Context Walking Seminars Expands to Venice
Leading walking tour company recruits art historians and other scholars to lead “walking semina
AUGUST 10, 2007. "Several of our docents in Rome and Paris have spent considerable time in Venice, either doing research, working as interns at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, or simply participating in the biennale," says Context founder Paul Bennett. "As a result, we have strong ties with the academic community there."
Context has already recruited eight scholars in Venice and developed a series of didactic walking seminars that cover the main periods of Venetian art as well as a series of thematic walks that look at the city's social history and conservation. These include Venetian Renaissance I: the early years and Venetian Renaissance II: Titian and Tintoretto, a two-part walk led by such scholars as Dr. Susan Steer, Ph.D., a professor of art history at Warwick University (UK).
Context has also developed several orientation walks, based on the success of these in Rome and Paris, including Introduction to Venice and its popular Orientation Chat. Thematic walks include a half-day trip to Torcello, Burano, and Murano that sidesteps the over-touristed glass shops of Murano and looks at the fascinating Byzantine history of the islands. (Context finishes the seminar with a visit to a small, privately-owned glass shop.)
"Clients have been asking us about Venice for several years," says Jessica Stewart, an art historian who will be managing Context Venice. "We started organizing some walks on an ad-hoc basis months ago, and the results have been very satisfying."
Context started organizing private walks on a per-group basis in March. They will launch a full calendar of small-group walks (limited to 6 people max) sold on a per-person basis in September.
Context founder Paul Bennett has been in discussion with several experts and organizations in Venice to expand the programs of the Context Foundation for Sustainable Travel there. The Foundation is looking into several economic development projects aimed at retaining population and mitigating the impact of tourism.
Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and Lani Bevacqua, Context is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals-including art historians, writers, architects, and gastronomes-who organize and lead didactic walking seminars across five cities: Rome, Naples, Florence, Paris, and (now) Venice. In May 2007, Travel + Leisure named Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context Venice visit its website at: www.contextvenice.com
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