 June);
  • La festa del Redentór (mid July);
  • Vendemmia (grape harvest in September);
  • San Nicolò de Bari (St. Nicholas, 6 December);
  • Nadàl (Christmas)

Music

thumb|[[Rovigo, chiesa della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, named La Rotonda, 27 september 2022: Giuliano Carella conducted the orchestra I Solisti Veneti in La tromba, regina degli ottoni (The trumpet, queen of the brass).]]

Veneto, and in particular Venice and Verona, are important Italian musical centres, home to a vibrant musical life.

The city of Venice in Italy has played an important role in the development of the music of Italy. The Venetian state—i.e. the medieval Maritime Republic of Venice—was often popularly called the "Republic of Music", and an anonymous Frenchman of the 17th century is said to have remarked that "In every home, someone is playing a musical instrument or singing. There is music everywhere."

In Padua, musical ensembles such as the Amici della Musica di Padova, the Solisti Veneti and the Padova-Veneto Symphony are found. Concerts are often held in the historic Loggia Comaro, built in 1524. As well, the city is the site of the Teatro delle Maddalene, the Teatro delle Grazie, the Giuseppe Verdi Theater, and the Cesare Pollini music conservatory.

Rovigo is the site of the Teatro Sociale, built in 1819. In the 20th century it was the venue for the career beginnings of Tullio Serafin, Beniamino Gigli and Renata Tebaldi. The town of Rovigo is also the site of the Francesco Venezze music Conservatory.

The city of Verona is the site of the Roman amphitheater known as the "Arena" which has been hosting musical events since the 16th century, but more recently the spectacular outdoor staging of Verdi's Aida, an event staged for the first time in 1913. The city also has the Felice Evaristo Dall'Abaco music conservatory;

Musicians and composers

thumb|upright|[[Antonio Salieri]]

thumb|upright|[[Antonio Vivaldi]]

  • Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), composer, opera pioneer, and director of music at San Marco
  • Alessandro Marcello (1669–1747) was a nobleman, poet, philosopher, mathematician and musician.
  • Tomaso Albinoni (1671–1751) was a composer and violinist of the Baroque period.
  • Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was a violinist and composer of Baroque music.
  • Benedetto Marcello (1686–1739) was a composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher.
  • Baldassare Galuppi (1706–1785) was a composer and organist.
  • Antonio Salieri (1750–1825) was a conductor and composer of sacred, classical and opera music.
  • Mario Brunello (1960 – ) is a renowned worldwide cellist and musician.
  • Jacopo Foroni a Venetian musician from Valeggio sul Mincio, in the province of Verona.
  • Luigi Nono (1924–1990) was a contemporary music composer.
  • Giuseppe Sinopoli (1946–2001) was a conductor, composer and Italian essayist.
  • Rondo Veneziano are an Italian musical ensemble that mixes Baroque music with pop music and rock.

See also

Theatres

thumb|175px|upright|[[Teatro La Fenice]]

