Domus Orsoni Bed and Breakfast in Venice, Italy

Domus Orsoni has four large double rooms and one single. Each room has a mosaic work by an Italian artist. Bathrooms, all uniquely decorated with mosaics, have either a shower or bath and one room has both. I stayed in the Oro Ramino room with a stunning bathroom and shower done in gold mosaics (see bathroom photo) and a hydro-massage bathtub.

A basic buffet breakfast is served in a small breakfast room from 8:30 to 10:30. Valentina, the hostess, is available to answer your questions and help with information in the mornings but there's no staff in the evenings or at night. Guests are given a map annotated with useful information and restaurant recommendations.

This neighborhood is one of my favorites in Venice. It's a place where you can get away from the tourist crowds and feel like you're in a real Venice neighborhood. There are small shops and inexpensive bars frequented by locals and a fresh fish vendor sets up shop in the morning by the canal. Take a seat outside next to the canal in the Bar Pontini, where you won't be overcharged for a drink, and enjoy the life passing by.

There are good restaurant options in the Domus Orsoni area. The map given to guests when they check in has several nearby suggestions. I had a good dinner at Ristorante i Quattro Rusteghi in Campo Ghetto Novo, the main square of the Jewish Ghetto.

More about Orsoni Mosaic Courses and online application.

All Orsoni employees, from the guys who blow glass in the furnace to the artists who make complete mosaic works are trained at Orsoni. It's a fascinating place and the perfect place to learn more about mosaics.

Here's an inside look at how the gold leaf smalti are made and a few of the mosaic works produced at Orsoni by James Martin, Europe Travel. Mosaics from the Source: Orsoni Smalti Veneziana

Domus Orsoni Information and Reservations