A beautifully written immersion in Venetian life and character set against the background of the city's past, this book is often hailed as one of the best travel books ever written.

An impassioned work on this magnificent but often maddening city, since its publication, the book has appeared in many editions, has won the W.H. Heinemann award and become an international bestseller.

Book Reviews

“Here, revised and introduced by the author, is Jan Morris's portrait of La Serenissima, published 50 years ago and still without equal. She cherishes every cranny: the city's 3,000 alleyways, its jails, its waterways and its buildings decaying like 'dukes in threadbare ermine'. She presents its past, its art and its language, which Byron called 'sweet bastard Latin'. A suitably respectful narration with an Italian flourish.” - Rachel Redford, The Observer.