Venice, a city steeped in a thousand years of history, art and architecture, teeters in precarious balance between endurance and decay. Its architectural treasures crumble--foundations shift, marble ornaments fall--even as efforts to preserve them are underway. This book opens in 1996, when a dramatic fire destroys the historic Fenice opera house, a catastrophe for Venetians. Arriving three days after the fire, Berendt becomes a kind of detective--inquiring...

This illustrated history of the gondola-its cultural significance and ingenious design-includes audio recordings of Venetian barcarole.   First used in medieval Venice as a getaway boat, the gondola evolved over the centuries from a floating pleasure palace for the Venetian elite, to a tourist favorite in the city. In Gondola, international bestselling author Donna Leon tells stories about the history of these boats. She discusses how all 280...

A young society woman's love for a common journalist presents her with an impossible decision: leave him or marry and face a life of poverty. Events take an unexpected twist when she befriends a lonely young heiress whose own tragic secret offers an irresistible but dangerous solution.