Dearest Franz,
Kindly make inquiries whether I might stay a short time at Venice which does not belong to the German confederacy without being claimed, extradited and otherwise molested. The visa of my passport I got from the Austrian minister without any difficulty. I daresay the Saxon minister would have given me his visa too (in order to get hold of me). If there is any danger, kindly let the Grand Duke intercede for me, so that I may stay at Venice without being bothered. I should be very thankful to him, for that quiet, interesting city tempts me greatly. I shall delay my departure till I hear from you; in any case I must wait till the heat is over.
Richard Wagner
Source: Project Gutenberg eBook #4234, Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt — Volume 2, No. 265