Fusina (Venice), Italy
Where time drifts, beauty lingers and magic is always just around the bend.
With its quiet canals, marble palaces and air of mystery that never quite settles, Venice feels like a place born from a dream—only somehow more vivid. No roads. No cars. Just water, stone, light and the constant sound of oars gently carving through time.
Thanks to Somma’s rare overnight stay in La Serenissima, you’ll experience Venice the way it was meant to be seen—not rushed from a cruise port but slowly, intimately… as it glows under the moon and wakes with the dawn.
“Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.”
— Truman Capote
Highlights
There is no arrival quite like Venice. Sailing into Fusina places you at the edge of a city unlike any other—where canals replace streets, palaces lean over the water and every bridge feels like a passage into another story. Known for centuries as La Serenissima, Venice is both fragile and eternal, a masterpiece of art, architecture, and imagination built atop the sea.
Here, history and beauty weave together effortlessly. St. Mark’s Basilica dazzles with its golden mosaics, while the Doge’s Palace whispers of intrigue and empire. Gondolas glide silently through narrow canals, their reflections shimmering in the ripples of lantern light. The Rialto Bridge bustles with energy, while quiet campos offer shade and espresso.
Venice is not just a city to see—it’s a city to feel. The hush of dawn on the lagoon, the glow of sunset over the Grand Canal, the thrill of wandering without destination. Every corner reveals another layer of wonder, making Venice the perfect crescendo to your Adriatic journey.
Doge’s Palace
Venice’s heartbeat lives in this gilded Gothic masterpiece by the lagoon. Once the power center of the Venetian Republic, the Doge’s Palace was home to the elected leader of the Serenissima and housed both government and justice. Originally built in the 9th century and reborn in the 14th, its limestone façades, ornate arches and the famous Porta della Carta reveal centuries of architectural evolution.
Step inside to walk through rooms of astonishing beauty and significance. The Great Council Chamber alone symbolizes Venetian glory—its ceiling murals, painted by masters like Veronese and Tintoretto and the enormous Il Paradiso canvas behind the Doge’s throne, deliver art and politics in dazzling harmony. From the opulent Golden Staircase to the hidden chambers of the Council of Ten, every corner whispers tales of intrigue and power.
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is Venice’s main artery, a sweeping S-shaped waterway lined with palaces, churches, and stories that span centuries. Once the showplace of the Venetian elite, its banks are still a gallery of Gothic windows, Renaissance façades and baroque balconies that rise directly from the water. Every curve reveals another masterpiece—each one a reminder of the city’s wealth, ambition, and artistry.
To travel the Grand Canal is to experience Venice at its most alive. Gondolas drift alongside vaporetti and sleek water taxis, while the Rialto Bridge arches gracefully across its midpoint. By day, sunlight dances on rippling waves and illuminates the palazzi in soft gold. By night, lanterns glow on the water, and the reflections of marble and light make the canal shimmer like a dream.
St. Mark’s Basilica
Crowning Piazza San Marco, the basilica is Venice’s most dazzling treasure—a masterpiece of Byzantine splendor built to honor the city’s patron saint. Its domes gleam above the square, while the façade shimmers with mosaics that tell centuries of sacred stories. Step inside and you’re enveloped in golden light: over 8,000 square meters of mosaics cover the walls and ceilings, reflecting faith, artistry and Venice’s role as a crossroads of East and West.
Beneath its beauty lies history. Relics of St. Mark rest within, brought from Alexandria in the 9th century, and every arch and column speaks to Venice’s ambition as a maritime power. Yet the basilica is not just a monument—it is a living place of worship, where the echoes of chants and the glow of candles create an atmosphere both intimate and awe-inspiring.
Rialto Bridge
Spanning the Grand Canal in a single elegant arch, the Rialto Bridge is Venice’s oldest and most iconic crossing. Built in the late 16th century, it replaced a wooden drawbridge that had long been the commercial heart of the city. Its graceful stone arcades are lined with shops selling jewelry, glass and souvenirs, echoing the days when merchants once traded spices and silks here from across the world.
From its crest, the view is pure Venice—gondolas gliding below, palaces rising from the water and the life of the canal unfolding in every direction. By day, the Rialto bustles with energy, a lively marketplace in motion. By night, when the lights of the city shimmer across the water, it feels timeless, a symbol of Venice’s beauty and resilience.
Teatro La Fenice
Few theaters in the world carry a name so fitting. La Fenice—“The Phoenix”—has risen from fire more than once in its long history, each time reclaiming its place as Venice’s temple of music and opera. Originally opened in 1792, it hosted premieres by Verdi, Rossini, Bellini and countless others who helped shape the art form itself.
Step inside and the name makes sense instantly. The gilded balconies, velvet seats and sweeping chandelier glow with elegance, while the stage remains alive with some of the world’s greatest performances. Even after devastating fires in 1836 and 1996, La Fenice was meticulously rebuilt, each detail restored so that stepping into the theater feels like stepping into the heart of Venice’s cultural soul.
Why I Love Venice
Venice… I mean, where do I begin? There’s no place like it in the world. The silence of the canals at night. The glow of lanterns on wet stone. The feeling you get when you lose yourself in a maze of alleys and emerge into a sunlit piazza where someone’s playing violin like it’s a love letter.
One of my favorite things to do here? Simply sit along the Grand Canal with a glass of prosecco and watch. Watch the boats, the bridges, the quiet motion of life in a city where time moves at the speed of water. Then—when the stars come out and the music drifts across St. Mark’s Square—that’s when the real Venice reveals itself.
This overnight stay is more than a stop… It's a gift.
Come Aboard Somma
Where every day brings a new horizon, every night a new memory and every journey feels like it was made just for you.
