Are there gardens in Venice? In a city where water is the dominant factor and space is at a premium, this question will appear a strange one, especially to the tourist visiting Venice for the first time. This unique city presents such an unreal external face that any notion that it may also contain a number of delightful “secret” gardens will seem highly improbable, even impossible. However, many small green areas do exist, hidden behind walls protecting the privacy of many of the city's inhabitants. This immensely useful and informative book will enable its readers to unlock many doors and allow them to locate these “secret” places in Venice where the gardens have tended to become a synonym for private space. In a city built on water, these gardens, while bringing considerable prestige to those lucky enough to own them, do assume a particular importance and pose a special challenge for the people entrusted with their continued upkeep and maintenance. Secret Gardens in Venice also contains a collection of writings about Venice by authors past and present as well as historical notes and personal impressions by travelers down the ages. The text is further enhanced throughout by the inclusion of an outstanding collection of color photographs each bringing to life the many lesser known parts of a city whose unique qualities are rightly famed throughout the world.