I was born in Padua, 25 miles away from Venice, into a family of architects, and I have been living in the Venetian historical centre for many years with my family. My culture is deeply Venetian because of my mother, who was born in Dalmatia - formerly part of the Venetian empire - and grew up in Venice. But I also have Roman roots, through my father. My parents’ origins and profession and my subsequent education gave me the best background to understand the classical and medieval basis of Italian and Venetian building culture. I received my bachelor's degree in architecture in Venice, and also my PhD. My favourite subjects were Architectural history and the shape of interior spaces; thus both my final thesis and most of my publications have been focused on the evolution of interior spaces throughout history. Therefore my knowledge of architecture allows me to have a unique view on the buildings, not only in terms of recognizing their different styles but also understanding their history and the reasons behind their different spaces. I use the same approach with every work of art, trying to clarify both the context and the conditions that allowed a specific painting, sculpture, or any other artefact, to be created in that time and place. I have been teaching for about twenty years in various Italian universities - Venice, Trieste and Ferrara - and I have been called to give lectures and conferences in various foreign universities such as Oxford, Madrid and Valencia. I still lecture for foreign students in summer courses at the Venetian university Ca’ Foscari. I think that my origins, my knowledge and my long experience in teaching have been extremely important in maintaining and keeping alive the interest of those listeners who - following my tours - wish to understand the evolution and the life of a city as singular and amazing as Venice is.