On 2 September 2025, Venice once again revealed its timeless vocation as a city of crossroads — where waters, peoples, and cultures converge. In the heart of the lagoon, three European Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe — Iter Vitis, Via Querinissima, and Destination Napoleon — came together to celebrate heritage, wine, and stories that shape Europe’s identity.
Venice, Beyond the Obvious
Behind its iconic canals and palaces, Venice hides another face: one where vineyards rise from islands, ancient grape varieties resist the tides, and traditions of trade and hospitality still echo. With the support of our partner Top Venice, Iter Vitis unveiled the Venice Wine Itinerary, guiding visitors beyond the crowded alleys toward a more authentic Venice — one of flavours, resilience, and biodiversity.
Among its treasures, the vineyard of Venissa on Mazzorbo island stands out. Here, a centuries-old grape variety once thought lost thrives again, a living emblem of cultural endurance in the fragile ecosystem of the lagoon.
Malvasia: A Journey Through Time
Venice’s history is inseparable from wine, and Malvasia has been at its heart for centuries. Ships once carried barrels of Malvasia into the Serenissima from across the Mediterranean, shaping tastes and trade. At this event, Iter Vitis proudly gathered the partners of the Malvasia Myth network, weaving the past into the present and reaffirming Venice as a hub of cultural and eno-gastronomic connections.
Cultural Routes, New Perspectives
Celebrating Cultural Routes in Venice is both a privilege and a responsibility. With the support of Roberto Ciambetti, President of Consiglio Regionale del Veneto, and a passionate network of partners, we showed that there is an alternative to mass tourism. An alternative built on knowledge, heritage, and sustainable experiences that invite travellers to slow down and discover.
Through the Cultural Routes, Venice offered unexpected perspectives:
- Iter Vitis opened the secret vineyards of the lagoon and the hidden corners where wine still tells its story.
- Via Querinissima revealed treasures like the Fra Mauro world map in the Biblioteca Marciana, testimony to Pietro Querini’s journey linking the Mediterranean with Northern Europe.
- Destination Napoleon unveiled the complex heritage of Bonaparte’s presence, a legacy imprinted in Venice’s art, architecture, and governance.
A Celebration of Encounters
For Iter Vitis, this gathering was also a moment of growth:
- presenting the signage of Venissa as an official Iter Vitis destination,
- showcasing the preview of the Vine Smap of Venice powered by Greener.eu,
- strengthening the Malvasia Myth network,
- and welcoming new partners such as Laura Riolfatto (Malvasia PopUp, Doks Cucchini), Francesco Molinari (AdriaticoMar), and Anna Alberati, alongside long-standing collaborators like Top Venice.
It was also a joy to reconnect with international friends and projects, including Roma to Sonoma / Layne Randolph, proving once again that the Cultural Routes are bridges that unite.
Watch the interviews and voices from the event here:
For Iter Vitis, this event marks a celebration of the past and an invitation to the future: to travel differently, to discover deeply, and to embrace wine as a story of land, people, and time.