Venice

The history of Venice dates back to the V Century A.D. when the inhabitants of the city of Altino were forced to escape to the islands to avoid the invasion by the Barbarians. Over time the fugitives started to settle on the new islands of the Venetian lagoon and by the ninth century they were based in the centre of the group of islands, that is now know as the Rialto (High Brook). And from that moment the true history of Venice begins with its impetuous growth thanks to trading and a judicious government, with its wars to conquer both the seas and land, with its famous artists and architects that have created an unrepeatable image of the city and museums with its splendid St. Mark’s Square and the Bridge of Sighs.



The Doge governed the Republic (from the Latin Dux) who was not a monarch, but simply a “president.” This was a life-time position and was not hereditary as in the case of monarchies, the Doge was elected after a complicated series of votes called “ballots” because of the balls that were used to express one’s preference. The fulcrum of the political and spiritual life in Venice was St. Mark’s Square where the Basilica and the Ducal Palace are found, which is one of the most interesting museums in Venice, visiting it makes it easier to understand the history of the Serenissima and you will find some of the greatest masterpieces in the world. In fact you can admire the largest oil cloth painting in the world by Tintoretto, you will see the beauty and the explosion of colours of the artist from Verona, you can imagine the difficult government system in Venice republic which consisted in the Senate, Parliament, Doge, the Committee of Ten and other different orders of government, you can visit the jail building from where Giacomo Casanova escaped and cross the famous Bridge of Sighs. As Venice was the greatest trading crossroad between the east and west, an important meeting place blossomed among merchants of the world then known. This led to the formation of the Fondaci, practically the modern embassies, where business transactions were discussed; some of the more famous are the Fondaco of the Turks (currently the Natural History Museum) and the Fondaco of the Germans (currently the Italian Post Office Headquarters in Venice) Thanks to the trading business, the Serenissima gained enormous power, importance and significant economic capital.



The Serenissima dominated the entire Adriatic Sea, also thanks to its fleet of warships, all built at the Arsenal, a magnificent war factory which was capable of constructing a ship in just 24 hours. Large palaces started to be built on the banks of the Grand Canal, where parties where held which all of Europe talked about, and some of which can be visited today. Venice became the cultural and worldly centre of Europe and remained so until Napoleon Bonaparte caused it to fall into the hands of the Austrians, who then handed it over to the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.