In ancient times, a people known as the Veneti occupied the islands that now comprise the city of Venice. The future republic of Venice, however, was not born until the 5th and 6th centuries, after the collapse of the Roman empire,when Huns, Vandals, Goths, and Ostrogoths ravaged the former Roman territories. In 452, Attila and his barbarian hordes destroyed and looted one city after another along the northern Adriatic shore (called Venetia). The frightened inhabitants of those unfortunate cities - Aquileia, Concordia, Altinum, Patavium - fled to the sandy islands and marshes of the shallow Venetian lagoon. When the danger had passed, many moved back to the mainland only to be run out again in 568 during the Lombard invasion. For nearly 150 years thereafter, these refugees eked out a bare and obscure existence living in squalid huts, fishing and mining salt.
Politically, the people of the various islands in the lagoon were joined together in a loose confederation with little centralized power. But, as the population increased, and the islands were extended (by driving pilings into the sand), the different communities grew closer together physically and politically. In 697, delegates from the neighboring islands established a republic headed by the doge, a kind of chief magistrate, and a council of representatives.
From that point on, by virtue of the city's geographical position, shrewd politicians, and crafty merchants, Venice began to grow as an important commercial center. As early as 991, Venice adopted a policy of trade, rather than war, with the Moslems in the East and thus became the central link between Europe and the Orient in the spice trades. These long standing ties to the east are still visible in the Byzantine influences seen in the city's architecture. When the Crusades began in 1095, the Venetian economy expanded even more from fees imposed on the Crusaders who used Venice as a staging point, and also from the trade routes the Crusades established in the east. The Fourth Crusade in 1204 particularly benefitted the Venetians for not only did the doge impose outrageous tariffs on the Crusaders, he insisted on the capture of Constantinople. The resulting partition of the Byzantine empire further expanded east - west trade and enriched Venetian merchants. Venice became the most powerful European state in the Mediterranean rivaled only by Genoa. When Venice trapped the fleet of Genoa inside the Chioggia lagoons in 1381 and forced its surrender, the city's supremacy was no longer challenged. For the next hundred years, Venetian power, wealth, and influence continued to expand. At the height of its power, Venice controlled Crete, Corfu, the Peloponnesus, and mainland territories west to near Milan.
At the beginning of the 15th century, however, things began to take a turn for the worse. Venice had already suffered recurring bouts of the plague and there were more to follow. In the plague of 1347 - 1349 alone, almost three - fifths of the city's inhabitants perished. For the next 300 years, one form of the plague or another continued to ravage the population. Then there were the Turks. After capturing Constantinople (1453), the Turks began to retake Venice's Greek territories and attack its trade routes which not only weakened the economy but wounded the city's reputation and influence. Attacks by mainland states further sapped the city's strength and treasuries. Then, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1497-98) discovered a new route to the east around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. After that, Venetian ports were no longer essential to the spice route. In 1508, the League of Cambrai which included the Holy Roman Empire, the pope (Julius II), France, and Spain united against Venice and divided its possessions amongst themselves. Although Venice quickly regained much of its lost territories, it never did regain its power and influence.
The Venetian Republic, which had lasted for nearly 1100 years, ended once and for all in 1797 when the city was conquered and occupied without resistance by Napoleon. The final meeting of the Great Council took place on May 12, 1797 at which time the doge Ludovico Manin resigned in tears. After looting the treasures of the city, Napoleon ceded Venice to Austria. Although Austria eventually returned most of the treasures Napoleon had taken, Venetians struggled against Austrian rule for almost 70 years. In 1866, following the Seven Week's War, Venice became part of the newly established Kingdom of Italy.
