GIARDINI DELLA BIENNALE

Description

Essentials about the Giardini della Biennale in brief

Both art and park lovers should make their way to the Giardini della Biennale (Gardens of the Biennale) when visiting Venice. Located in the Castello district of eastern Venice, the gardens are known to art lovers from around the world as the venue for the world-famous Biennale of Venice art exhibition, which is held every two years. Those who visit Venice in a Biennale-free year or simply want to stroll in the greenery should likewise visit the Giardini della Biennale. They are one of the few places in Venice where you can stroll among trees.

The Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious international art exhibitions in the world. It has been held every two years since 1895, making it the oldest Biennale in the world. The main exhibition venue is the Giardini della Biennale, where 30 national art pavilions have been set up for the countries that are constantly participating. Several dozen other countries, which could not build their own pavilions in the Giardini due to the scarcity of building land, exhibit their artists in rented spaces scattered throughout the city during the Biennale. Independently of the country representations, there is a thematic exhibition in the Venetian Arsenal put together by curators.

Over the decades, the Biennial art exhibition has been supplemented by other festivals. Since 1930 there has been a music festival, since 1932 the world-famous film festival, since 1934 a theater festival and since 1999 a festival of contemporary dance. The aforementioned festivals, unlike the Art Biennale, take place every year. There has also been an architecture biennial since 1980. While the Art Biennale takes place in even years, the Architecture Biennale is held in odd years.

The gardens of the Giardini della Biennale

The Giardini della Biennale were created at the beginning of the 19th century under Napoleon Bonaparte, who had a marshy area in the east of the city drained to create a public park. Scattered around the garden today are the 30 permanent pavilions of the countries permanently participating in the Biennale, some of them designed by world-famous architects. Works by artists from the respective countries are exhibited in the pavilions during the Biennale.

For those who don’t care much for art and prefer to walk in the greenery, the Giardini della Biennale is one of the few opportunities in Venice to stretch your legs in the greenery. Cat fans will also get their money’s worth in the gardens. The Gardens of the Biennale are famous for their many roaming furry tigers.