Art & design school trips to Venice

Designed by Baldassare Longhena, Ca’ Pesaro is the most important baroque palace in the city, and an excellent example of architecture for the era. The palace has been the seat of Venice City Council’s collection of modern art since 1902, and includes a vast collection of sculptures – including waxworks by Medardo Rosso.

Students can explore the Gothic-style Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs – two of the most photographed sights in Venice – on this incredible excursion. The former residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Venetian Republic, the palace houses a huge historical collection where students can learn more about the Renaissance period in Italy.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the most important museum in Italy for European and American art from the first half of the 20th century, and is a must-visit for art and design students. Located in Peggy Guggenheim's former home – the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni – on the Grand Canal in Venice, its collection includes works of Picasso, Metzinger and Duchamp.

On this experience-filled island cruise, students can take part in a glass blowing demonstration at a local glass factory at Murano, explore the colourful streets of Burano and visit Torcello’s beautiful Church of Santa Maria Assunta – famous for its Byzantine Mosaics.

There’s no better way to explore the city than on a relaxing gondola ride – and we think your students will agree. Climb aboard a classic Venetian gondola and discover the true beauty of Venice, as you and your students make your way through the hidden passageways and historic canals of this spectacular city. During your tour, your gondolier  will point out the city’s most photographed sights, including Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.

A time-honoured tradition in Venice, mask decorating dates back to the 14th century, when it was commonplace for an individual to conceal their identity and class at the city’s social events. Today, Venetian masks are more ornamental and worn at carnivals. At this workshop, students will learn how original masks were made, and how to decorate their own.

Once called ‘the drawing room of the world’ by French dramatist Musset, St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) has been the centre of religious and political life in the Venetian republic for almost an entire millennium. An excellent spot for students to absorb Venice’s social culture, the square also serves as a great central meeting place between museum visitsm cafe stops and souvenir shopping.

St. Mark's Square is dominated by four museums: the Doge's Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Archaeological Museum), and the Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Marciana. Students can explore Venice’s regional heritage here, and uncover treasures from the Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist, Greek and Roman periods in the city.

The oldest of the four bridges stretching Venice’s Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge is a sight to behold, its ornate stature dotted with small shops and kiosks. Students will love watching the gondolas pass through the tunnel beneath their feet, and can also engage in a little souvenir shopping as you wander from the sestieri of San Marco to San Polo (or vice versa).

The quintessential experience of Italian theatre, Teatro la Fenice is one of the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of opera, having been the site of the operatic premieres of legendary composers Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. An obvious choice for any music trip to Venice, students will widen their understanding of the genre and, likewise, its part in Italian culture.