Episodes

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with Sara Cattani, co-founder of Staging Alive, a new Venetian project created to bring fresh, joyful and high-quality live entertainment formats to the city. From musical theatre to live performance, from historical costumes to private productions, Sara’s work asks an important question: can Venice still be a place that creates culture, rather than only a place where culture is consumed? Together, we talk about the need for more accessible, inclus...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with Sara and Virginia, the two friends behind Due Fie Venexiane, a digital project sharing Venice through the voices, flavours and everyday experiences of two Venetian women. What began as a spontaneous collaboration between friends has grown into a lively online community, with videos, recommendations and downloadable guides helping visitors discover where Venetians really eat and how the city is experienced beyond its most famous landmarks. Sar...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato sits down with Elena Bozza, Head of Digital at Linkness and one of the voices of Face To Face, the program produced by a local television channel based in the Venice area that tells stories from Venice and the Veneto region. Together they explore how Venice is communicated today: not only as a beautiful postcard, but as a living, working, changing city made of people, businesses, creativity, innovation and local voices. Elena brings her experien...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato welcomes back the story of Women for Freedom, an organisation dedicated to supporting women, girls and children living in situations of poverty, violence, exploitation and fragility. After the first conversation in 2023, this new episode takes the story forward with Sara Memo, part of Women for Freedom, to understand what has changed, what has grown, and what still needs to be done. The conversation begins with the heart of the organisation itse...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with Laura from Maranteghe, a vintage and second-hand shop in Cannaregio where fashion becomes memory, identity and a small act of resistance. Founded by Miriam, Sara and Laura, Maranteghe was born during the pandemic, among wardrobes to reinvent, forgotten clothes to rescue and the desire to create something with meaning. What began as a shared passion between friends became, in spring 2024, a physical shop in Venice: a “covo”, a little den, fille...

Venice is a city that moves on water. Every day, thousands of residents, workers, students and visitors step onto a vaporetto without always thinking about what happens behind that simple act of getting from one stop to another. But in Venice, public transport is not a road, a bus lane or an underground line. It is the lagoon. It is the Grand Canal. It is tides, fog, wind, night shifts, crowded landing stages, sudden changes in weather, wave motion, and the constant responsibility of moving pe...

What does Venice smell like? In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with Joan Giacomin, Brand Ambassador for The Merchant of Venice, for a journey into the fragrant history of Venice. Together they explore how the city became a crossroads for rare ingredients, refined beauty, and perfume culture, and how scent offers a unique way to understand Venice beyond what we see. This conversation moves through history, trade, daily life, and memory, showing how perfume was woven into the sto...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica meets Shanti Ganesha, founder of Meracu, a contemporary leather workshop in Venice. We talk about the first moment leather felt like a language, the leap that led to opening a workshop in 2022, and how living between Venice and India shapes a design identity that feels built into every piece, not added on. From material to method, we explore how a hide is chosen, what certified vegetable tanned leather changes over time, and why some steps cannot be rush...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with Bryan Brazeau, Academic Director of the Warwick Venice Centre, to talk about what happens when a university and a city begin to think together. We explore Venice not as a setting, but as a working intellectual environment, and Warwick not simply as an institution abroad, but as a way of approaching knowledge through place, daily life, and lived experience. Episode key notes: What Warwick and Venice genuinely have in common beneath the surf...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with Sergio Vidal of Atelier Martina Vidal Venezia, a family atelier that has safeguarded the art of Burano lace for four generations. They talk about patience as a creative act, about heritage that does not live in museums but in the hands of artisans, and about the quiet strength required to carry an ancient craft into the present without losing its soul. This conversation moves through memory, responsibility, beauty, and the fragile power of th...

Beyond the Facade: Not Just Churches In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato sits down with Monica Gambarotto for an informal conversation that drifts away from the usual itineraries and into a quieter Venice. Together, they explore five churches that rarely make it onto must see lists, yet reveal something essential about the city. These are not monuments to rush through, but places shaped by neighborhoods, communities, silence, and time. This is a walk through Venice when the crowds...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato sits down with Matteo Seguso, Murano glass engraver, to explore the world of engraved glass, craftsmanship, and time. The conversation moves inside the workshop and the gesture. We talk about engraving as a language, about the discipline of the hand, and about what it means to carry a centuries-old craft into the present without turning it into nostalgia. From Murano to the international stage, this episode reflects on tradition as a living prac...

Venice never stands still. It simply changes rhythm. In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato sits down with Romena Brugnerotto to walk through Venice’s 2026 cultural calendar, one month at a time. From the first signs of Carnival to the quiet glow of Christmas, this conversation follows the city as it moves through exhibitions, festivals, celebrations, and shared rituals. No lists to memorise, no pressure to see everything. Just a clear, human overview of what will shape Venice in 202...

