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Venice Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Venice Quizzes, Trivia

Venice Trivia

Venice Trivia Quizzes

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"White swan of cities slumbering in thy nest . . . White phantom city, whose untrodden streets are rivers, and whose pavements are the shifting shadows of the palaces and strips of sky."

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Venice"
4 Venice quizzes and 40 Venice trivia questions.
1.
  Venice   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A short, basic quiz on Venice - one of the most visited and admired cities in Italy.
Average, 10 Qns, bloomsby, Apr 09 15
Average
bloomsby gold member
3918 plays
2.
  Venice, City of Saint Mark   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Venice is my choice as the most beautiful and most interesting city in the world. This is my quiz about the city with special attention to her patron saint, St. Mark.
Tough, 10 Qns, griffinj, Dec 22 10
Tough
griffinj
1053 plays
3.
  Bella Venezia    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Venice is one of the most beautiful, and most fascinating, cities on earth today. Find out how much you know about the "City of Light" in this quiz!
Average, 10 Qns, Jedi_Padawan, Sep 23 13
Average
Jedi_Padawan
598 plays
4.
  Venice, Queen of the Adriatic    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Leave your gondola and come with me to tour a unique city, a living monument to what humanity can achieve.
Average, 10 Qns, Fiachra, Nov 19 11
Average
Fiachra
1206 plays

Venice Trivia Questions
1. The city of Venice is built on an artificially made island. What animal is the island shaped like?

From Quiz Bella Venezia

Answer: fish

The island of Venice is shaped roughly like a fish, although you cannot tell this unless you see a picture taken from the air. The island's foundation is made of wood piles, clay, and sand; efforts are underway to stop Venice's gradual sinking into the sea.

2. The ruler of Venice was called the Doge (pronouced doej). What other city/state in Italy was led by a Doge?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: Genoa

The word 'doge' is from the Latin word 'dux', the same root as the English word 'duke'.

3. What is the Italian name for Venice?

From Quiz Venice

Answer: Venezia

It's always useful to know the names of places in the local language (or languages).

4. One of the most famous sites in Venice is St. Mark's Basilica, which was built in the 11th century A.D. and is one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture still standing. For what kind of art is the Basilica best known?

From Quiz Bella Venezia

Answer: mosaics

The golden mosaics cover the interior ceilings and upper walls of the Basilica, and are also located on the front of the outside. The mosaics depict scenes from the life of St. Mark, as well as other Biblical stories.

5. Stay at the rear of the crowd to give yourself a chance to see and photograph the portico. Where would you find the portico?

From Quiz Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

Answer: Entrance

The mosaic is dedicated to the Book of Genesis, in the Bible. It is built on a series of concentric circles so that it fits into the dome. The theme details the creation of the sky, sea, animals and man. It concludes with the banishment of man from Paradise. So many rush in they miss that.

6. Automobiles are not allowed in Venice; instead, all travel is done by foot or by water. What name is given to the popular "water buses" that serve as Venice's primary public transportation system?

From Quiz Bella Venezia

Answer: Vaporetti

These water buses, called vaporetti (singular: vaporetto), transport locals and tourists alike to places all over Venice and the nearby islands. The #1 and #2 vaporetto routes run up and down the Grand Canal, stopping along the way at famous sites such as the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square.

7. Why did the first Venetians choose to build their city on so many small islands?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: To protect themselves from invading armies.

There were small settlements on the Venetian lagoon from earliest times. But the great influx of population came during the various invasions of the fifth and sixth centuries, especially that of the Lombards in 569. The many small islands were an easily defensible refuge from both land and sea.

8. Mind your step as you climb the stairs to the quadriga, or "statues of four __"?

From Quiz Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

Answer: Horses

This was brought from Constantinople after the famous 1204 Venetian victory. It is the only one of its kind left in the world and details the four horses used to pull a chariot. The original horses on the steps are made of white marble and were deteriorating due to environmental conditions. They are now displayed inside. The horses you can see outside now are bronze copies.

9. After which saint is the Basilica (Cathedral) and the large square in front of it called?

From Quiz Venice

Answer: St Mark

The Basilica and St Mark's Square are at the very heart of the city. Like St Mark, Venice has traditionally been associated with lions. The square has been altered many times but still has a harmonious appearance and has been given all kinds of descriptions, such as 'the finest open air drawing-room in Europe'.

10. The Basilica of San Marco is one of the great sights of Venice, the oldest parts date from the 800's. But it has only been a cathedral (the home church of a bishop or higher prelate) since 1807. What was it before that?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: The chapel of the Doge's Palace

As grand as it is, until less than two hundred years ago San Marco was officialy the private chapel of the Palace of the Doges. It can be compared to the Chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle.

