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VENETO
“Onor de boca tanto el val e poco el costa”
(Honor of the mouth costs nothing, but has unlimited value)
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Veneto or Venetia (Vèneto), is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast area of the boot. While it was once the cradle of the renowned Venetian Republic, today Veneto is among the wealthiest and most industrialized regions of Italy. It is also the most visited area of Italy, with over 60 million tourists every year, many of whom visited the capital city, Venice.
A Brief History
Vèneto takes its name from the population that first occupied this territory roughly around 1000 B.C., These tribes came from Central Asia along with other indoeuropean populations. The literal word meaning of Veneto is “noble” or also “shining”. Venice's history as an autonomous state began some time during the early middle ages, and began to thrive thereafter.
During the 15th century, Venice made huge conquests on the mainland.
Venice was also able to survive through the time through diplomatic skill, by adapting her trade to the new conditions created by the opening of the ocean trade routes, and by developing her manufacturing industry, which ensured continued prosperity.
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Language
The grammatical
structure is clearly of Latin origin, while the vocabulary of the Venet
language is also rich in words of other etimologies, as its ancestors included
the ancient Venetic people. These people became tributaries of Imperial Rome,
and brought the Latin language to Venetia. The people of Veneto
speak two languages today, Italian & Venet.
To learn some Venetian
click on the link below.
(Type the English word
into search English and you will receieve the Venetian translation!)
http://www.elgalepin.com/
*Ask your
waiter what "SAOR" means and receive a free homemade dessert!
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| THE OFFICIAL FLAG OF VENETO |
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Official Flag
The official flag of
Vèneto is yellow, red, blue: minor parts of the flag are green and brown.The
Winged Lion that appears in the flag belongs to the most Serene Republic of
Venice. The yellow and red colors date back to that times also. The blue
representing the sky and the sea has been a typical color of Veneto. In fact,
in ancient times Venetum was already a synonym of blue «Blavum seu Venetum
colorem» while green and brown represent the fields and the
mountains.
The winged lion, the
symbol of St.Mark who is the historical protector of the Rep. of Venice, is
positioned as controlling the fields, mountains, sea and sky. He holds an open
book with the inscription Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus (Peace be with You,
Mark, my Evangelist), the words with which an angel is said to have greeted
Mark when during a storm he found shelter on an island of the Venetian
lagoon.
The seven tails of the
flag symbolize the seven provinces of Veneto: Belluno, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso,
Venezia, Verona and Vicenza.The official flag of Veneto represents all the
people living in Veneto regardless of their political bias and must not be
confused with the red-yellow flag of the city of Venice: it has six tails (representing
the Sestieri, six quarters of the city).
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| THE FLAG OF SERENISSIMA REP.OF VENICE |
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| VENETO MAP |
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Regional Production
Veneto is an important wine growing area. Among the best wines produced are:
Soave, Bardolino, Recioto, Amarone, Torcolato, Prosecco, Tocai Rosso, Gargenega, and Valpolicella.
After making wine, the alcohol of the pressed grapes is distilled to produce Grappa.
The best-known cheeses of Veneto include the following:
Asiago (from Asiago), Monte Veronese, Piave, Morlacco, Grana Padano.
Radicchio Rosso di Treviso is a peculiar vegetable with a faintly bitter taste and a crunchy texture. It is commonly used in risotto dishes and has a high starch content.
The town of Marostica is very famous for its cherries.
(you can look for these in our special dessert! YUM!)
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Traditions
“Carnevale di Venezia”
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The first Carnival of Venice was recorded in 1268 and is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, on Fat Tuesday. Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian Carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them starting the day after Christmas all the way until Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday). Nowadays, Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Fat Tuesday (or Mardi Gras!). This is a celebration people flock to from all parts of the world and is quite an exciting event to see. We highly recommend that if you are ever in Italy during February, you MUST attend Carnevale!
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