A lovingly illustrated celebration of the Venetian art of "cristallo" focuses on this remarkable glasswork produced in five countries during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, using essays and photographs to highlight the aesthetic and social dimensions of this unique craft. 281 colour & 47 b/w illustrations

From Venetian Renaissance art to corner trattorias, dig into the city known as La Serrenissima ("Her Most Serene") with Moon Venice & Beyond. Explore In and Around the City: Get to know Venice's most interesting neighborhoods, like San Marco, Cannaregio, and Castello, and nearby areas, including Padua, Vicenza, Verona, the Dolomites, and more Go at Your Own Pace: Choose from tons of itinerary options designed for foodies, history buffs, art lovers, and more See the Sights: Gaze at the golden mosaics lining the ceiling of St. Mark's Basilica, step inside the grand Doge's Palace, walk across the Rialto Bridge, and take a gondola ride through the city's winding canals Get Outside the City: Linger in the colorful fishing village of Burano or the romantic city of Verona, and marvel at the Giotto frescoes in Padua Savor the Flavors: Sample traditional seafood dishes, unbeatable sweet treats, and classic cicchetti (a delicious assortment of finger foods) Experience the Nightlife: Relax at a canal-side bar, chat with locals as the wine decants at a rustic enoteca, and sip locally-produced Prosecco Get to Know the Real Venice: Follow local suggestions from Italian transplant Alexei Cohen Full-Color Photos and Detailed Maps Handy Tools: Background information on Venetian history and culture, plus tips on ethical travel, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around Day trip itineraries, favorite local spots, and strategies to skip the crowds: Take your time with Moon Venice & Beyond. Exploring more of Italy? Check out Moon Florence & Beyond or Moon Milan & the Italian Lakes.

Discover the captivating allure of Florida's Gulf Coast with "Sun, Sand, and Paradise: Exploring Sarasota and Venice Florida Beaches and Beyond." This comprehensive travel guide takes you on a memorable journey through the vibrant cities of Sarasota and Venice, offering a wealth of insider tips, must-visit attractions, and hidden gems that will make your vacation unforgettable. From stunning beaches and cultural landmarks to outdoor adventures and delectable dining, this guide is your ultimate companion to exploring two of Florida's coastal treasures. Inside you'll find: Sarasota's Pristine Beaches: Dive into the crystal-clear waters and powdery white sands of Sarasota's world-famous beaches, including Siesta Key Beach, Lido Key Beach, and Longboat Key. Learn about the best beach activities, water sports, and beachfront dining options. Cultural Gems: Immerse yourself in the rich arts and cultural scene of Sarasota, with highlights such as The Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota Opera, and various art galleries. Uncover the city's historical significance and architectural wonders. Venice's Old-World Charm: Explore the unique allure of Venice, a city reminiscent of its Italian namesake. Stroll through the historic downtown, lined with boutique shops, art studios, and charming cafes. Outdoor Adventures: Embark on thrilling outdoor escapades in Sarasota and Venice. From kayaking through mangrove tunnels to birdwatching at the Myakka River State Park, this guide offers an array of nature-centric activities for adventurers of all ages. Family-Friendly Fun: Make cherished memories with your family at Sarasota and Venice's family-friendly attractions. Experience the Ringling Museum of Art and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. Delectable Dining: Savor the culinary delights of the Gulf Coast highlighting seafood shacks, waterfront restaurants, and international cuisine options. Day Trips and Excursions: Venture beyond Sarasota and Venice with a list of exciting day trips to nearby destinations. Whether you seek a relaxing beach retreat, a cultural escapade, or thrilling outdoor adventures, the "Sun, Sand, and Paradise: Exploring Sarasota and Venice Florida Beaches and Beyond" is your passport to an enriching experience along Florida's enchanting Gulf Coast and promises to be a comprehensive and insightful companion.

