Venice Talks

What if the best way to experience Venice was to turn the entire city into a treasure hunt, while also making a difference for a good cause? In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato welcomes Simone Pavlovich , the creative mind behind A Caccia con Filippo , a project that transforms Venice's streets, bridges and hidden corners into an exciting adventure filled with clues, discoveries and...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with Regina Maksimova and Alexandra Zagrebelnaia , the team behind Venice Art Insider , a platform created to help people discover and understand the extraordinary art world of Venice. From historic masterpieces and museums to foundations, galleries, independent spaces and the Biennale, Venice Art Insider looks at the city as one vast cultural land...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica sits down with Gregory Dowling, Philip Gwynne Jones and David Hewson , the three writers behind Venice Noir, Venice’s international festival dedicated to crime writing, noir and the darker side of storytelling. What began as an ambitious literary idea has grown into a distinctive festival bringing together Italian and international authors, historians, jour...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica speaks with Simon and Jess from The History of Venice Podcast about the women who lived, worked and helped shape Venice across the centuries. Moving beyond the better-known stories of noblewomen and courtesans, the conversation explores what everyday life was really like for Venetian women from different levels of society. From work and family life to money...

n this episode of Venice Talks , Monica speaks with drinks writer, podcaster and author Susan L. Schwartz about her new book, A Guide to Drinking in Venice . Venice is a city where drinking is never just about what is in the glass. It is about ritual, place, history and the people behind the bar. Susan takes us through the research and stories behind the book, from traditional bacari and Venetian...

What happens when two history lovers decide to tell the story of Venice from the very beginning? In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato is joined by Simon and Jess, the creators and hosts of The History of Venice Podcast , a chronological journey through the people, politics, conflicts and extraordinary events that shaped the Venetian Republic. Simon and Jess share how their mutual fasc...

Before Peggy Guggenheim became one of the most influential collectors of modern art—and before Palazzo Venier dei Leoni became her Venetian home and museum—she opened a small but remarkably ambitious gallery in London. In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato speaks with Gražina Subelytė , curator at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, about the exhibition Peggy Guggenheim in Londo...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica speaks with Sara Cattani , co-founder of Staging Alive , a new Venetian project created to bring fresh, joyful and high-quality live entertainment formats to the city. From musical theatre to live performance, from historical costumes to private productions, Sara’s work asks an important question: can Venice still be a place that creates culture, rather tha...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica speaks with Sara and Virginia, the two friends behind Due Fie Venexiane , a digital project sharing Venice through the voices, flavours and everyday experiences of two Venetian women. What began as a spontaneous collaboration between friends has grown into a lively online community, with videos, recommendations and downloadable guides helping visitors disco...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato sits down with Elena Bozza , Head of Digital at Linkness and one of the voices of Face To Face , the program produced by a local television channel based in the Venice area that tells stories from Venice and the Veneto region. Together they explore how Venice is communicated today: not only as a beautiful postcard, but as a living, working, changin...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato welcomes back the story of Women for Freedom , an organisation dedicated to supporting women, girls and children living in situations of poverty, violence, exploitation and fragility. After the first conversation in 2023, this new episode takes the story forward with Sara Memo , part of Women for Freedom, to understand what has changed, what has gr...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica speaks with Laura from Maranteghe , a vintage and second-hand shop in Cannaregio where fashion becomes memory, identity and a small act of resistance. Founded by Miriam, Sara and Laura , Maranteghe was born during the pandemic, among wardrobes to reinvent, forgotten clothes to rescue and the desire to create something with meaning. What began as a shared pa...

Venice is a city that moves on water. Every day, thousands of residents, workers, students and visitors step onto a vaporetto without always thinking about what happens behind that simple act of getting from one stop to another. But in Venice, public transport is not a road, a bus lane or an underground line. It is the lagoon. It is the Grand Canal. It is tides, fog, wind, night shifts, crowded la...

What does Venice smell like? In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica sits down with Joan Giacomin , Brand Ambassador for The Merchant of Venice , for a journey into the fragrant history of Venice. Together they explore how the city became a crossroads for rare ingredients, refined beauty, and perfume culture, and how scent offers a unique way to understand Venice beyond what we see. This conversa...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica meets Shanti Ganesha , founder of Meracu , a contemporary leather workshop in Venice. We talk about the first moment leather felt like a language, the leap that led to opening a workshop in 2022, and how living between Venice and India shapes a design identity that feels built into every piece, not added on. From material to method, we explore how a hide is...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica sits down with Bryan Brazeau , Academic Director of the Warwick Venice Centre , to talk about what happens when a university and a city begin to think together. We explore Venice not as a setting, but as a working intellectual environment, and Warwick not simply as an institution abroad, but as a way of approaching knowledge through place, daily life, and l...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica speaks with Sergio Vidal of Atelier Martina Vidal Venezia , a family atelier that has safeguarded the art of Burano lace for four generations. They talk about patience as a creative act, about heritage that does not live in museums but in the hands of artisans, and about the quiet strength required to carry an ancient craft into the present without losing i...

Beyond the Facade: Not Just Churches In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato sits down with Monica Gambarotto for an informal conversation that drifts away from the usual itineraries and into a quieter Venice. Together, they explore five churches that rarely make it onto must see lists, yet reveal something essential about the city. These are not monuments to rush through, but places sha...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato sits down with Matteo Seguso , Murano glass engraver, to explore the world of engraved glass, craftsmanship, and time. The conversation moves inside the workshop and the gesture. We talk about engraving as a language, about the discipline of the hand, and about what it means to carry a centuries-old craft into the present without turning it into no...

Venice never stands still. It simply changes rhythm. In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica Cesarato sits down with Romena Brugnerotto to walk through Venice’s 2026 cultural calendar, one month at a time. From the first signs of Carnival to the quiet glow of Christmas, this conversation follows the city as it moves through exhibitions, festivals, celebrations, and shared rituals. No lists to mem...

Venice is a museum without walls — but behind her doors, each palace tells a different story. In this episode, Monica takes you through the city’s most fascinating museums — places where beauty, history, and imagination still breathe. In this episode: 🕯️ Ca’ Rezzonico — the Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice, where frescoes, chandeliers, and candlelight revive the world of Tiepolo and Longhi. 🎭...

In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica sits down with Marco Cammozzo , founder of MC Leather , to explore the fascinating world of Venetian leather craftsmanship — where ancient techniques meet sustainable innovation. From the scent of tanned hides to the rhythm of skilled hands, Marco shares how his work blends tradition, creativity, and environmental awareness in a modern Venice that still bea...

Venice wears many masks — some glittering, some dark. In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica sits down with David Hewson, Philip Gwynne Jones, and Gregory Dowling , the brilliant minds behind the Venice Noir Festival . Together, they unravel how mystery, crime, and the haunting beauty of the lagoon intertwine to create a festival unlike any other. From the secret alleys that whisper of centuries...

🎙️ Episode Description In this episode of Venice Talks , Monica welcomes Giada Valenti , the Venetian-born singer whose career has brought the spirit of Venice and the language of love to audiences around the world. Known for her romantic voice and elegant stage presence, Giada shares the journey that took her from the quiet canals of her childhood to the bright lights of international stages. Tog...

In this episode, Monica meets two extraordinary women who brought the rhythm of the East to the heart of the lagoon. Katerina, from Russia, and Regina, from Kazakhstan, met by chance in Venice — and chose to stay. Together, they created Venetians (By Choice and By Occasion), the very first Russian-language radio show on Radio Ca' Foscari. Their story is one of identity, migration, and transformati...