thumb|175px|Teatro Salieri

  • Teatro La Fenice is the main opera house of Venice. Repeatedly destroyed by fire and later rebuilt, it is home to an important opera season and to the International Festival of contemporary music. Teatro La Fenice in Venice was designed in 1790 by Gian Antonio Selva for the society of the Venetian artistocracy, and the Venetian Theatre was built rapidly despite the many controversies about its location and its rational structure and neoclassical style.
  • Teatro Malibran is a Venetian theatre. In the 17th and 18th centuries it bore the name of Theater St. John Chrysostom.
  • Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni" corresponds to the ancient Teatro Vendramin, also known as San Salvador or San Luke, and was opened in 1622. The Teatro Carlo Goldoni is located in the vicinity of the Rialto bridge, in the historical centre of Venice. It is a film set, with rooms structured in four tiers of boxes, stalls and galleries. With a total of 800 seats, the stage is off 12 Underground and 11.20 deep and is framed in iron. The Teatro Goldoni season hosts Prose organised by the Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni", the review of Children's Theatre, opera, concerts, ballets and other events in the concession.
  • Teatro Verdi (Padua) is the main theatre in Padua. Commissioned by a society formed specifically for the purpose of establishing a major theatre in the city, it was built by the Paduan architect Giovanni Gloria (–1753) to designs by Antonio Cugini (1677–1765), an architect from Reggio Emilia. It opened in 1751, and was known as the Teatro Nuovo until 1884. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 1847, 1884 and 1920. Currently the Teatro Verdi is the operational headquarters of the Teatro Stabile del Veneto.
  • is a theatre designed by the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in 1580 and located in Vicenza. It is generally considered the first example of a modern indoor theatre set. The realisation of the theatre, in a pre-existing medieval complex, was commissioned by the Olympic Palladio for the staging of classical plays. Its construction began in 1580 and was inaugurated on 3 March 1585, after the realisation of the stationery scenes of Vincenzo Scamozzi. These wooden structures are the only of the Renaissance to be extant, however, they are still excellent condition. The theatre is still the seat of performances and concerts and has been included in 1994 in the list of World Heritage Sites' s UNESCO, as other works by Palladio to Vicenza.
  • Philharmonic Theater (Verona) is the main opera house of Verona. It is owned by the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona, since its foundation, but is used by the foundation of the Arena as the site of the opera season in winter.
  • Teatro Filarmonico in Verona (built in the XVIII century)
  • Roman Theatre of Verona is Verona's main arena, located in the northern part of the city at the foot of Colle San Pietro. This theatre was built at the end of BC, a period in which Verona has seen from the monumental St. Peter of the hill. Before, it was built between the Stone Bridge and Gates of the embankments, which were built on Tyrol parallel to the theatre itself, in order to defend against the possible flooding of river. It is considered the largest Roman theatre in the north of Italy. Today it is used for theatrical and operatic productions during the summer.
  • Teatro Salieri in Legnago, Verona

Tourism

Cities

thumb|Piazza Libertà in [[Bassano del Grappa with the Lion of Saint Mark]]

  • Venice: Venice and its lagoon are listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
  • Padua: also known as the "City of the Saint"; the Orto botanico di Padova and its Fourteenth Century Frescoes are on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.
  • Verona: The city of Shakespeare's lovers: Romeo and Juliet. Verona has been named a UNESCO world heritage site.
  • Vicenza is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, together with a number of the Palladian Villas.
  • Treviso: the city of tiramisu, frescoes and canals.
  • thumb|[[Piazza dei Signori, Treviso|Piazza dei Signori and Palazzo dei Trecento of Treviso]]Belluno the capital of the Dolomites, the bell tower was designed by Filippo Juvarra.
  • Montagnana is a municipality in the province of Padova with perfectly conserved medieval walls.
  • Bassano del Grappa with its Ponte degli Alpini on the river Brenta, designed in 1569 by Andrea Palladio.
  • Marostica: The 'Chess Game' is the most important event of the town, taking place on the second weekend of September, involves over 550 participants and lasts two hours.
  • Asolo is known as 'The Pearl of province of Treviso', and also as 'The City of a Hundred Horizons'.
  • Este: The House of Este held the city until 1240, when they moved their capital to Ferrara.
  • Arquà Petrarca: this village on the Euganean hills features the tomb and house of Francesco Petrarca, one of the most important Italian poets of the 14th century.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

|+UNESCO World Heritage Sites

! Name and description !! Image

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<div class="center">L'Orto Botanico di Padova</div>

Inserted by UNESCO in 1997. It is the world's oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location. (Officially, the oldest university botanical garden is the Orto botanico di Pisa, which was founded in 1544; however, that garden was relocated twice and has only occupied its current, and now-permanent, location since 1591.) It is located in Padua, Italy and was founded in 1545. The garden, affiliated with the University of Padua, currently covers roughly and has special collections.

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[[Orto Botanico di Padova|200px|thumb]]

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|style="text-align:left;"|

<div class="center">Padua's Fourteenth Century Frescoes</div>

They have been added in 2021. They are Padua's second world heritage site.

