Wagner Museum, Venice, Ca’ Vendramin Calergi. HOME TO THE VENICE CASINO. © ITALO GRECI/UNIONPRESS

SECRET VENICE: UNUSUAL AND LITTLE-KNOWN PLACES TO VISIT

Secret Venice is away from popular places and you can find it in unusual palaces and less-visited churces.

In this post I’ll talk about secret and unusual Venice, the city that the tourists who hurry and have little time don’t know. Those little-known places where you can enjoy the authentic fascination of the most beautiful city in the world.

Secret Venice

Venier Casino

WHERE TO GO TO DISCOVER SECRET VENICE

Venice in one of a kind in every corner, but there are hidden places that will make you discover secret Venice, its stories and mysteries.

To discover which the must-visit places are, read the post containing my advice on what to see in Venice. If, instead, you are going to discover non touristy Venice, here is my advice on where to go.

Venier Casino
Among the most unusual places of secret Venice one of the last “Venice casinos”, located in the home of the Alliance Française, stands out.
It’s an ancient private meeting place, also called “Ridotto”, where the Venetian aristrocracy members played games, discuss and had fun.
The original furniture dates back to the mid-18th century, with stuccoes, frescoes, mirrors, spaces for musicians, the dining room, a delft fireplace and the spy hole on the floor (from which people could observe who was at the entrance door so that they could plan an escape through a back exit in order not to meet an unwelcome person).

• How to visit the Venier Casino: 
  Open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm.
  You’d better contact the Alliance Française for your visit.
  Contacts: Phone number 041.5227079 – website: https://afvenezia.it/?lang=it

The Treasure of the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio
Not far from St. Mark’s Square and the Teatro La  Fenice is the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio.
The building has one of the finest Venetian Baroque façades in all of Venice, and inside it houses the “Madonna and Child with Young St. John” by Peter Paul Rubens, the only painting by the Felmish artist in Venice.
However, the treasure of the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio is one of the most important collections of sacred goldsmithing housed in Venice.
In a small area of the building, in fact, there’s a huge amount of relics, including a piece of the Virgin Mary’s veil, in golden and silver containers made by Venetian goldsmiths.

The Richard Wagner Museum
Inside Ca’ Vendramin Calergi, home to the Venice Casino, are the room where the composer Richard Wagner spent the last days of his life, where you’ll admire the largest private collection dedicated to Wagner.

• How to visit the Richard Wagner Museum:
  The visits to the Wagner Museum are curated by the ASSOCIAZIONE RICHARD WAGNER DI VENEZIA.
  Contacts and info on the website: https://www.casinovenezia.it/en/wagner-museum

Wagner Museum, Venice, Ca’ Vendramin Calergi. HOME TO THE VENICE CASINO. © ITALO GRECI/UNIONPRESS