This was the highlight of my time in Venice. Marisa is an expert on the history of beads and beading in Venice. She has taken time to research the historic photos she has and has walked the streets to find the locations of those photos. She took me on a walking tour of the places and while she told me the history it was like we walked back in time. The information is priceless. Marisa should write her own book on the history of beading and the ladies who were involved in the industry. Current photos side by side with historic. Photos of vintage materials she has collected and preserved. And interviews with any of the surviving ladies before it is too late.

This tour is what I will remember of Venice, the real Venice. I walked where tourists don't usually go, experienced the city as it is and through Marisa's eyes saw the city as it was. She brought history alive. For those wanting a unique experience of the city and who have any interest in history or in beading or fashion arts, I highly recommend spending a few hours with Marisa. It will be a memory of Venice you will treasure forever.

This was a fabulous workshop. Marissa has a lot of information about the history of bead making in Venice. She had books and photos and beads to show. A lot of information about this period in history. She showed me historic beads and how they were used. I even tried my hand at using the needles and tray to thread the beads. Not as easy as you'd think. It was a lot of fun. This was the best activity I did in Venice. It was the highlight of my visit. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting an interesting and different experience of Venice and it's history.