Monday, September 22nd, 2003

Social Dinner (map)
For booking the social dinner, please see the conference registration form.
The registration fee does not fully cover the conference dinner for which there is a charge of 50,00 Euros for each attending person (participants as well as accompanying persons).

Historical Centre (Half Day, 2 hours)
Departure from foreseen meeting point for guided visit to the historical centre of Venice, starting from the heart of Venice: St. Mark's Square, called by Napoleon "the finest drawing room in Europe" once Venice political centre. In the square you find The Golden Basilica where it would be possible to admire the Pala d'Oro, a gorgeous work of ancient goldsmithery, unique in its kind. The Basilica was begun in 830 to house St.Mark's bones which had been smuggled out of Alexandria. It started out as small, modest chapel and, over the intervening 1200 years, it has become one of the most extravagant and fascinating structures anywhere. But to fully appreciate the splendours of Venetian art and history the visit to the Doge's Palace, the graceful pink-and-white building with its rare double loggia, is a must. For centuries the official residence of the Doge and of various political institutions, it is decorated with splendid carved gilded ceilings and with breathtaking paintings by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto. Once crossed the Bridge of Sighs you will visit the Venetians' old Dungeons where generations of political and criminal prisoners spent their miserable last days before being executed.

Panoramic Walking Tour (Half Day, 2 hours)
Departure from the foreseen meeting point (Oltrex Viaggi Office in Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello 4192 just by the Hotel Danieli) for guided visit to the Unknown Venice. For those who do not wish to stay 2 hours long in the same building, museum or church, this a guided walking tour starting from St. Mark's Square giving you a general overview not only of the centre, but also of Venice off the beaten track. You will discover the original Venice, the tour will pass by of the wonderful Dominican Church of San Giovanni e Paolo, that together with the Cathedral of the Frari, constitutes a wonderful example of sacred Venetian Gothic architecture where there are the tombs of glorious personalities of Serenissima Republic. In the place in front of the church there is an impressive monument of the condottiere "Bartolomeo Colleoni" (a masterpiece of Andrea del Verrocchio); the visit continues with the Marco Polo's house and Rialto's Bridge the most famous bridge on the Grand Canal.