Design Destination
In his book Venice: The Lion, The City and The Water (2020), Dutch novelist Cees Nooteboom shares his thoughts on ‘a day of small things’ in the floating city. Throughout, the author goes on to describe the scenes of everyday Venetian life: the dusty cafe somewhere in Cannaregio, the small antiquarian bookshops, sitting on the foredeck of a vaporetto lashed by rain.
A city known for grandeur and glamour, the simple beauty of its daily life is often reduced to a tourist spectacle or missed altogether. As international visitors continue to flock to the City of Bridges – last year Venice was the most visited province in Veneto with around 8.9 million arrivals – some only ever scratch the surface as show-stopping sights are crossed off travel bucket lists and photoshopped images posted on social media profiles (at the time of writing, the #Venice hashtag alone has 17 million posts on Instagram).
With picturesque canals and cultural delights, Venice is a city that has enchanted humankind for centuries. And while the city can feel like an open-air museum at times, many of its treasures are hidden down secret passageways or near-empty palazzos.
ICON recently visited La Serenissima to delve deep into some of its best-kept secrets. Shining a spotlight on emerging talent and local makers who are tapping creativity and culture to address sustainability, our friendly design-led guide highlights a few of our favourite people and places in Venice.
E AT & D R I N K Il Palazzo Experimental I l Palazzo Experimental is a feast for the eyes and tastebuds. Overlooking the Canale della Giudecca, the 32-room boutique hotel is nestled away from the crowds and looks straight out of a Wes Anderson film.
The venue occupies the former headquarters of the Adriatica naval transport company and boasts scenic views of the waterfront. Alongside the hotel, I l Ristorante Adriatica, realised with Parisian interior designer
Lifestyle
LEFT Cutting-edge curation of clothes and accessories is found at Venice’s Sangueblu
BELOW Glassware by NasonMoretti is available online in the UK via Abask
IN A S O N M O R E T T
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P H OTO G R A P H Y
Autumn 2023
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