Venice, Italy: A Fantastic Place of Culture, Cuisine, and Color(a)|意大利威尼斯

by Brian Foden

For tourists, Venice and Burano have a lot of wonderful sights and tastes to offer.

　　With such a rich and expansive history, it's not surprising that Venice is known for its culture and cuisine. In terms of culture, one of the long traditions that Venetians have kept alive is the colorful and elaborate Carnival of Venice. It is believed that the tradition first started in the 12th century and continued for hundreds of years before being banned. The event was revived in 1979, when Italian government officials decided it was a good way to celebrate Venice's culture and history. Masks play an important role in the carnival, which begins each year about two months before Easter and lasts about two weeks.

　　In addition to the festivals, museums, galleries, and churches reveal a lot about Venice's culture. The impressive Doge's Palace is one of the city's most famous landmarks, and it provides visitors with a fascinating look into its past. Within the walls of this fine representation of Venetian Gothic architecture, tourists can admire the interesting interior while viewing paintings by famous artists. For those wanting to delve into the area's religious past, Venice features many churches throughout its landscape, with St. Mark's Basilica being the most famous of them all. It is another good example of Venice's stunning architecture.

　　Finally, everyone can enjoy the city's delicious cuisine, which has developed over the centuries. There are three distinct variations of Venetian food—some commonly found in coastal areas, specialties from the plains area, and food from the mountainous area of the Veneto region of northern Italy. Unsurprisingly, meals served in coastal areas consist largely of seafood. Meanwhile, grilled meat with polenta is popular on the plains. People in the mountainous areas often eat pork and game. Great food, a fascinating culture, and incredible architecture all make Venice a popular tourist destination.

 

意大利威尼斯：

一个兼具文化、美食和色彩的奇妙胜地 

对许多游客而言，威尼斯和布拉诺能提供给你众多精彩的景致与体验。

　　威尼斯拥有相当丰富且渊博的历史，其以文化和美食而远近驰名也就不足为奇了。在文化方面，威尼斯人流传至今的悠久传统之一，便是五彩缤纷而又经过精心设计的威尼斯嘉年华会。据说这项传统最早开始于十二世纪，而经过数百年之后却遭到了禁止。到了 1979 年，意大利政府官员认定这是一种庆祝威尼斯文化和历史的好方法，于是这项活动便重新复甦。面具在嘉年华会当中扮演了相当重要的角色，嘉年华会每年大约都会在复活节前两个月展开，并持续两个星期左右。

　　除了众多的庆典之外，博物馆、美术馆和教堂也展现了许多威尼斯的文化。令人印象深刻的总督府是该市最著名的地标之一，它让游客能够一窥其过去的迷人样貌。在这座充份展现出威尼斯哥德式建筑特色的建筑物内墙上，游客可以一边欣赏令人津津乐道的内部景观，一边观赏许多著名艺术家的画作。对于那些想要深入探索该地区宗教历史的人来说，威尼斯的特色便是教堂随处可见，其中又以圣马可大教堂的名气最为响亮。这是威尼斯令人惊艳建筑的另一绝佳例证。

　　最后，每个人都可以享用这座城市几个世纪以来所孕育出的美味佳肴。威尼斯的食物有三种不同的种类，有些食物普遍在沿海地区都可见到，特色菜则来自平原地区，另外就是来自意大利北部威尼托地区的山区美食。沿海地区所供应的食物主要是海鲜，这一点并不令人惊讶。同时，烧肉搭配玉米粥的吃法在平原地区相当受欢迎。居住在山区的人则经常食用猪肉及野味。美食、迷人的文化以及上乘的建筑在在都让威尼斯成为相当受欢迎的旅游景点。