History of Love in Venice Italy (2024)

Sculpture Procuraties Nuove Saint-Mark

Romanticism and eroticism, sacred love or secular love, Cupid reigns supreme here, always ready to shoot his arrows of intoxicating perfumes.

By speaking about eroticism and debauchery, it is natural to think of Giacomo Casanova or perhaps Giorgio Baffo and of course the very Venetian tradition of the courtesans, often well-read enlightened women.

They cannot either forget the other local tradition, that of sigisbée beau for the wife with the consent of the husband, often older than her and whom, rather than not to know where his wife would be satisfied, prefers knowing she is in familiar and more controllable arms.

Molmenti, in the study of Venetian morals, introduces to us the Grand Canal, at sunset the spring:

“Venice, city of love, who would doubt it! Love affairs and famous lovers, the entire history of Venice is intimately linked to Cupid.

Romanticism and eroticism, sacred love or secular love, Cupid reigns supreme here, always ready to shoot his arrows of intoxicating perfumes.

By speaking about eroticism and debauchery, it is natural to think of Giacomo Casanova or perhaps Giorgio Baffo and of course the very Venetian tradition of the courtesans, often well-read enlightened women.

They cannot either forget the other local tradition, that of sigisbée beau for the wife with the consent of the husband, often older than her and whom, rather than not to know where his wife would be satisfied, prefers knowing she is in familiar and more controllable arms. ”
Molmenti

“The patricians were often accompanied by their housemaids, and they exchanged with the gentlemen, who followed them on another gondola, with winks and of smiles, tying intrigues of love on this unique "street" of the world, between palaces of brown marble, water and the sky in smiling colors.

At night, serenades went through the Grand Canal, and they saw smart feminine faces taking shape on the luminous balconies.”
Molmenti – translated from “Vie Privée à Venise 1882”

The famous love affairs of George Sand with Alfred de Musset, Lord Byron, Gabrielle d' Annunzio and many others else, gave their loving letters of nobility to Venice.

Here is what she said of love, George Sand while staying in Venice, in one letterfrom June 25th, 1834 to her friend Émile Paultre:

“Life is the most beautiful thing of the world when one loves, and most hateful when one ceases loving.

In my opinion, love is everything [...] the true love, it is when the heart, the spirit and the body understand each others and embrace together.”
George Sand