Pronounce Venezia, Ve·ne·zia (va-netzia):

As we sail along to our final Bella Divina destination, we arrive in the City of the Waters,  Venice. When arriving in Venice, you may feel like you are back in time. Indeed, you are seeing the “City of Bridges” just as it was centuries ago. Without streets and cars to place you in a modern era, you are left with the gentle waters, bobbing gondolas and winding walkways. Oh sure, a motor boat or vaporetto (water taxi) may throw you off every now and then, but for the most part, Venice has an timeless elegance that is unmatched.

Aside from the city itself, Venice is perhaps most well known for it’s Carnival and artisan glass. As with most ceremonies and festivals, Carnival started because of a religious holiday. In this case, in celebration of the day before lint. A far more elite Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, if you will. It is said to have started in 1296 and continued as an official celebration (having turned into a celebration  of the pride of Venice and it’s culture), through the Renaissance and into 1791, when the republic fell due to the Austrian occupation.

Until about 1979, Carnival was celebrated mainly by children, similar to Halloween, with costumes and parties. Funny, isn’t it, how an event and it’s costumes are so synonymous with Venice, yet really, up until about 20  years ago, it was something we only knew from books and movies.

Why did Carnival resume, you ask? Well, as someone once said, “It takes a village to raise a child” and apparently, the teenagers of Venice, who we normally would imagine to be sophisticated and erudite, skilled in gastronomy and fine manners, were becoming, how you say, rowdy. The celebration was so successful, it continued, and, horror, tourists began to arrive, and arrive, and arrive. If there is one thing Venetians really just tolerate, it’s tourists. And yet, it is essential to the city’s financial well-being.

Another factor that brings tourists to Venice, is the aforementioned Venetian Glass. The actual authentic glass blowing facilities are not on the island of Venice. In 1291, glassblowers were moved and confined to Murano , due to the risk of fire. Murano glass chandeliers, mirrors, beads, et al, became famous throughout Europe. Because of the financial boon and reputation this prized skill brought to the city, the glassblowing process was a highly guarded secret. Both the trade and the secret were so valuable that, although the glassblowers rose to prominent social status and mingled with the elite, they were officially not allowed to leave Venice.

With Murano maintaining a monopoly on superior glass for centuries and continually inventing exquisite technique and technologies, that are still used today, the Venetian glassblowers were a highly sought after commodity throughout Europe. In fact, The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was crafted by Venetian artisans. The glassblowers themselves were anxious to expand and take advantage of the demand. Some of the craftsmen took the risk, and quality glassblowing spread throughout Europe and beyond. And yet, Murano and Venice still have the most historical and famous glass brand in the world.

But what has all this got to do with flowers? And the fragrances of Bella Divina? Well, as you can tell, Venice is not exactly know for her gardens. So, how would I associate a flower with this magical city?

Venice was first regarded by the Romans as a fishing lagoon. The 118 islands that make up Venice, evolved into a major port city and became a leader in the commerce of exotic spices, silks and grain. This is where Marco Polo sails into the picture (sorry, couldn’t resist). Before he became a well-know summertime pool game, Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant. His claim to fame, however, is his 24 year sailing expedition to Asia. He embarked on these travels with his father and uncle, when Marco was just 17. You can imagine all the treasures he returned with. One such treasure was the Wong-shi flower. A rare flower similar to a gardenia. It was valued in the Orient and Venice as a “love potion”. Yes, you may well fall for it’s deep, rich, not too-sweet, exotic floral fragrance. We have tried to recreate the essence of this flower in our Venezia fragrance. Let us know if it cast it’s spell.

Allow me to leave you with my favorite memory of Venice. My sister and I were racing for the boat to Murano, thinking we were going to miss it. Trying to catch our breath and buying a ticket, the agent smiled and said…”You are in Venice, leave time behind.” That was over 10 years ago. I think of it at least one a week.

Can’t decide which fabulous Bella Divina product to try in our Venezia fragrance? No worries, pick up a sampler. It contains our foaming body wash, silky lotion, lush lip balm and aromatic candle, all  packaged in a gift or travel ready pack..with our signature diamond charm, of course!

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 25th, 2009 at 9:46 am and is filed under product. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.