Venice is a museum without walls — but behind her doors, each palace tells a different story. In this episode, Monica takes you through the city’s most fascinating museums — places where beauty, history, and imagination still breathe. In this episode: 🕯️ Ca’ Rezzonico — the Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice, where frescoes, chandeliers, and candlelight revive the world of Tiepolo and Longhi. 🎭 Casa di Carlo Goldoni — the intimate home of Venice’s great playwright, filled with laughter, mari...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with Marco Cammozzo, founder of MC Leather, to explore the fascinating world of Venetian leather craftsmanship — where ancient techniques meet sustainable innovation. From the scent of tanned hides to the rhythm of skilled hands, Marco shares how his work blends tradition, creativity, and environmental awareness in a modern Venice that still beats with artisan spirit. ✨ Key points from the conversation: The story of MC Leather and its deep Vene...

Venice wears many masks — some glittering, some dark. In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with David Hewson, Philip Gwynne Jones, and Gregory Dowling, the brilliant minds behind the Venice Noir Festival. Together, they unravel how mystery, crime, and the haunting beauty of the lagoon intertwine to create a festival unlike any other. From the secret alleys that whisper of centuries past to the logistical labyrinth of organising a noir event in the world’s most theatrical city, thi...

🎙️ Episode Description In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica welcomes Giada Valenti, the Venetian-born singer whose career has brought the spirit of Venice and the language of love to audiences around the world. Known for her romantic voice and elegant stage presence, Giada shares the journey that took her from the quiet canals of her childhood to the bright lights of international stages. Together they talk about Venice as an endless source of inspiration, the universal power of music to con...

In this episode, Monica meets two extraordinary women who brought the rhythm of the East to the heart of the lagoon. Katerina, from Russia, and Regina, from Kazakhstan, met by chance in Venice — and chose to stay. Together, they created Venetians (By Choice and By Occasion), the very first Russian-language radio show on Radio Ca' Foscari. Their story is one of identity, migration, and transformation — a testament to how Venice can welcome, inspire, and redefine belonging in the most unexpecte...

In this special episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with journalist and CNN anchor Erica Hill, who recently hosted the powerful documentary Saving Venice as part of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. Together, they explore what it means to tell the story of a fragile, beloved city through an international lens. What happens when a global media giant turns its cameras on Venice? How does storytelling impact preservation? And what was it like, for Erica, to walk through the calli and can...

In this new episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato steps aboard Il Nuovo Trionfo and speaks with Martino Rizzi, one of the founding members of the Compagnia della Marineria Tradizionale Il Nuovo Trionfo. Together, they recount the extraordinary story of Venice’s last great trabaccolo — a sturdy cargo boat of the Adriatic, lovingly restored to sail once more thanks to passion, perseverance, and a deep love for the sea and the lagoon. ⚓ Key points you will discover in this episode: The inspirin...

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato sits down with Valeria Boncompagni, the creative force behind one of Venice’s most intimate and soulful jewelry ateliers. Nestled under the arcades of Piazza San Marco, Valeria's workshop is a sanctuary of emotion, craftsmanship, and timeless beauty. A master of the ancient lost-wax casting technique, Valeria doesn't just design jewelry—she sculpts feelings, memories, and personal stories into bronze and silver. Her pieces are not made to follow ...

In this captivating episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with internationally renowned artist Judi Harvest to explore the luminous, layered world she has built between Murano’s glass furnaces and Venice’s buzzing garden beehives. Judi shares how a brief trip to Venice decades ago became a lifelong journey — one that has shaped her art, her activism, and her sense of belonging. From collaborating with Murano glassmasters to creating installations that highlight the fragility of both nature ...

In this evocative episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks to Laura Pritchard, a British-born artisan who swapped the foggy landscapes of the UK for the light and tides of Venice. Today, Laura is one of the few women working as a maestra d’ascia, a traditional boatbuilder shaping the iconic vessels of the lagoon with age-old tools and timeless care. Together, they talk about what it means to embrace an ancient craft in a foreign land, how wood and water can become a language of belonging, and the...

In this episode of Venice Talks , we sit down with Cesare Peris , president of the historic Società di Mutuo Soccorso fra Carpentieri e Calafati , a unique Venetian institution rooted in solidarity, shipbuilding, and memory. 🔑 In this episode, we explore: The fascinating origins and mission of one of Venice’s oldest mutual aid societies Who the carpentieri e calafati were, and their essential role in the life of the Arsenale How the SMSCC has evolved through the centuries, adapt...