Venice, city of water, architecture and transformation over the centuries

One of the jars in the Nutella® Buongiorno limited edition, created in collaboration with ENIT, is dedicated to Venice, chosen as one of the cities of art representing Italy’s heritage. The design tells the city’s story through several elements expressing its identity - gondolas and gondoliers, bridges over canals, and historic buildings - together with a recipe inspired by the local culinary tradition.

Venice has a truly unique urban structure, built on 118 islands, linked by 435 bridges and crossed by 176 canals, making it one of the world’s most iconic architectural systems. Within this equilibrium, materials also constitute a defining characteristic. Many bridges, made from Istrian stone, tend to change colour slightly over time due to the moisture and salt. This natural process makes every perspective different, even within a seemingly timeless setting.

Alongside its best-known landmarks, Venice also houses a number of more subtle points of interest. Calle Varisco, 53 centimetres at its widest point, is one of the city’s narrowest streets, while Sotoportego Zurlin is one of the lowest covered passageways in the urban fabric. These details reveal a city also made of small spaces and hidden pathways which coexist with the grandeur of its historic buildings.

Another lesser-known feature is the way in which Venice has dealt with the passing of time. Indeed, before the advent of the Gregorian calendar, the year began in March and dates were indicated using the More Veneto system, a custom also maintained thereafter as an element of local identity.

Culturally, Venice also played an important role in the spread of coffee in Europe. It was here, following studies by the Venetian botanist Prospero Alpini, that the first coffee shops sprang up, culminating in the opening, in 1720, of Caffè Florian in St. Mark's Square, today one of the city’s oldest active historical establishments.

On a culinary level, the story is completed by veneziana, a traditional local leavened cake. Behind this dish is a long history of influences, journeys and transformations. Its origins are, indeed, linked to the tradition of leavened cakes introduced to Venice during the centuries of the Venetian Republic, when the city was a key trading hub between East and West. Spices, sugar and baking techniques arrived by sea, resulting in gradual transformation of local recipes. The cake's evolutionary journey is noteworthy: veneziana, soft and enriched with grains of sugar and almonds, is often considered a simpler version of the Milanese panettone but lighter and less buttery, adapted to local tastes. This cake is also said to be associated with the habits of the Venetian bourgeoisie, enjoyed in historical cafés during everyday social gatherings. The recipe provided on the jar is reinterpreted using Nutella®, upholding the tradition while adapting it to contemporary tastes.