ALTERNATIVE VENICE: Prostitutes, Traders and Pirates. The City of Marco Polo and Carnival.

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION: From August 1st 2024, the Municipality of Venice requires tourist groups to wear a hearing aid during the activity. The guide will provide one at the beginning of the tour, since it is a free tour and the hearing aid is expensive, a deposit of € 10 is required which must be given to the guide at the beginning of the tour and which the same guide will return to you at the end when he gives you the hearing aid. IT IS MANDATORY TO BRING THE HEARING AID AND PAY THE DEPOSIT TO TAKE THE TOUR.

On this tour we visit an area that is alternative to the more touristy part of the city, but which nevertheless retains the charm and beauty that Venice has had since ancient times , and which also shows us the splendorous past that the city experienced in the Middle Ages and its decline from the 16th century onwards.

On our tour we will cover the most important part of Venetian history, and we will do so through two neighborhoods: the Carampane District (Venice's red light district) , which is the place where prostitution was practiced in the city, and in quite peculiar ways as we will see on the tour; and the Rialto Market neighborhood, the economic engine of Medieval Venice, since it is linked to the pillar that has sustained Venice for almost all of its history: commerce. The union between merchants and prostitutes gave rise to a festival that was born in Venice and is a hallmark of the city: Carnival, which we will talk about on the tour. Our tour ends at the house of a universally known Venetian: Marco Polo , whose story is essential to understanding Venetian history.

The tour begins in Campo de San Polo, one of the most important and busiest squares in Venice, dedicated to the apostle Saint Paul (San Polo). From this square and crossing the Arco dei Cavalli, we will enter the red light district of the city, the Carampane district, to explore the hidden alleys and beautiful canals that abound in this neighborhood. Hidden in the neighborhood are some places that recall the time when the neighborhood was used for prostitution, such as the Ponte delle Titti, the Ca'Rampanni Palace or some brothel that is still standing. After touring this mysterious neighborhood, we will enter the Rialto Market area, where one of the most lively areas of the city is currently located. Here we will visit the Fish Market, we will go to the Grand Canal to see some of the old textile warehouses in Venice and we will arrive at Piazza San Giacomo, where the oldest church in the city is located. From here we will cross the Grand Canal by the most important bridge in Venice, the Rialto Bridge, which will offer us one of the best views of Venice. We will end up on the other side of the Canal, specifically at Marco Polo's House and very close to St. Mark's Square.
The places we visit on the tour are as follows:

• San Polo Field
• Bridge of the Tits
• Ca´Rampani Palace
• Rialto Market
• Great channel
• Field of San Giacomo
• Rialto bridge
• Marco Polo's House

Throughout the tour, there will be no shortage of cultural and gastronomic recommendations, as well as any type of advice that the client may need.