Elegant, inimitable, exciting and romantic, precious: this is Venice, the gem on any tour of Italy where churches, palazzi, ancient bridges, monuments and piazzas confirm its artistic and cultural vitality.

All has testified to and continues to testify to the long history of the city. Venice's beating heart is Piazza San Marco, Europe's most elegant living room, which is surrounded by works of indisputable mastery and prestige: the imposing Campanile Bell Tower, and the Basilica with its five portals and decorations in marble and mosaics hinting at the pomp and extravagance of the interior; the Palazzo Ducale, symbol of the various golden temples of La Serenissima ("The Most Serene Republic of Venice"); the Moors' Tower, famously known as the Clock Tower, given the highly-evolved engineering that for centuries has marked the time for Venice; and the Ala Napoleonica housing the Museo Correr.