Tour of the Red Light District of Venice

Tour Details

Every inch of skin. Every hidden corner that leads to absolute bliss. Lips that wear themselves out travelling through the most pleasurable recesses of the body and soul. Couples who melt into each other and entwine themselves to the point of exhaustion. Moments of unspeakable delight... When the sun goes down, Venice hides countless secrets. Beyond its romantic and hedonistic facade, the city of canals hides a much more passionate and libertine side. Throughout history, few have resisted the sensuality that emanates from La Serenissima. We too will succumb to temptation as we explore Venice's Red Light District from Campo San Giacomo di Rialto, the starting point of our guided tour.

During the tour, we'll venture into the vicinity of the Rialto Bridge, walking through the streets bordering the San Polo neighbourhood, a Venetian sestiere, which means district, that was home to numerous brothels. The brothels were identified by a series of red lanterns hung at the entrance to these establishments. Young people weary of unsatisfactory marriages of convenience, lovers of 'new experiences', lustful individuals with unfathomable repressed desires... The clientele of these establishments was very varied. However, they did not always find what they were looking for. Sometimes, what was supposed to be a night of frenzy turned into a nightmarish evening...

And what role did courtesans play in society? Speaking of figures such as Veronica Franco, a famous courtesan, poet and symbol of a bold and refined Venice, we'll discover the Ponte Delle Tette and stroll through the Campo Della Stua.

The eroticism of Venice, with its very liberal atmosphere for the time, attracted painters, writers and other artists who sought to give free rein to their most depraved sexual fantasies in the waters of the lagoon. As evening fell, the romanticism and bucolic love depicted in their works turned into an excessive, almost irrational passion. We'll learn about some of the stories of intellectuals, aristocrats, nobles and commoners who succumbed to the lascivious charms of Venice.

We'll end this guided tour in the Santa Croce neighbourhood, another Venetian sestiere where lust also plays a prominent role in the history of this district.