Friday, December 16, 2005

Venice-The City of Falling Angels

I finished reading a fabulous book about Venice, City of Falling Angels written by John Berendt, bestselling author of Midnght in the Garden of Good and Evil. All the characters in the book are real people, who lived in Venice, shaped and were shaped by this enigmatic city. Its a great way to get to know the city, its history, philosophy and culture. The people of Venice are who have made the city into a cultural center from master glassblower Archimede Seguso, nicknamed 'Mago del Fuoco' or Wizard of Fire, poet Ezra Pound, Peggy Guggenheim, Isabella Steward Gardner, the eccentric Boston art collector and many others. A definate must read for anyone interested in the history of Venice, with lot of extras about glassblowing, architecture, The Fenice opera building and art thrown in.