The passion – and peace – of Venice

14 May 2026, The Tablet

The ear is the eye of the soul: the Holy See’s Giardino Mistico exhibition at Santa Maria di Nazareth.

DAVID LEVENE

In 2018, the Vatican offering at the Biennale was a show-stopper: 10 chapels built in the woods of the San Giorgio Benedictine monastery.

Venice: It’s crazy, teeming with tourists, an irresistible mash-up of majestic history and breathtaking art at every frenetic canal-side turn. And pumping up the mania now comes the Biennale, which opens this week (to 22 November). It’s when every country in the world rocks up with its most happening contemporary art, and the city is filled with even more visitors, trying to cram even more experiences and Instagram moments into an ever-madder schedule.

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