Culture | The tides of Venice

From spies to sea-level rise, Venice’s history is enthralling

Dennis Romano has produced a sparkling account of the city’s past and future

Gondolier on a lagoon in Venice, Italy.
Photograph: Magnum Photos/Steve McCurry

Visiting the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s largest art fairs that opened on April 20th and runs until late November, often evokes a disconcerting emotion. You come to see the works on display in the exhibitions that sprawl across the city, only to leave feeling guilty at having paid too little attention to the work of art that is Venice itself.

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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The tides of Venice”

From the April 27th 2024 edition

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