Visits to museums, exhibitions, lectures, etc.
TRANSISTOR VENICE
June 30, 2024
St. Michael’s Island
On Sunday, June 30, 2024, the “TRANSISTOR VENICE” meeting was held at the Laguna nel bicchiere headquarters on St. Michael’s Island.
TRANSISTORs are local hubs designed to accelerate the just and equitable ecological transition on cities that is inclusive of everyone and everyone, and to bring power back into the hands of communities.
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Baking course
May 28, 2024
St. Michael’s Island
On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, on St. Michael’s Island, our member Jutta held a bread-making class.
We were able to see how she makes her delicious rye bread, highly appreciated during convivial moments at Laguna nel bicchiere.
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2023
“Venice: from the first Lazzaretto
To the control of pandemics 1423-2023.”
Friday, November 17, 2023
Veneto Regional Council, Ferro Fini Palace
Guided tour by Professor Nelli Elena Vanzan Marchini, curator of the exhibition.
The exhibition was an opportunity to learn about the health policy of the Republic of Venice.
The first part tells the story of lazarettos: the Republic of Venice in 1423 used one of the islands in the lagoon as a hospital dedicated to plague patients, who were hospitalized and isolated here, the Lazzaretto Vecchio.
In 1468 the Lazaretto Nuovo was established to serve as a quarantine place for people, goods and ships.
The lazaret policy was meant to allow containment of contagions without blocking commercial traffic. Ensuring the trade-off between sanitary strictness and continued trade was indeed a vital issue.
The second part of the exhibition displays unpublished: identification documents that the Republic used to identify sick people and suspend trade relations with their home territories.
By 1630 the plague no longer entered Venice although it continued to rage in European states and Mediterranean ports. While medicine groped in the dark, Venetian policy used mercantile pragmatism to monitor epidemic outbreaks including through diplomatic channels and spies to prevent access to contagion by isolating both infected and suspected goods and people.
Everything that entered and circulated in the dominions had to be equipped with Seals of Sanity, veritable health passports, the ancestors of the modern green passes, travel documents that allowed people to grasp the origin and destination of things and people.
Over the long term, the Venetian Republic thus equipped itself with a sanitary system aimed at lowering epidemic risks.
The last part of the exhibition is devoted to images of lazarettos as they were and as they are today.
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“Nicolo Manucci, the Marco Polo of India. A Venetian at the Mughal Court in the 17th Century.”
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Golden Tree Foundation – Palazzo Vendramin Grimani Venice
Guided tour by our member and scientific advisor for this project, Piero Falchetta.
The exhibition is dedicated to Nicolò Manucci, a distinguished traveler of the 17th. century, born in Venice in 1638 and died in Pondichéry around 1720.
In a brief introduction, Falchetta, explained what the exhibition offers visitors: an illustration of Nicolo’s life and the works he produced, accompanied by objects that recreate the atmosphere of the places in which he lived.
In the video in the first room, an actor in oriental dress describes in broad strokes the path Nicolo left Venice in 1653 and his landing in the Mughal Empire.
Nicholas, son of an apothecary, stowaway embarked on a tartan bound for Smyrna and entered the service of an English nobleman, Henry Bard, Viscount of Bellomont bound for Isfahan, on a diplomatic mission on behalf of England’s King Charles II Stuart. After an initial stop in Izmir, the journey continues overland to Isfahan, where Lord Bellomont seeks an audience with the emperor but negotiations aimed at obtaining aid for the king are unsuccessful. They then continue their journey to Surat, the largest port in the East Indies.
Henry Bard died shortly after arriving in India in 1656, and Nicholas, left alone, was forced to invent various trades to survive. He arrived in Dehli and presented himself at the court of the Mughal emperor’s eldest son, Prince Dārā Shikōh, who offered him a position in the army as an artilleryman. Involved in dynastic clashes over succession to the emperor and after many adventures and wars, Manucci moved to Lahore around 1670 and began practicing medicine. He later turned to trading, but after accumulating a decent fortune, he lost everything when the ship in which his capital was invested sank. He is then forced to return to Dehli where he is hired as a doctor in the Mughal court.
Around 1683-8 he moved to Goa, abandoned the idea of returning to Europe and, on the advice of friends, married an English widow; he led a quiet life, continuing to practice his profession as a doctor. And it is here that Manucci conceives of his memoirs, dictated to some mainly Portuguese-speaking amanuenses. After the death of his wife in 1706, Manucci moved to Pondichéry, where he died in a place called Monte Grande around 1720.
The history of memoirs and their arrival in Europe is very complex and intricate and has been studied by numerous specialists. It is beautifully explained by Piero Falchetta in the video that introduces the rooms displaying manuscripts of the work, as well as early printed editions. Viewing the entire legacy of Nicolò Manucci, including through digital media, is the heart of this exhibition and its greatest attraction. This was made possible through collaboration between the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, the Staatsbibliothek, Berlin, and the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice.
