Consul Smith’s Palazzo

by | Apr 5, 2023 | Architecture, Art, History

View of the Rialto Bridge from the front of Joseph Smith's palazzo. I’ve been doing some research on Joseph Smith (c. 1674-1770): an Englishman who moved to Venice around 1700, where he established himself as a collector of rare books and paintings. In 1744 he...

Death in Venice

by | Apr 4, 2023 | History, Opera

"Rehearsal of an Opera" by Marco Ricci (c. 1709). Catherine Tofts is in the foreground dressed in white. For most people, a trip to Venice involves taking a ride in a gondola, posing for photos on the Rialto bridge and eating gelato. For my husband and I, it also...