Your memories of Warwick in Venice
Warwick in Venice
Your memories
For more than half a century, Warwick has forged a deep relationship with the city. The Faculty of Arts has taught generations of our students during their Venice terms. Since 2007, we have had a physical base in the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava.
From May 2023, our undergraduates, postgraduates and staff will have a new base - a wonderful late 17th century building in Palazzo Giustinian Lolin, right on the Grand Canal of Venice. As we get ready to open the building, we would love to share some alumni memories of studying in Venice over the years.
To read more about our new home in Venice, visit Our home in Venice | University of Warwick. Situated in the heart of Venice, overlooking the Grand Canal, the space within the Palazzo Giustinian Lolin building is part of an ambitious £100m programme of investment in the arts and humanities.
Sam Shindler-Glass
BA History, 2018
My time in Venice coincided with Warwick's 50th anniversary celebrations, which was celebrated with a lovely do in the building we had at the time. The joy of passing the Rialto bridge on the way to do my shopping was a fantastically regular joy that is sorely missed!
Stella Fletcher
BA History, 1986; PhD History, 1992
Within minutes of arriving in Venice, as Humfrey Butters was taking me from the station to the Hotel Iris, he introduced me to two other passengers on the vaporetto. They were Ashley and Frances Clarke, of Venice in Peril, so it felt as though I was arriving in terrific style and I rather hoped that, from that point onwards, life would be one long vap trip down the Grand Canal.
Susan Toner
BA History, 1970
My favourite Venetians - Giorgio, Carla Adreana and Marguerite Bellanzeir on a trip to the Dolomites in November 1969. A group of us ate in their family restaurant most evenings where they kindly cooked us egg and chips!
Camilla Evans
BA History, 2013
I studied in Venice in autumn 2012, and thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the culture of the beautiful city. The trips out weekly, led by Jonathan Davies and Rosa Salzberg, were fantastic and studying in this environment was inspirational, and certainly sparked my more creative side.
Alan Windsor
BA History, 1984
Seeing the reedbeds in the breeze between the September villages just beyond the Lido, and being reminded of the glorious swirling mass of Humfrey Butters´ hair. Walking, waking, walking and finding, every day, something new in the old stones of Venice.
Dianne Page
Dipl History of Art, 2007; MA History of Art, 2010
To be in Venice at 60 as a student, not a tourist, to make enduring friendships with Venetians, to study in the libraries of the Marciana and Cini Foundation, made it one of the most important times of my life. What a privilege to study the best of Western art in a unique city.
Amanda Wilson
BA History, 1989
Meeting friends in 1988 that I still see now. Wonderful memories of lots of laughter at regular dinners in our flat near to the Rialto Bridge, including wine-fuelled debates with Professor Mallet.
Jane Randall
BA History of Art, 1995
Learning first hand about the amazing art and architecture of Venice and northern Italy. Those quiet moments when all the tourists had gone, wandering the calle and seeing the true beauty of the city.
Rosie Denton
BA History, 2014
The acqua alta was particularly bad the year I lived in Venice, so some friends and I decided to go 'puddle jumping', even though the water was up to our waist. A photographer spotted us and asked if he could take some photos of us. Sure enough, the next day this photo appeared in The Daily Mail back home!
Sabrina Chien
BA History, 2016
Was so excited to experience acqua alta for the first time and here I am sitting at San Marco Square!
Rob Stileman
BA History, 2017
When I fell into a canal on the way back from Campo Santa Margherita...!
Andrew Spence
BA History, 1980
Arriving at the station after a 24 hour train ride... was like a dream stepping out onto the Grand Canal. Fellow student Simon meeting Mark and I and pointing out all the palaces and bridges along the way - and of course, Martin Lowry and Humphrey Butters' incredible enthusiasm!
Matthew White
BA History of Art, 2020
Walking around Piazza San Marco at 4:00 in the morning and being able to hear my pulse because there was no noise. No boats, no bikes, absolute silence. Totally magical.
A video I made of my time: https://youtu.be/ICiiRQ3atRs
Antonia Leak
BA History of Art, 1990
Everything: the beauty of Venice, fun, friendship, exploring the Veneto, having fewer essays than the history students, and time to develop myself beyond the confines of the UK and university.
Jess McCulloch
BA History of Art, 2015
Learning in the most beautiful spaces in Venice and the Venezia (Palladian villas!!) where Lorenzo, Giorgio, Louise, and Bill taught us about art, architecture, and history in situ. Living there was magical - to explore the city's historic streets with friends.
Michael Lobb
History of Art, 1978
I worked with three painters in our lodgings. The best memory I have is when one dipped all his canvases into the grand canal and said none can live up to Venetian art. Nothing touches that renaissance in art history.
Amina Ahmed
BA History, 2016
Class of 2016! My favourite things include waking up the beautiful scenery everyday and getting a wonderfully fresh Italian coffee from the shop next door every morning. Doing my grocery shopping from the wonderful markets and then getting a traghetti home straight to the other side of the canal for only 2 Euros. And not to mention the delicious cicchetti shops everywhere so I never went hungry!
Stefano Colombo
PhD History of Art, 2018
As a PhD student assisting staff during the Venice term, I really enjoyed the study trips in Venice and the Veneto, where I also had the possibility to talk to the students and colleagues and share my enthusiasm for the Venetian Renaissance.
Elaine Anderson
BA History, 1979
Running through St Marks Square to hand in an essay! Dr Humphrey Butters an imposing sight as he walked purposefully through the street in Venice to give a class wearing his subfusc!