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| Francesco's Venice : Complete BBC Series | 
 enlarge | Actor: Francesco Da Mosto
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £6.06
You Save: £13.93 (70%)
New (16) from £6.06
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 92
Format: Pal
Languages: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Running Time: 235 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5014503214524
ASIN: B000F3T918
Theatrical Release Date: 2004
Release Date: June 19, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New and Fully Guaranteed - Over 90% of orders are dispatched same day or next day by First Class post. Please note Danish customers may incur custom charges.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Compliments, Endorsements, and an Important Correction. June 6, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Superb series in every way.The personable tour-guide-of the-air-waves, Francesco Da Mosto, uses his photogenic charm, romantic, carressing, voice and personality, to increase the attractiveness of an already alluring city still further, humanizing historical names, Vivaldi, and Casanova, for example, by telling details of their sometimes very personal lives, both their great achievements and often disreputable behaviour, so that they seem alive, momentarilly, once more.
He doesn't overlook that Venice's yesterdays are used as a backdrop for street markets to sell the pretty but trashy trumpery of our to-days; he shows the graffitti, and laments the continuing exodus of Venitians from their own city; natives, in London, Rome, or anywhere else, are thought of by governments as just as much of a demographic inconvenience, it seems, to the monetry flow of tourists, here, as much as anywhere, which is all very well, but, could I ask, when the last of the two remaining Venitian boatyards closes, just whom shall you go to, then, when next the keel falls off your Gondola? Honda?
Treasures removed by Napoleon allow us to exercise our imagination by visualizing them; and, contrary to a previous Reviewer's assertion, the Elgin marbles were bought by Lord Elgin, and subsequent Greecian regret has developed into a very unattractive, deliberately misrepresentative bitterness on their part.
For lovers of gentle, wistful stories, or just for lovers, I can highly recommend Katherine Hepburn's 1955 film, Summertime, set entirely in Venice, which is usually for sale on Amazon.
To live in a country's selective past glories is a great way to enjoy life; so, if you're not a contemporary Venitian in search of employment, and don't have to leave the city to live, you can stroll around it with this companionable, knowledgeable man, enjoying his friendliness and naughty smile, learning, feasting, and admiring whilst promising yourself to go one day. If only it could be with Francesco.
cracking preparation for those going to Venice October 27, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This was the perfect way to get ready for 3 nights in Venice. Well presented and with a good pace to it, the 4 hours flew by and we came out of this much the wiser about our short break destination. As a result, we got much, much more out of our holiday.
In these enlightened days of non-smoking the only thing that distracts is the presenter's penchant for holding a cigarette for much of the programme and even - horror of horrors - taking the occasional drag on it. When was the last time any of us saw a presenter with the chutzpah to smoke on screen?
Excellent storyteller October 23, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you are going to visit Venice, spending 4 hours watching this DVD will save you a lot of time (and money) since he puts the city in context and shows some of the highlights to head for. He is a master storyteller, and delights in telling you how Venetians have struggled from one disaster to another, making some magnificent buildings in the process.
The Venice on the DVD is without the hordes of tourists, overpriced tourist restaurants, and cheesy tourist shops which cram into Venice today - you will see that for yourself when you get there.
Enthralling June 22, 2007
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
A stunning introduction to this marvelous city or an amazing wealth of knowledge for regular visitors, this four part series presented by a knowledgeable Venitian is wonderfully shot and scored. It perfectly gives a snapshot of the history of Venice and the Lagoon around it, some might balk at the final episode which points a finger at the tourists that have turned the city into a giant museum, but this is the quandary the city finds itself in as it tries to survive with no way of growth or any real industry. Well worth investing in.
Francesco's Venice May 16, 2007
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
These DVDs are a must for anyone plannng to visit Venice. They would form a basis of interest and direction for anyone's first visit. There is a historical thread from beginning to end starting with the birth of Venice and finishing with a dicussion on how Venice will fair in the future. The main historical figures are mentioned, the artists, architectects, sculptures, musicians etc and how they fitted into the fabric of Venice. This is not a stuffy historical guide, instead Da Mosto has laced the narrative with anecdotes and interesting stories, with gossip and scandal. His love for his home and birth place is infectious.
The DVDs are well shot and Da Mosto's story is well illustrated.
It is difficult to imagine how these 4 programmes could have been improved because although details are occasionally a little scant I am sure that it was never the intention to make this the definitive guide to Venice.
Francesco's Venice is a general interest guide full of facts spontaneity and humour and certainly gives anyone with the slightest interest in Venice a good idea of what the place is all about.
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