The miniatures that make up the manuscripts called the Red Book and the Black Book describe: the main characters of the Mughal history and court and their customs and traditions in the former; the social, civil and religious life of the Hindus, completely different from that of Mughal Islam, the latter. These illustrations still amaze and enchant us with their bright colors, unusual shapes, and wonderful rendering of faces and expressions. Accompanying the exhibition are carpets, weapons, paintings and art objects from different eras, evocative of the places where Manucci spent his adventure-filled life.
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Concert by violinist Paolo Bernardo
Saturday, April 22
Church of S. Francesco della Vigna, Venice
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Church of St. Francis of the Vineyard, Maestro Paolo Bernardo, professor of violin at the Bolzano Conservatory of Music and the first and only Italian violinist from the Odessa High School of Violin, performed Bach sonatas for solo violin.
The violinist wanted to dedicate this concert to Laguna in the Glass as the previous year the Association had presented the wine “Radiosa aurora” from Polesana Farm on the occasion of the day dedicated to his father.
Radiant dawn was the battle name of Mario, Paul Bernardo’s partisan father.
The concert program was as follows:
- Sonata I in G minor, BWV 1001
Adagio;Fugue, Allegro; Sicilian; Presto - Partita I in B minor, BWV 1002
Allemanda-Double; Corrente-Double; Sarabande-Double; Tempo di Borea-Double - Partita II in D minor, BWV 1004
Allemande; Corrente; Sarabande; Giga; Chaconne.
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“The Court of Impregnation”
Friday, February 24
Museum, workshop-shop by Luisa Conventi
Cannaregio No. 100, Venice
On Friday, Feb. 24, Laguna in the Glass members visited the museum “La corte delle impiraresse” (pearl stringers), curated by owner Luisa Conventi.
Luisa expertly and enthusiastically showed us all the laborious steps involved in the creation of beads cut from cylinders of glass paste, the so-called conterie.
We were able to see the various sizes and types of tiny beads, typical of the work of the splicers, and discover their evocative and evocative names: balottini, incamisà, papagà, macà, tosca…
At the urging of those present, Luisa also touched on techniques for working rosette and lume beads.
A history of the conter factories in Murano and a timely illustration of the work and social claims of the women impregnators completed the tour chronologically.
Returning to current events, we admired original necklaces and ornaments created for the various Impregnation Festivals that have been held since 2009. Finally, a short video gave us an understanding of the craftsmanship involved in the work, which in the case of glass bangs, includes the use of a frame.
A rich overview of an almost vanished craft kept alive by a few passionate artisans.
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A Romagnolo in Veneto.
The Ciàcole de Bepi of Olindo Guerrini from Ravenna to Venice
Tuesday, January 25
Monumental Rooms of the Marciana National Library
Guided tour by Dr. Elisabetta Sciarra with readings by our member Maurizio Vittoria who edited the transcription and Italian translation of the Ciàcole.
The guided tour was an opportunity to discover author Olindo Guerrini, a versatile intellectual, poet and writer in various dialects gifted with an extraordinary goliardic streak.
The Ciàcole de Bepi are satirical poems in Venetian dialect in which Bepi is Pope Pius X, portrayed in a lighthearted and biting manner as a kind of naive country curate intent on prattling on the things of his time.
The visit continued in the museum section of the Ridotti dei Procuratori di San Marco where recently restored cartographic works are on display: the view of Venice by Jacopo de’ Barbari, Hajji Ahmaed’s heart-shaped Map of the World, presented alongside his wooden matrices, the Chinese Map of the Flemish Ferdinand Verbiest, and Fra’ Mauro’s Map of the World.
The visit ended in the room on the second floor of the Mint where the Republic’s ancient chests made of fossil wood covered with iron studs are kept.
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2022
Dante in the vineyard
Sunday, October 30
St. Michael’s Vineyard
Professor Giorgio Battistella explained and recited selected passages from the Divine Comedy related to the theme of grapes, grape harvest and wine and to Venice.
Available are:
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High housing tension
Monday, August 29
Rialto fish market
High housing tension, a nonprofit association that places the revitalization of residency in Venice at the center of its action, organized on Monday, August 29, 2022, a “People’s Dinner” at the Pescheria in Rialto, that is, in one of the places “today crushed by the very strong touristification of the city,” to support the national bill drafted by the same association.
During the course of the evening, some unreleased scenes from the film Welcome in Venice were shown, introduced by director Andrea Segre. Laguna in the Glass participated with a table.
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Disnar for the Historic
Friday, August 26
On Friday, August 26, 2022, Laguna in the Glass participated in the “Disnar for the Historic” initiative organized by the Oarsmen and other city associations.
The purpose of the event is to invite residents to “return in large numbers along the Grand Canal to watch the Historical Regatta from the boats.” For the purpose, free and free tables are organized at various places in the lagoon city.
This year, we shared our food and wine with our friends from the “Sette mari” rowing club at their headquarters in Rio Terà Barba frutariol (Cannaregio).
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Radiant Aurora
Saturday, May 7
Radiant Aurora
St. Michael’s Vineyard
Presentation of the wine Radiosa Aurora
With a remembrance by Mario Bernardo,
partisan “Radiant Aurora.”
screenwriter and cinematographer in cinema.
