Ah, Venice
The Elegant Home Based Business
Venice, Italy is an exotic and
mysterious place that attracts visitors from around the world. It’s
been doing so for centuries.
In its heyday, it was a rich and
powerful center of trade and business. Poised between East and West,
Venice became a city of merchants, many of whom ran their empires
from exquisite palazzos designed to serve as their business
headquarters, as well as being the family home. These gorgeous
buildings still line the Grand Canal, greeting newcomers entering
the city by vaporetti.
A typical Venetian house had an
elaborate facade facing the canal since visitors and clients usually
arrived by boat. The house was tall and narrow, with the ground
floor serving as an office and, perhaps, warehouse. The second floor
was used to entertain visitors and discuss business affairs, while
the family quarters were kept on the third floor. Many houses also
had additions on the street side that were used as an office, but
frequently became personal libraries.
So, you see, the home business
movement isn’t such a new idea after all. The Venetians, who did it
more elegantly than anyone, were running international enterprises
from their homes hundreds of years ago.
Despite heroic efforts to preserve
Venice’s elegant buildings, the days when merchant ships sailed in
and out laden with exotic cargo are long over. Today’s Venetian
entrepreneur is more apt to be a shopkeeper catering to tourists—or
a musician playing Vivaldi. If you are visiting, take a walk off the
tourist paths and wander into a residential area. If you happen upon
a supermarket or hardware store, pay a visit. It’s also worth a boat
ride to see the glass shops of Murano where you’ll find pieces done
by imaginative artists, alongside tackier pieces intended as
souvenirs. The Lido is another island which is home to the Venice
Film Festival. It also has the distinction of having streets where
buses and cars can drive as well as beaches.
 Two Merchants of Venice
Even though I haven’t had much personal
contact with Venetian entrepreneurs, there are two I will never
forget.
Claudio is the owner of a small hotel I stayed in on a visit a few
years ago. One morning he and I had a long visit about his hotel (a
Rick Steves recommendation) and what his life as a native Venetian
was like. On the morning I checked out, he was at the front desk.
After we’d completed our business, I said, “Claudio, I enjoyed my
stay. When I come back I will be sure to stay with you again.”
He bowed slightly and said, “I shall be here, Madam, awaiting your
return.” I giggled all the way to the train station thinking
that Claudio would be there to welcome me back.
Then there’s Carlo. In October, 2006, my siblings and I rented an
apartment in Venice for a week. When we arrived at the vaporetto
stop, we were greeted by our temporary landlord Carlo. He shook
hands with each of us and then escorted us back to the 500-year-old
building he owns. The first thing I noticed about him was that he
didn’t actually walk: he bounced. And he smiled a lot.
The next afternoon he stopped by to make sure that things were
running smoothly. “So, Carlo,” I asked, “where did you learn to
speak English so well?” The grin got even bigger and he told us how
he’d decided to learn English when he was sixteen and began his
lessons by listening to Simon and Garfunkel. A few years
later, he went to London and was dismayed to learn that nobody could
understand him.
We invited him to sit down and tell us more about this building
which he was renovating. What followed was a delightful story about
creative entrepreneurship. He told us he’d been a pharmacist, but
when the building came into his family rather unexpectedly, he left
his pharmacy to devote himself to his new enterprise. His parents
occupied an apartment on the ground floor and there was another
space he rented to a group of architects. Carlo lived on the top
floor while the other four apartments were vacation rentals.
 Redoing the building had been a huge undertaking and he seemed to be
enjoying it all. I tried to imagine how difficult it would be to
rehab an old building in a city where everything had to be brought
and removed by motorboat. It seemed daunting, but Carlo seemed
to have taken it all in stride.
When Carlo told us that he was facing a couple of off-season months
with few takers, my sister Margaret suggested he advertise on
Craigslist, which he hadn’t heard about. To our delight—and his—he
promptly got two bookings after posting on that popular site.
If there are more charming landlords and hotel owners than Carlo and
Claudio, I have yet to meet them.
Further Explorations
Writers, painters and musicians have found inspiration in this
elegant city. From William Shakespeare to Indiana Jones, Venice has
proved a fascinating backdrop for storytelling.
Books
-
A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlene di Blesi
is the story of an American food writer and restauranteur
who falls in love with a Venetian banker and moves to Italy.
While the book is treated by critics and readers alike as a
romantic tale, I saw something else: how di Blesi’s
entrepreneurial spirit infected her new husband who
ultimately leaves his dreary job.
-
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt was
not the story the author was planning to write when he
landed in Venice, but an intriguing city disaster led to
this unusual glimpse into modern Venice society. The audio
version is also good.
-
If you love mysteries, American teacher-turned-writer Donna
Leon has a series set in her adopted hometown.
-
There are countless works of fiction and nonfiction covering
all eras of this enchanting city. DK’s Eyewitness
travel guide to Venice and the Veneto is fun
to read, as is The Collected Traveler
anthology of Venice, if you’re really curious.
Movies
-
The Merchant of Venice has been made into film
several times with the role of Shylock played by Sir
Laurence Olivier and Al Pacino, among others.
-
Dangerous Beauty is a personal favorite about
an impoverished Venetian woman who becomes a courtesan when
she learns that women in that profession have access to
libraries. Based on a true story of the life of an early
feminist.
-
What exploration of Venice would be complete without
Casanova? The 2005 movie with Heath Ledger as the
legendary lover is charming and fun.
-
Bread and Tulips is a movie that will be
especially appealing to those who have visited Italy.
-
And, of course, there’s the romantic classic,
Summertime, with Katharine Hepburn and Rossano
Brazzi.
Return to the Top
|
