there is not a building in Venice, raised prior to the sixteenth century, which has not sustained essential change in one or more of its most important features. By far the greater number present examples of three or four different styles…and, in many instances, the restorations or additions have gradually replaced the entire structure of the ancient fabric, of which nothing but the name remains, together with a kind of identity, exhibited in the anomalous association of the modernized portions: the Will of the old building asserted through them all, stubbornly, though vainly, expressive…

— Stones of Venice, 1851

THE CITY AS an icon. Whether you have been to Venice or not, you know it well. We all carry the image of the floating city with us everywhere. The famous Piazza San Marco, for example, is perhaps the only completely internalized image that, when first seen by a visitor, easily exceeds the most febrile expectation, even if that expectation were first planted by Canaletto himself. And thus, with each revisit, as Ruskin saw, the ‘ancient fabric’ is replaced, the icon is suddenly restored, venerated anew, and made assertive. It is the capital city of the high-cultural empire in which we live.

And if you’re not just passing through, what is life in the city? Our portfolio devoted to an insider’s view of Venice was assembled by contributing editor Hoyt Rogers. Our texts and images are by those who know Venice not just as a miraclous apparition, but as a backdrop to their daily existence:

A Venetian’s view of Venice, by Michele Casagrande.

City for sale, by Robin Saikia.

Venice and the theatre of memory, images by Gigi Bon and text by Hoyt Rogers.

Images of Venice, by Alvise Nicoletti. See below.

The images and content of this dossier are protected by copyright 2014. All rights are reserved.

Support the Save Venice Foundation (US) and Venice in Peril (UK).

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Alvise Nicoletti is one of the leading photographers in Venice, where his family has lived for centuries.  In 2004 he received his first degree in Web Design, followed by a Master’s in Photography from the European Institute of Design.  He has worked as a photographer for many cultural institutions, including the Dance, Music and Theatre Division of the Venice Biennale.  He also serves as a photographer and web designer for the company ELAN42.com, a network of professionals who work together without giving up their independence.