Every generation of art lovers has to rediscover the treasure house of Venice, but what does the city mean to Italians – and indeed Venetians? In this talk Artemis Cooper, historian and biographer, is in conversation with Katia Pizzi, editor of Venice Tales, to explore Venice through Italian eyes.  Six of the writers here come from the Veneto, although the collection begins with Bocaccio in the 14th century who as a Tuscan, presents Venice as a city of sinful indulgence. We find the playwright Carlo Goldoni remembering the heyday of Venetian theatre, while the professional reprobate Giacomo Casanova describes his escape from the attic prisons of the Doge’s palace. For the futurist Marinetti, Venice’s art and architecture keep it tied to the past: he advocates demolishing the lot, and rebuilding it with modernist blocks.

Yet this anthology also includes stories and descriptions from modern and contemporary authors including Montale, Calvino and Scarpa which reveal a more elusive, labyrinthine Venice: one of reflections, ghosts, mirages and secrets, a city forever out of reach even for those who call it home.