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|style="text-align:left;"|

<div class="center">Verona</div>

Verona was inscribed in the year 2000. One of the seven provincial capitals in the region. It is one of the main tourist destinations in north-eastern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans.

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[[Ponte Pietra, Verona|200px|thumb]]

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|style="text-align:left;"|

<div class="center">City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto</div>

The city of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of Veneto were inscribed in 1994 (extended in 1996). Vicenza is a thriving and cosmopolitan city, with a rich history and culture, and many museums, art galleries, piazzas, villas, churches and elegant, Renaissance palazzi. The Palladian Villas of Veneto, in the surrounding area, and the renowned Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre) have both been enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1994 (extended in 1996).

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The [[Palazzo Chiericati in Vicenza|200px|thumb]]

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|style="text-align:left;"|

<div class="center">Venice and its Lagoon</div>

The city and its lagoon were inscribed in 1987. With a population of 271,367 (census estimate 1 January 2004). Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000). The city historically was the capital of an independent nation. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", "City of Canals" and "The City of Light". Luigi Barzini, writing in The New York Times, described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe's most romantic cities.

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[[San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice|200px|thumb]]

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<div class="center">Dolomites</div>

They were inscribed in 2009. They are located for the most part in the province of Belluno, the rest in South Tyrol and Trentino (all in north-eastern Italy). Conventionally they extend from the Adige river in the west to the Piave valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). But the Dolomites spread also over the Piave river (Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave) to the east; and far away over the Adige river to the west is the Brenta Group (Western Dolomites); there is also another smaller group called Piccole Dolomiti (Small Dolomites) located between the Provinces of Trento and Vicenza (see the map).

||

Il Pomagagnon|200px|thumb

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<div class="center">Peschiera del Garda</div>

The town is encircled by massive Venetian defensive systems that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 9 July 2017.

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thumb|Porta Verona

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<div class="center">Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene</div>

It was added to the Unesco list in 2019.

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thumb|Prosecco Hill in Conegliano

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|style="text-align:left;"|

<div class="center">Pile Dwellings Sites</div>

Found in the province of Verona, one near Peschiera del Garda and one at Tombolo. There is also one in the province of Padua at Arquà Petrarca

|-

|}

Palladian Villas of Veneto

thumb|right| [[Villa Barbaro]]

thumb|right|The [[Villa Capra "La Rotonda"]]

thumb|right|[[Villa Badoer]]

thumb|right|[[Villa Malcontenta]]

thumb|right|[[Villa Pisani (Bagnolo)]]

Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of Veneto are a number of Palladian villas which are World Heritage Sites. UNESCO inscribed the site on the World Heritage List in 1994. At first the site was called "Vicenza, City of Palladio" and only buildings in the immediate area of Vicenza were included. Various types of buildings were represented including the Teatro Olimpico, palazzi and a few villas. Most of Palladio's surviving villas lay outside the site. However, in 1996 the number of Palladian villas included in the site was expanded to include those in other parts of Veneto. The site was given its present name.

The term villa was used to describe a country house. Often rich families in Veneto also had a house in town called a palazzo. In most cases the owners named their palazzi and villas with the family surname, hence there is both a Palazzo Chiericati in Vicenza and a Villa Chiericati in the countryside, similarly there is a Palazzo Foscari in Venice and a Villa Foscari in the countryside. Somewhat confusingly there are multiple Villas Pisani, including two by Palladio.

There are these sorts of villas all over the Venetian plain, but especially in the provinces of Treviso, Padua, Vicenza and Venice. The date of construction of these villas ranges from the 15th to the 19th century. There are approximately five thousand Ville Venete, of which 1,400 are declared of historical and monumental interest.

Apart from the numerous Palladian villas, of which 24 are protected by UNESCO, there are many villas spread across Veneto, mainly from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Many of them are museums, public institutions or private residences.

