Venice is famed for its picturesque palaces, piazzas, and canals. But it‘s more than just a pretty place. The ancient Venetians deserve at least as much fanfare as the city enjoys. On this walking tour around the Castello District, I‘ll introduce you to the ingenious, innovative, and intrepid men and women who contributed to their city‘s glory. Starting in Giardini della Biennale, you‘ll walk through a small portion of this park before venturing along a waterfront embankment, and through winding streets to Basilica di San Pietro di Castello. While you walk, I‘ll point out which Venetians have earned monuments, and tell you about the many others who‘ve faded into obscurity. Around every corner, you‘ll find curious stories of tragedy and triumph during times of war and peace, in one of Europe‘s mightiest city-states. You‘ll find out about a foiled pirate attack, and hear about Carlo de Ghega, one of the greatest railway engineers in European history. As you make your way to the Venetian Arsenal, a complex of former shipyards, you‘ll see the Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument, and hear tales about the great revolutionary leader. I‘ll also tell you what made Venice‘s arsenal so fearsome. By the end of our tour in front of the Museo Storico Navale di Venezia (The Venetian Naval Museum) and Chiesa di San Biagio Vescovo (Saint Blaise Church), you‘ll have a better understanding of the people who contributed to this great city‘s wealth and power. On this Venice walking tour, you‘ll have a chance to: • Enjoy Giardini della Biennale, the green space created by Napoleon Bonaparte after he destroyed the three churches and convents that once stood here • Pay your respects at the Monument to the Partisan Woman, which honours all women who fought in the Resistance against the Nazi occupiers in World War II • Salute Giosuè Carducci, the first Italian to win a Nobel Prize for Literature • Pause in front of the monuments to Pier Luigi Penzo and Francesco Querini, two valiant Venetian explorers who never made it home • Meet Sister Arcangela Tarabotti, the incorrigible nun who spent her life writing scorching criticisms of the monastic life • Marvel at the phenomenal organization and skill that made the Venetian Arsenal the greatest industrial complex in Europe • Read the runes chiseled into the Piraeus Lion‘s shoulders on the Arsenal‘s facade It‘s easy to admire Venice for its beauty, but wait till you meet some of the people who made it great. By the end of this 45-minute tour of Castello, you‘ll look at Venice with new eyes, and a greater appreciation for the generations that have lived extraordinary lives.