Oh, Venice! Its name alone is enough to conjure images of a time gone by. But why stop there? Romantic yet stately, calm yet vibrant, there are so many sides to the city. So to do it justice, we’ve compiled this list of the best descriptions of Venice in literature that will make you fall head over heels with the Floating City (if you haven’t already!)

Samuel Rogers; Italy, A Poem

English poet Samuel Rogers shared the literary stage with the likes of Shelley, Wordsworth and Coleridge during the 18th century – even if his name has been somewhat forgotten now. One of his most successful poems, Italy, was essentially a love letter to the country after he visited it for the first time in 1815.