The University of Ca’ Foscari of Venice – Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage (professor Stefano Riccioni) and the Department of Asian and North African Studies (professor Sabrina Rastelli) is continuing the project “Itineraries in the Venetian bestiary”, started since 2019 and subsequently included in the projects of Third Mission/Public Engagement of the university, with the partnership of the Direzione Regionale Musei Veneto.

The purpose of the project consists in introducing natives and tourists to a deeper knowledge of the city through itineraries bases on Medieval and modern bestiary, that is, on stories about animals living in the calli and the campi of the city and the most important museum collections in Venice.

The synergy between the University departments, the Direzione Regionale Musei Veneto and the involvement of students and graduates has led to the publication on the web site https://www.unive.it/web/it/2190/home of nine thematic itineraries: five itineraries have been developed outside with a few steps inside churches and museums; four itineraries develop inside the Museum of Oriental Art and the Museum of Palazzo Grimani.

These itineraries have been experimented during Venetonight, the European night of Research, when students and graduates used to take visitors to special routes, including works of the main Venetian collections.

The project has also involved the Istituto Comprensivo Dante Alighieri during the presentation of the itineraries and of the symbolism connected to the animal world in Art.

The project aims at approaching people visiting Venice to a better knowledge of the artistic heritage of the city, promoting the territory and its sustainability, and enforcing the connection with the local museums which, through their unusual and attractive collections, will be able to draw attention of a larger number of visitors.