For the Venice Carnival, the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority launched a new Port Educational workshop in collaboration with the Cultural Department of La Biennale di Venezia. The history of great Venetian explorers was at the heart of the initiative.
Venice, 12 February 2026 – The new educational workshop dedicated to the Venice Carnival – part of the 2026 Port Educational programme – finished with great enthusiasm and participation. The initiative was organised by the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority in collaboration with the Cultural Department of La Biennale di Venezia.
On 11 and 12 February, at Ca’ Giustinian, approximately 90 pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 of the primary schools “G. Giardino” in Bassano, “C. Baseggio” in Marghera and “V. Zanibon” in Padua took part in an educational and creative experience that transformed them, for a few hours, into young explorers of the Serenissima.
Through the stories of renowned Venetian travellers, participants were guided on an immersive journey exploring the deep and centuries-old ties between Venice, its lagoon and its port – a historic crossroads of trade, cultures and maritime routes connecting the city to the world. Marco Polo symbolically accompanied the children along the Silk Road to the courts of the East, recounting distant lands rich in exchanges, wonders and new knowledge. Giovanni Caboto opened the route towards the North Atlantic, reaching the coasts of North America and expanding the geographical horizons of his time. Pietro Querini, lastly, offered the account of a voyage marked by shipwreck in the Lofoten Islands and by a meaningful encounter with local communities – a powerful testimony to resilience and intercultural dialogue. Three different stories, united by their bond with Venice and by the central role of the port as a gateway to the world.
Inspired by the lands explored by these travellers, the children created their own personalised Carnival masks and assembled an explorer’s kit complete with compass and map, combining creativity and learning. The workshop ended with an educational treasure hunt that encouraged collaboration, intuition and teamwork in the search for a symbolic treasure to be brought back to Venice.
Enthusiasm and active participation characterised all activities: curiosity, play and discovery accompanied every phase of the workshop, confirming the success of the initiative and the value of educational programmes capable of combining enjoyment and knowledge.
Port Educational once again proved to be an important tool for engaging with younger generations, strengthening awareness of the port’s historical and contemporary role and of its inseparable connection with the city and the lagoon.
