Fascinosa, Ancient Treasures ex Venice Return

7 Night Cruise sailing from Venice roundtrip aboard Costa Fascinosa.

Spectacular in every environment: Costa Fascinosa is the ship of glamour and elegance, of the great names of arthouse cinema and opera. A catwalk, a red carpet for the biggest stars of the theatre and of the most beautiful movies ever made: Gilda and Dottor Zhivago, Carmen and Marlene Dietrich. A refined lunch dedicated to Luchino Visconti or a sumptuous cocktail in the company of David Lynch: Costa Fascinosa will spark your passion at any time of the day and enchant you on every cruise you take.

Highlights of this cruise:

Venice
Venice is considered the city of art, romance and prestige. The extraordinary architecture was built on an archipelago of small islands separated by a network of canals crossed by approximately 400 bridges, once wooden and then replaced by stone.
The Grand Canal is the main city artery. It is crossed by three bridges and has the shape of an upside down "S" dividing the city in two parts and in their turn divided into six "sestieri" (districts): Cannaregio, San Marco and Castello on the left side; Santa Croce, San Polo and Dorsoduro on the right side of the canal. Water transport undoubtedly prevails over land travel, with gondolas, ships, ferries, and yachts serving as taxis to transport people and goods. There are few main roads and several small "calli" (narrow streets) developed along canals, "campi" (squares adjacent to churches), bell towers and "fondamenta" (streets along the canals) where motor vehicles are not allowed. Refugees from Spina Adria and Aquileia after the invasion of the Huns in the 5th century AD founded Venice.
The Doge under the protection of the Byzantine Empire governed it by "maritime tribunes" and later. In the 9th century the city became a very important commercial port, connecting the eastern and western markets through the Adriatic Sea. Its commercial power soon resulted in military power. Within a few years, Venice dominated all the east Adriatic coast, reaching the East, colonising the territories and conquering important markets, competing with Genoa and with the other Maritime Republics to assert its power.
The Turks chased the Venetians from many eastern colonies. The repercussions of the French Revolution affected this perfect aristocratic government where commerce and military power supported each other. In 1797 Venice was weak and after the Campoformio treaty, it was subject to Austria and subsequently annexed by Italy. The Grand Canal, offers a quick view of the most beautiful palaces in Venice: the Academia, the Cà d'Oro, the Casino, the palace of the Biennial, the University, the Chiesa della Salute and the popular Rialto bridge, up to Piazza San Marco where the canal opens into a wide area.
The square is the heart of Venice and its symbol. It is an architectural jewel and one of the most beautiful squares in Italy; a miracle built in trachyte and Istrian stone. In the past, religious and civil ceremonies took place in this square and also the famous Carnival. At its end there is the Basilica and the Clock Tower. The coffee bars and restaurants surrounding it are pleasant meeting places. Glass blowing is particularly interesting and takes place in the Island of Murano with several workshops expert in blown glass and artistic crystal manufacture. The manufacture of the so-called "murrine" is particularly difficult and beautiful.
These are art decorations where coloured glass is blown and cut inside glass globes with expertise and extraordinary precision. The manufacture of lace is also extraordinary. Several workshops continue to manufacture Venetian mirrors, made with ancient techniques, with silver plates on glass, enriched by glass frames with elegant shapes.

Santorini
One of the Cyclades islands, Santorini is a spectacular jewel of the Aegean. Born out of a volcanic eruption in approximately 1500BC, which formed the two islands of Aspronissi and Terrasia, Santorini is a magnificent mixture of dramatic cliffside villages, glorious black sand beaches and ancient treasures. Steep cliffs plunging into a crystalline sea distinguish the west coast, while the east coast is gentler, featuring a fertile plain and delicate bays, with the Profitis Ilias mountains in the background.
Archaeological investigations have shown that the 69 kilometres of coastline of Santorini was probably inhabited in prehistoric times, while the first chronicled civilisation to live on the island were the Phoenicians. Through the centuries the island continued to fall under different rulers, including the Spartans, Athenians, Byzantines and Turks. Commencing in 1967, ongoing excavations near the pink sand beach at Akrotiri have revealed the ruins of ancient Thera, the centre of population on the island before it was destroyed by the volcanic eruption.
Among the extensive remains are ceramics, stone and bronze tools, ornaments and small artworks. A series of frescoes suggest a highly-developed community and some researchers believe it is the site of the mythical lost city of Atlantis.
One of the prettiest spots on the island is the village of Oia, a network of narrow marble-paved alleys, lined with yellow and blue domed houses, and extraordinary views out to sea.

Rhodes
Rhodes history is full of legends and myths. It is one of the most important islands in the Mediterranean. According to mythology, the coast is the wedding present left to men by Helios who fell in love with the nymph Rhoda and dedicated the island and its beauty to her.
The Greeks could hardly have provided for a more creative description of the extraordinary natural beauty of the island. It is protected by three mountains which offer a pleasantly ventilated and mild climate to the coast and to the shore. Lush woods and a rich water supply make the island particularly rich and fertile especially in the northern part. Actually, there is a less mythological explanation for the grandeur of the island which in Greek time was as magnificent as Athens for its crucial strategical and commercial position.
The construction of one of the most renowned symbols of Rhodes is attributed to this period, the Colossus, a bronze statue 35-metres high, situated on a 10-metre stone basement at the entrance of the port. At the time, at least 80 thousand people lived there with a flourishing school of arts, rhetoric and philosophy. A terrible earthquake knocked the Colossus down and its remains were abandoned for almost one thousand years, when the Arabs collected, melt and sold them.
This event marked the end of Rhodes grandeur with a dramatic conclusion, due to the frequent invasions by the Turks and Arabs. The Knights of Malta occupied the island in 1300 for two centuries and built several works still evident today. The Turks reigned for a long time until in our contemporary age, the Italians settled there occupying it up to the end of the war renovating and connecting the main cities. Since 1948 Rhodes has belonged to Greece. The city is divided into two separate parts.
The northern part is modern and devoted to new tourist structures, the southern part is clearly medieval. In the medieval city (surrounded by a four-kilometre fenced perimeter) are the Knights Hospital and the Archaeological Museum with many remains of all the historical periods of the island. Not far from the Museum is the Seven Languages Residence and the Great Masters residence, a copy of the Pope's Palace in Avignon which was destroyed by the Turks and reconstructed by the Italians.
Lindos, 50 kilometres from Rhodes, is the most beautiful village in the island, with its narrow alleys and white houses. The majority of these houses preserved the external decorations dating back to the 15th century. The village is dominated by the Acropolis that was built on top of a hill. Here there are the remains of the sanctuary of Athena Linda temple, the remains of Propilei Colonnade and Dionysius temple.

Dubrovnik
A charming port by the Dalmatian coast, set in front of a picturesque hillside, Dubrovnik is one of the most attractive destinations on the Adriatic Riviera. It has been extensively restored since suffering during the Balkan hostilities of the 1990s and, some would say, is more beautiful now than ever. The city's style and architecture is strongly rooted in its historical Venetian and, to a lesser extent, Turkish influence. This part of the Dalmatian coast played a vital role in the success of the Venetian Republic.
The most attractive section of Dubrovnik is the old city, Stari Grad, lined with cobbled streets, fountains, museums and churches. Its Venetian heritage is apparent in the family names of many of the residents. The main division between the two sections of the old city is called 'stradun', a word of Venetian origin.
The largely intact city wall, some of which was built 700 years ago, is one of the finest examples of its kind in the world. The importance of religion in the city's past and present culture is reflected in a number of impressive Franciscan and Dominican convents and churches.

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