Today, Venice is primarily a tourist mecca, but there are industries in ship building, lace, and glass. The city is plagued by flooding and pollution. Flooding reached its peak on November 4, 1966 when six - foot waves washed against St. Mark's Basilica. Flood control has been improved by capping artesian wells and by adding breakwaters and gates against the open sea, but the problem persists. Air pollution resulting from years of burning coal and fuel oil has been partially checked by the use of natural gas, but remains a problem as it is in all modern cities. There are also instances of raw sewage being dumped into the canals. Although the city, with the help of the United Nations, is vigorously acting to correct these problems, Venice's future remains in doubt.
The Grand Canal (Canale Grande) cuts through the center of Venice for approximately two miles starting at the parking lot on Piazza Roma and ending at St. Mark's Square. Along either side of the canal are approximately 200 palaces, (now public buildings), built between the 12th and 18th centuries. The architecture ranges from Romanesque to Gothic to Renaissance to Baroque many with a Byzantine influence that marks Venetian architecture as something a little different. Principal among these buildings are Ca' d'Oro (ornate 15th century Venetian - Gothic building), the Palazzo Rezzonico (built 1680, the site of Robert Browning's death), the Palazzo Vendramin - Calergi (built 1509, the site of Richard Wagner's death in 1883), Ca' Foscari (15th century home of Doge Foscari), and the Fondaco dei Turchi (Byzantine warehouse and home of a rich merchant). The Rialto Bridge (1588) crosses the canal at about the halfway point. The bridge is lined with shops and serves as the center of the Rialto market area which dates back to 1097.
St. Mark's Cathedral
(Basilica di San Marco) and the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the
two most important structures in Venice, stand on St. Mark's Square (Piazza
San Marco). In the year 829, it is said that two Venetian merchants stole
the body of St. Mark from Alexandria, Egypt. A chapel was built to hold
the remains of the saint, but was destroyed by fire. The present building,
built on the site of that chapel, dates back to the second half of the 11th
century (consecrated in 1094) although there were alterations well into
the 14th century. The plan of the cathedral is a Greek cross with five gilded
domes. The interior is unusually rich. Walls and ceilings are adorned with
rare gems, marble, and gold mosaics. The Pala d'Oro, the thousand
year old golden altarpiece, is covered with jewels, mosaics, and enamels.
Here Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I ("Barbarossa") knelt before
Pope Alexander III in 1177 to make his peace with the church. The four horses
that overlook the outside entrance to the church are copies. The originals,
thought to be from a triumphal arch in Rome (from 200 AD), are in the church
museum . The horses are well traveled. From Rome they were taken to Constantinople
then Venice then Paris (by Napoleon) then back to Rome during World War
I then finally back to Venice.
The Doges Palace was first constructed in 814 but was destroyed four times by fire. Each time it was rebuilt on a grander scale than before. The present structure dates to 1345. The palace is an example of how eastern architecture was blended into the Gothic style. Inside are vast halls decorated with frescoes, paintings, carvings, and statuary. Principal among the art found in the palace are the Rape of Europa by Veronese and Paradise by Tintoretto, the largest painting in the world. At the rear of the palace is the famous 17th century Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) the passageway by which prisoners were taken to and from prison. Near the palace are two granite and marble columns erected in 1180, one bearing the winged lion of St. Mark and the other St. Theodore on a crocodile. This was the place of public executions.
On the northern side of the square is the Procuratie Vecchie (1496)
and on the south the Procuratie Nuove (1584). Both are built in Renaissance
style, and both were former residences of city council members. St. Mark's
Bell Tower (Campanile di San Marco), also on the square, stands 325
feet high. It is a replica of the original tower which stood on the same
spot for about a thousand years before it collapsed one morning in 1902.
The Old Library (Libreria Vecchia) is located on the Piazzetta San
Marco, just across the square from the palace. Built between 1536-1588,
the library was modeled after the Roman Theater of Marcellus and is an example
of classical style blended with the Venetian.