11. Which church was the cathedral of the diocese of Venice before San Marco?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: San Pietro in Castello

San Pietro in Castello was the cathedral of Venice from the tenth century until Venice was conquered by Napoleon. It is a very handsome church, but it is located in what were then the suburbs of Venice, and is nowhere as grand as the Doge's San Marco's. A none-to-subtle indication of where the power lay in Venice.

12. On which sea is Venice?

From Quiz Venice

Answer: The Adriatic

Economically, Venice faced eastwards, as it were, to the eastern Mediterranean and beyond, to the Black Sea and Asia.

13. Saint Mark will always be associated with Venice, his symbol is seen everywhere in the city. What is it?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: A winged lion, usually holding a book.

Each of the four Evangelists; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, has his own symbol. They are an angel, a winged lion, a winged ox and an eagle, respectively. Usually they are seen as a set of four. But in Venice Mark's lion stands by himself virtually everywhere.

14. What is the name of the widest (and most celebrated) Venetian canal that winds its way through the whole length of the city?

From Quiz Venice

Answer: Canal Grande

This canal is about two miles long and has an average width of about 75 feet. The richest and most influential Venetians built their palaces and mansions along this canal. It has only three bridges. (Incidentally, in Venice, 'rio' refers to a small canal, not river).

15. This is the Hall of the College, which battle is commemorated above the Doge's chair?

From Quiz Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

Answer: Lepanto

This section was destroyed by fire in 1577 and on being re-built it became the most elaborate in the building. It was decorated by Veronese and Tintoretto.

16. From 679 to 1797 B.C. Venice was the capital of the Republic of Venice, a nation-state that encompassed a large area surrounding Venice and parts of what are now Croatia and Slovenia. By what nickname is this republic often known?

From Quiz Bella Venezia

Answer: La Serenissima

The Italian name is "Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia," translated to "Most Serene Republic of Venice." "La Serenissima" is a shortening of the Italian name, and is frequently used to refer to the Republic of Venice.

17. The (supposed) body of Saint Mark came to Venice when it was smuggled away from the Saracens of what city?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: Alexandria

Venetian merchants smuggled the body of St. Mark out of the Saracenic (Muslim) city of Alexandria by putting it in a great cask labeled 'pork'. As contact with pork is forbidden by Muslim law, the Egyptian customs officers did not check inside.

18. What is the main source of income for Venice?

From Quiz Venice

Answer: Tourism

Tourism of various kinds has been very important for a long time. Venice was one of the key places on the traditional Grand Tour, and even before that a visit to Venice was considered important for those aspiring to be 'Renaissance men or women'. In the 1990s the number of tourists reached levels where they constituted an environmental problem. Some of the paths were made one-way only, for example, as the sheer number of tourists led to severe congestion in some parts of the city in the summer. Glassware, handmade to a very quality indeed, has been an important industry for many centuries, too. Venice has also been home to many painters, both native and from other parts of Italy and the world. The city also hosts the Biennale, which is one of the leading international festivals for the arts and includes the Venice Film Festival.

19. The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (usually just called the Chiesa dei Frari) houses one of the greatest paintings by Titian, a 16th century Venetian painter. What is the subject of this religious painting?

From Quiz Bella Venezia

Answer: The assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven

The painting, "Assumption of the Virgin," was completed in 1518. The large oil painting serves as the altarpiece of the church, and many tourists flock to see the magnificent work daily.

20. On the front of San Marco's Basilica stand four magnificent bronze horses. These are now copies of the originals, which have been brought indoors to protect them. How did Venice acquire these masterpieces of ancient art?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: They were stolen from the Byzantine capital of Constantinople

The four great horses of San Marco were part of the stupendous loot from the Venetian sacking of Constantinople in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade

21. The Carnival of Venice is an event that dates back to the 13th century A.D. What item is traditionally worn on this occasion?

From Quiz Bella Venezia

Answer: mask & masks

The Carnival of Venice is an annual event that takes place in the two weeks before Fat Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras). The brightly colored Venetian masks traditionally used in the Carnival are often sold as souvenirs to tourists.

22. What is the title of the chief prelate (clergyman) of Venice?

From Quiz Venice, City of Saint Mark

Answer: Patriarch

Venice and Lisbon are the only European cities to have a Partriarch.

23. What feature is added to the lion as a symbol of Venice?

From Quiz Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

Answer: Wings

There is a fine example of a winged lion on the clock tower in St Mark's Square. Above it are the 'Moors', two figures with hammers who strike a bell to tell the time. No extra points for identifying my enduring love affair with this fabulous city.

24. What best explains the fact that from an architectural point of view, Venice today still has most of the buildings it had in about 1680?

From Quiz Venice

Answer: Venice suffered a sharp economic decline after about 1680

Sharp economic decline is probably the most common reason for the good preservation of towns and cities. After about 1600 there was a decisive shift in key trade routes in Europe from the eastern Mediterranean and Central Europe to the Atlantic and the western sea-board. This shift accelerated in the course of the 17th century. Since the 1960s Venice again became very prosperous.

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