?Soul of the age!? Ben Jonson eulogized Shakespeare, and in the next breath, ?He was not of an age but for all time.? That he was both ?of the age? and ?for all time? is, this book suggests, the key to Shakespeare?s comic genius. In this engaging introduction to the First Folio comedies, Paul A. Olson gives a persuasive and thoroughly engrossing account of the playwright?s comic transcendence, showing how Shakespeare, by taking on the great themes of his time, elevated comedy from a mere mid-level literary form to its own form of greatness?on par with epic and tragedy. Like the best tragic or epic writers, Shakespeare in his comedies goes beyond private and domestic matters in order to draw on the whole of the commonwealth. He examines how a ruler?s or a court?s community at the household and local levels shapes the politics of empire?existing or nascent empires such as England, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Venice, and the Ottoman Empire or part empires such as Rome and Athens?where all their suffering and silliness play into how they govern. In Olson?s work we also see how Shakespeare?s appropriation of his age?s ideas about classical myth and biblical scriptures bring to his comic action a sort of sacral profundity in keeping with notions of poetry as ?inspired? and comic endings as more than merely happy but as, in fact, uncommonly joyful.

Beyond Control reveals the Mississippi as a waterway of change, unnaturally confined by ever-larger levees and control structures. During the great flood of 1973, the current scoured a hole beneath the main structure near Baton Rouge and enlarged a pre-existing football-field-size crater. That night the Mississippi River nearly changed its course for a shorter and steeper path to the sea. Such a map-changing reconfiguration of the country’s largest river would bear national significance as well as disastrous consequences for New Orleans and towns like Morgan City, at the mouth of the Atchafalaya River. Since 1973, the US Army Corps of Engineers Control Complex at Old River has kept the Mississippi from jumping out of its historic channel and plunging through the Atchafalaya Basin to the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond Control traces the history of this phenomenon, beginning with a major channel shift around 3,000 years ago. By the time European colonists began to explore the Lower Mississippi Valley, a unique confluence of waterways had formed where the Red River joined the Mississippi, and the Atchafalaya River flowed out into the Atchafalaya Basin. A series of human alterations to this potentially volatile web of rivers, starting with a bend cutoff in 1831 by Captain Henry Miller Shreve, set the forces in motion for the Mississippi’s move into the Atchafalaya Basin. Told against the backdrop of the Lower Mississippi River’s impending diversion, the book’s chapters chronicle historic floods, rising flood crests, a changing strategy for flood protection, and competing interests in the management of the Old River outlet. Beyond Control is both a history and a close look at an inexorable, living process happening now in the twenty-first century.

This volume was first published by Inter-Disciplinary Press in 2016. The ten essays which make up this volume create a delectable salad, which stands out both in taste and appeal, through a multifarious exploration of themes enriching the all-inclusive discourse on food. Rather than reiterating the debates that have been hashed and re-hashed in various disciplines, the essays compiled here explore novel ideas and spark unique discussions regarding the situatedness of food in everyday life using parameters such as culture, identity, space and taste. Employing unique inter- and intra-disciplinary methodologies and critical approaches, each article explores the evolution of definitions of food, cuisine and foodways and focuses on the ways in which discussions about food have moved beyond the superficial – food as a means of survival – to play a role in economic, social, political, cultural and ideological realms. By transcending boundaries of discipline, methodology and interest areas, this compilation will appeal to the tastes of anyone interested in food.

In this groundbreaking book, Monica Chojnacka argues that the women of early modern Venice occupied a more socially powerful space than traditionally believed. Rather than focusing exclusively on the women of noble or wealthy merchant families, Chojnacka explores the lives of women—unmarried, married, or widowed—who worked for a living and helped keep the city running through their labor, services, and products. Among Chojnacka's surprising findings is the degree to which these working women exercised control over their own lives. Many headed households and even owned their own homes; when necessary, they also took in and supported other women of their families. Some were self-employed, while others had jobs outside the home. They often moved freely about the city to conduct business, and they took legal action in the courts on their own behalf. On a daily basis, Venetian women worked, traveled, and contested obstacles in ways that made the city their own.