Artists and Churches
Venice has been blessed with a number of significant and influential artists. Among these were Jacopo Bellini (1400-70) and his sons Gentile (1429-1507) and Giovanni (1430-1516), Titian (1488-1576), Tintoretto (1518-1594), and Tiepolo (1696-1770), not to mention Giorgione, Veronese, Canaletto, Carpaccio and many others. In the Accademia you will find works of all the great Venetian artists. Of particular note is Titian's Pieta (which he intended for his own tomb), and Tintoretto's masterpieces, the Virgin of the Treasures and the Miracles of St. Mark. In the Scuola di San Rocco are over 50 Tintoretto canvasses from the 16th century including his enormous masterpiece The Crucifixion (in the Albergo room just off the great Hall). The display of canvasses has been described as "breathtaking," "unbelievable," "an impressive sight." Tintoretto's Last Supper and Entombment hangs in the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. The church itself is a 16th century masterpiece by the architect Palladio (from Vicenza). Titian is buried in the Gothic church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (simply known as "the Frari"). His Assumption of the Virgin (1518) hangs over the main altar. It is interesting to note that Titian is the only one of over 70,000 plague victims that was accorded an individual church burial. The early 15th century Italian-Gothic Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (better known as San Zanipolo) was the burial church of the doges of whom 25 are buried here. The impressive ceiling is by Veronese. Just outside this church is the famous 15th century equestrian statue of the Venetian General Bartolommeo Colleoni by Verrocchio. Tiepolo is best known for his frescoes. If you miss his work in Venice, you can visit the Residenz in Wuerzburg where he painted a ceiling fresco illustrating the life of Emperor Frederick I. The Peggy Guggenheim museum focuses on modern art and includes the work of Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Jackson Pollock.
The baroque church of Santa Maria della Salute (above, across the canal) sits at the southern entrance to the Grand Canal. The church was built on over 1,000,000 poles sunk 12 feet into the lagoon bottom as an offering to the Virgin Mary for the end of the plague in 1630. The church includes works by Tintoretto and Titian. The 15th century, small Renaissance church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, is described as "sheathed in marble and perfectly proportioned...the most beautiful church in the world," and is a popular wedding chapel. The altar painting of the Virgin Mary is thought by many to have healing powers.
Gondolas have plowed the canals of Venice for a thousand years. In times past they were both plentiful and colorful. They were originally intended for the use of nobility and as ceremonial vessels, and at one time there were 20,000 or more of all different colors. Today, there are less than 500 and, by a 400 year old decree, they are all black. Each gondola weighs approximately 1300 pounds and is made from 280 separate pieces of wood. The gondolier trains for three years before he can be licensed.
Venice is perhaps best known for its glass (some made in the city but most made on the island of Murano) and its lace (from the island of Burano). One guide warns against cheap glass and recommends one of the better known shops such as Venini, Pauly, Cenedese, or Isola. (By the way, glass is no cheaper on Murano than in the city.)
The principal shopping street is the Merceria which leads north off of St. Marks Square. You can shop your way up the Merceria from St. Mark's all the way to the Rialto district, a good place to buy scarves and traditional souvenirs such as a gondolier's hat (be sure it has a colored band).
If you're looking for something a little different, you might consider handprinted paper and other desk accessories from Piazzesi's (Campiolo Feltrina), elegant handprinted fabrics from Norelene's (Campo San Maurizio), a replica of a 17th or 18th century mask, including sun faces and death heads, from Mondonovo's (Rio Terra Canal near Campo Santa Margherita), or a handcarved wooden gondola from La Scialuppa's (Calle Saoneri). A clay fisherman's pipe (in the traditional Chioggia style) is another popular though somewhat offbeat Venetian souvenir.
For coffee or chocolate, you might try Cafe Florian on St. Mark's Square. It is a Venetian landmark, and it is expensive, but it's the "in" thing to do. For your evening meal consider the Caravella Restaurant in the Saturnia Hotel at Calle Lunga 22 Marzo. If you'd like a beer and pizza, try the Antico Capon on Campo Santa Margherita.