The 24 Palladian villas which are part of UNESCO:

  • Villa Almerico Capra, also called "La Rotonda" (Vicenza)
  • Villa Gazzotti Grimani (Vicenza, but in the village of Bertesina)
  • Villa Angarano, also known as Villa Bianchi Michiel (Bassano del Grappa VI)
  • Villa Caldogno (Caldogno VI)
  • Villa Chiericati (Vancimuglio di Grumolo delle Abbadesse VI)
  • Villa Forni Cerato (Montecchio Precalcino VI)
  • Villa Godi (Lonedo di Lugo di Vicenza)
  • Villa Pisani (Bagnolo di Lonigo VI)
  • Villa Pojana (Poiana Maggiore VI)
  • Villa Saraceno (Agugliaro VI)
  • Villa Thiene (Quinto Vicentino VI)
  • Villa Trissino (Meledo di Sarego VI)
  • Villa Trissino (Vicenza, in Cricoli)
  • Villa Valmarana (Lisiera di Bolzano Vicentino VI)
  • Villa Valmarana (Vigardolo di Monticello Conte Otto VI)
  • Villa Piovene (Lugo di Vicenza VI)
  • Villa Badoer, called "La Badoera" (Fratta Polesine RO)
  • Villa Barbaro (Maser TV)
  • Villa Emo (Vedelago TV)
  • Villa Zeno (Cessalto TV)
  • Villa Foscari, called La Malcontenta (Mira VE)
  • Villa Pisani (Montagnana PD)
  • Villa Cornaro (Piombino Dese PD)
  • Villa Serego (Santa Sofia di Pedemonte VI)

Amongst these, Villa Trissino (Cricoli) is not regarded a Palladian villa, but is also an important country house.

Parks

thumb|[[Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park]]

  • Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park is situated in the southern section of the Province of Belluno.
  • Cansiglio is a pre-alpine massif located in the north-eastern Veneto in the provinces of Treviso and Belluno.

Lakes

The area of Lake Garda is a major tourist destination. Various towns along the lake, such as Lazise, Cisano, Bardolino, Garda (VR), Torri del Benaco and Malcesine, are resorts.

Mountains

thumb|A ski resort in [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]]

Cortina d'Ampezzo is situated in the province of Belluno and is one of the most exclusive mountain locations in Europe together with Kitzbühel in Austria and St. Moritz in Switzerland. It was scene of the 1956 Winter Olympics and hosted once again in 2026 alongside Milan. To the north there are the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, said to be a symbol of the Italian Dolomites.

  • Auronzo is in the upper Cadore.
  • Arabba lies between the Sella group and the Marmolada.
  • Monte Lozzo
  • Monte Ricco

Other landmark places are:

  • Mount Pasubio and Strada delle 52 Gallerie (a military mule road built during World War I with 52 tunnels)
  • Altopiano di Asiago and Calà del Sasso, with 4444 steps, the world's longest staircase open to the public.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">

File:Antelao da San Vito.jpg|The mount Antelao

File:Lastoi1.jpg|Lastoi de Formin (Cadore)

File:Inizio strada 52 gallerie.jpg|The start of Strada delle 52 Gallerie

File:Calà del Sasso.jpg|A trait that shows the structure of the Calà del Sasso

</gallery>

Thermal baths

thumb|Thermal baths in [[Abano Terme]]

The thermal baths of Abano Terme are an important tourist attraction. Montegrotto Terme and Recoaro Terme are other resorts.

Beaches

Venice's Lido is an 11-kilometre-long sandbar, visited by many tourists every summer.

Jesolo is one of the most important seaside resorts on the Adriatic coast, just a few kilometres far from Venice. Every year Jesolo gives accommodation to over 4.5 million tourists.

Caorle has often received awards for one of the cleanest beaches in Italy. Bibione, Eraclea and Sottomarina are resorts too. Albarella island is a private island on the Lido. Alberoni Beach is set in a nature reserve.

Transport

Air

The region is served by two major international airports, Venice Marco Polo Airport and Verona Villafranca Airport. Treviso Airport is a smaller international airport mainly serving low-cost carriers.

Sister regions

  • Iowa (USA)

Notable people

Notes

References

Citations

General bibliography

  • Carlo Ridolfi, La Vita di Giacopo Robusti (A Life of Tintoretto) 1642

Further reading

  • Map of Veneto
  • Venice and Veneto in the Words of Great North American Travelers