The city of Venice, Italy is simply stunning and completely unique. Founded more than 1,500 years ago on 117 different islands, Venice is linked by a series of over 150 canals, 400 bridges and many ancient pavements. The historic city centre of Venice is divided into six quarters (sestieri) - Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce. All buildings in Venice are supported on slender oak and pine piles (posts) which are driven deep into the ground to create a solid foundation. As the soil is waterlogged, with no free oxygen, the piles remain strong and do not decay. Venice is without doubt one of the most beautiful and popular cities in the world and is always admired by the many tourists that visit throughout the year.

Daily island tours of Burano, Murano and Torcello are run by the Cooperativa San Marco, from April to November. The tours are approximately 3.5 hours long and depart at 09:30 and also 14:30 from the Giardini Reali, nearby the Piazza San Marco. Tickets can be purchased at the Alilaguna kiosk.

The Grand Canal in Venice is a wonderful stretch of water and it is often referred to as 'the most beautiful street in the city'. Admire the play of light on the water as you glide along the Grand Canal, the main Street of Venice! See the beautiful and imposing palaces and churches that line its banks and learn how it has developed over the centuries into the "most beautiful street in the world ".

The Santa Maria della Salute is one of the significant buildings of Venice (thumbnail). Sargent painted it a number of times, but never full-on or complete.  The Church of Santa Maria della Salute was begun in September 1631.The Salute has an inusual octagonal form with a massive dome. The imposing basilica was consecrated in 1687, five years after the death of Longhena.

Rich decoration embellishes the inside of this 16th-century church where the painter Veronese established his reputation by painting amazing frescoes whilst still in his twenties. Veronese continued to produce astounding works within the church throughout his career and was eventually buried here. The opulent nature of Veronese's art beautifies the church and makes it unique.

The façade of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco is less noteworthy than the interior, which houses more than 50 paintings by Tintoretto, who spent around 24 years of his life to decorating the school. The interior has been richly decorated by famous artist Tintoretto, who spent over 23 years of his life decorating the school. There are more than 50 paintings by the master and the concentration of work is almost overwhelming. You can s ee the paintings in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice by Tintoretto at the Web Gallery of Art. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is open daily from 10am to 4pm