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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Venice

35 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Venice, Italy

Updated July 31, 2025

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Jacopo Guarana’s fresco ‘Concert of the Putte’ (1776-77).

The Lost Aria Rediscovered in Venice's Ospedaletto After 250 Years

A fresco at the historic refuge leads a musicologist to a composition not heard for centuries—and the determined young women who once performed it.
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This 22-foot-long, papier-mâché rat known as Pantegana helps to kick off Carnival. For centuries, rats were blamed for carrying diseases to port cities, making the rodent an unlikely emblem for Venice, but Pantegana is beloved in the city where rats, which can be surprisingly strong swimmers, are one of the city’s most plentiful, non-human residents.

In Venice, Carnival Is a Visual Feast of 18th-Century Splendor

Every February, millions of people flock to Venice for Carnival, but few know the festival’s true origins.
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This 1833 painting by Alexandre Hesse in the Louvre in Paris depicts the funeral rites of the painter Titian after his death from plague.

Venice Is Almost One Big Plague Graveyard

A city built on water was always going to struggle with burials—especially when a deadly pandemic came to town.
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Paolo Olbi in his workshop in the 17th- and 18th-century Palazzo Ca’ Zenobio in Venice.

Keeping the Centuries-Old Tradition of Venetian Bookbinding Alive

Inspired by a 15th-century editor, Paolo Olbi pushes to keep this from being the last chapter.
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The volunteers of Laguna nel Bicchiere tend to their vines.

The Winemakers Bringing Viticulture Back to Venice

In the unlikely lagoon environment, long-lost grapes grow once again.
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How World War I Turned Soldiers Into Tourists

A new exhibit reveals the wondrous sights service members found away from the trenches.
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The graffiti of the bastazi includes recounting of historic events.

A Secret History of Venice Is Written on the Walls of Its Quarantine Stations

A look inside the Mediterranean trading power, courtesy of its hard-working 16th-century porters.
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Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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