“Here is the city that inspires wonder in everyone. Whoever sees it once falls in love for life and never leaves it; or if they do, it is only to return. Because of this longing to return—which weighs upon all who depart—it was named VENETIA. It is as if saying to those who leave, in a sweet prayer: VENI ETIAM, come again.” (The Blind Man of Adria, 1570)

MY BACKGROUND

I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Ferrara. There, I studied under prominent mentors: Marco Bertozzi (author of The Tyranny of the Stars, the definitive monograph on the astrological frescoes of Schifanoia), Maria Antonietta Trasforini (author of Under the Sign of Women Artists), and Laura Balbo, Minister for Equal Opportunities from 1998 to 2000.

Minister Balbo described my academic path with these words: “He has built his university curriculum focusing on disciplines and themes essential to the theorization, advancement, and protection of human rights in relation to diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, and gender identities.”

I also completed studies at the universities of Padua and Toulouse-Le Mirail (France), as well as Regent Brighton (UK).

Registered as a freelance journalist since 2005, I have contributed to Corriere della Sera, writing for its regional edition, Corriere del Veneto.

Since 2013, I have been a licensed tour guide for the City of Venice.

I teach philosophy and history at the Marco Foscarini European Classical High School in Venice. Founded by Napoleon in 1807, the school counts illustrious figures such as Franco Basaglia and Antonio Scurati among its alumni.

In 2025, CLEUP published my essay Palladio Svelato (Palladio Revealed), in which I decode the sixteenth-century frescoes by Giallo Fiorentino that decorate the UNESCO World Heritage site, Villa Badoer in Fratta Polesine.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

I suggest starting from St. Mark’s Square. A dedicated visit to St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace will provide curious travelers with the essential keys to understanding the City of the Lion.

After that, it is vital to leave clichés and set paths behind. Walk through the Cannaregio district or head toward Punta della Dogana to discover a republic of merchants that served as the Gateway to the East for centuries.

Venice is a city built on water, incredibly rich in art. A few examples? The masterly use of light and color by Renaissance painters at the Gallerie dell’Accademia (Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, and more). Alternatively, immerse yourself in the Venetian eighteenth century of Casanova, Tiepolo, and Canaletto at Ca' Rezzonico.