- you are here: Home
- Hidden Treasures
- The head of an elderly woman at Corte del Teatro in San Luca
The head of an elderly woman at Corte del Teatro in San Luca
Unknown places & works
The head of an elderly woman at Corte del Teatro in San Luca
Behind the famous Teatro Goldoni in Venice, near the Grand Canal, there is a tiny Corte which is very hard to find... And hides several surprises!
On the wall of a house, for example, you can see the marble head of an elderly woman which is connected to a rather singular story: an old woman who lived nearby, terribly tight-fisted, used to hide all her money in the lining of an old coat that she kept it in the attic.
One winter day, the woman's son, who was unaware of the precious hiding place, touched by the conditions of a poor indigent, gave him the coat.
A week later the old woman went to the attic to hide more money and discovered what his son had done... To convince him to recover the coat, she promised his son to leave all the money hidden in the coat in his inheritance.
To find the poor man, the son even disguised himself as a beggar and finally spotted him on the steps of the Rialto Bridge with the by then worn-out coat; using the biting coat as an excuse, he gave the poor man his thick and warm coat in exchange for the other.
With the money found, his son was able to open a pharmacy - which is still called ‘La Vecchia’ - and put a statue of his mother in the back of the shop.
The head in Corte del Teatro is all that remains of the sculpture!
If legends and curiosities about Venice are your passion, our city will give you many pleasant surprises! Rely on one of our brilliant local guides to discover other fascinating places like the one described in our anecdote!
- Google+
- tumblr
Search posts
Latest posts
Venice: What happened on April 11 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, the Saints of the Day are St. Pope Leo I, Pope and St. Bishop Eustorgius of Milan. &nbs...
ViewVenice: What happened on April 12 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, the Saints of the Day are St. Bishop Leo and St. Jiulius I, Pope. - April 12, 117...
ViewVenice: What happened on April 10 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, today is St. Saturninus’ Day - April 10, 1508: angry at the defeat in the battl...
ViewVenice: What happened on April 9 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, today is Sta. Mary of Clopas’ Day - April 9, 1618: an anonymous letter informs ...
ViewTop posts
Venice: 10 songs that will make you think of Venice

Did you know that...
Sometimes we hear the first few lines of a song and our minds are suddenly transported back to a place, a memory or a dream. We put tog...
ViewPadua: Vò Euganeo: a place to be discovered

Unknown places & works
In the last few months there has been much talking around the small town of Vò, in the province of Padua. It was at the center of ever...
ViewVenice: 10 must-see movies filmed in Venice

Film Locations
Venice is unique amongst world cities and every year it turns into a dream-like experience for scores of tourists thanks to its timeles...
ViewChioggia: The Valley of the Seven Dead Men

Mysteries & Legends
Halloween is just around the corner: have you already got into the fascinating terrifying aura of the scariest party of the year? No ye...
View