Radiant Dawn (Burning Daylight) is the title of a novel by Jack London published in 1902. It was chosen as a battle name by Mario Bernardo, partisan commander of the Garibaldi “Antonio Gramsci” Brigade operating in the Feltrino Belluno area.
After the war, Bernardo became involved in cinema, both working as a screenwriter and director of photography for some of the most significant works in Italian cinematography and devoting himself to teaching camera technique.
To the partisan the owner of Terre di Gaia Farm, Claudio Polesana, wanted to dedicate the organic wine “Radiosa Aurora,” which Laguna nel bicchiere presented on May 7, 2022 at its headquarters on St. Michael’s Island.
On the occasion, Marco Borghi, President of the Municipality of Insular Venice, scholar of Resistance history and member of the IVESER Scientific Committee, provided a portrait of the partisan during the war period, while Charles Montanaro, curator of the eponymous archive of film material and former professor of Theory and Technique of Film Language, spoke about the man of cinema.
Bernardo’s son, Paolo, a violinist and chair of the violin department at the Bolzano Conservatory, also attended the presentation.
Mario Bernardo passed away on February 10, 2019, just days before his 100th birthday.
Footage of the meeting is available on our videos page; given its length, it has been divided into four parts.
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Visit to St. Francis of the Vineyard
Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23
Guided tour of the Church, convent complex, Library and vineyard of St. Francis of the Vineyard.
The visit began with an illustration of the church by Renzo De Antonia for the 22nd, and by Marica Michieli for the 23rd.
Friar Rino Sgarbossa, then led us lightly and enthusiastically to discover the monastic library originally, but now open to all scholars. He explained its history, growth and development, and future prospects. An educational tour, set up in an indoor room, traces the history of the birth of the book: from manuscript to printed book. Binding tools and examples of movable type complete the tour.
There is no shortage of the latest technology such as digitization of nautical and geographical works and pilot books. We then entered the hall of manuscripts and ancient works where ancient and precious illuminated choir books are on display, and where some of the volumes that once constituted the library of San Michele in Isola, among others, are preserved.
Finally, the wonder of the vineyard-garden, now cared for by a private company, where herbs and flowers together give off a delicious smell of honey and offer a beautiful panorama to our curious gaze.
We end with a taste of Laguna’s wines in the glass and with the hope of seeing this secluded and magical place again soon.
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Venice on a plate
Wednesday, April 13
On the occasion of the departure of our members Back and Choi, Laguna in the Glass organized“Venice on a Plate.” Members prepared some of the city’s traditional dishes, accompanied by their recipes.
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“Never Seen in Venice”
Friday, March 25
Never seen in Venice
: walk
Discovering special places in Venice,
Edited by Maurizio Vittoria.
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“Venetia 1600. Births and Rebirths.”
January 27 and February 3
Venice, Doge’s Palace.
Guided tour by Donatella Gibbin.
2021
“The World on a Plate”
Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 24 – St. Michael’s
In order to emphasize the cosmopolitan character of the Laguna in the Glass Association, which it is worth noting has as its defining element the production of wine, a basic element of Italian and Mediterranean culture, we wanted to invite our foreign members (“foresti,” in Venetian) to propose delicacies from their national cuisines to taste them all together.
Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 24 tasting at St. Michael’s,
With recipes from The World on a Plate.
Fra Mauro’s Short History of the World Map
The island of St. Michael, where Laguna’s winery in the glass is located, was home from 1212 to 1817 to a monastery of the Benedictine order of Camaldolese.
Here, in the first half of the 15th century, the cartographer Friar Mauro lived and worked. Very little is known about him: the exact date of his death, which occurred before October 1459, is not even known. His most famous work is the famous world map, considered the pinnacle of medieval cartography, which has been kept at the Marciana National Library since 1924. A 1:1 scale reproduction of the world map is displayed in the cellar rooms.
Fra’ Mauro’s fame today is internationally recognized, so much so that a crater and adjacent plateau on the visible side of the Moon were also named after him.
On the Camaldolese cartographer, our member Piero Falchetta has produced several essays, proving to be one of the greatest connoisseurs of the world map. One of these popular essays, “ABrief History of Fra’ Mauro’s World Map,” he wanted to donate to Laguna in the Glass, thus also recognizing the work of preserving historical places done by our cultural association.
The publication, promoted by Laguna in the Glass, is available at St. Michael’s, and will also be available during our traveling initiatives.
“Far Fae”
Exhibition of our member Luc François Granier
Oct. 2-12 – Claudia Corò Art Studio
Venice, Giudecca 673
Variable opening hours, visits by appointment, tel: 3405183068
Opening on the occasion of Art Night Venice 2021, Saturday, October 2 from 5 to 8 pm.
“Ceci n’est pas une bibliothèque“
Photo exhibition by member Marica Michieli
Sept. 3-24 – Multimedia Laboratory Art Conservation
Venice Cannaregio 2589 – Fondamenta della Misericordia
Singular evidence of the conservation work carried out at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in 2006, photographed as the work progressed.