Venice, in Italian, is a city located in Northeast Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, in the Venetian lagoon. The entire city is built on 118 islands within a lagoon that stretches 60 km long and 4 km wide, uniquely connected to the mainland by remarkable architectural structures.
Venice and the Adriatic Sea are separated by a narrow land strip 12 km long, serving both as a wave barrier and a beach area. It is estimated that the city has around 200 canals and 400 bridges to cross these waterways, many of which date back to ancient times and are valuable architectural landmarks. Among them, the most famous is the Rialto Bridge built in the 16th century, which consists of a single stone arch connecting two of the city’s larger islands. The Grand Canal, which is 3.8 km long, divides the city into two unequal parts and has three bridges crossing it.
Along the banks of this canal, there are many notable ancient monuments built during the Middle Ages (from the 5th to the 15th century) and the Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries), including: the Cà d’Oro – a gilded palace built in the 15th century, the Vedramin-Calergi Palace constructed in the 16th century, the Rezzonico Palace, the Ca’ Grande, and the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. This basilica is a remarkable architectural masterpiece constructed from 1634 to 1654, completed in 1687, designed by the famous architect Longhena (1598 – 1682), featuring a distinct octagonal layout with two dome-shaped towers topped with lanterns. In the heart of the city lies Piazza San Marco and the smaller Piazzetta, surrounded by many beautiful architectural works:
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St. Mark’s Basilica built in the 11th century |
The Palais des Procuraties, built between the 15th and 19th centuries, the St. Mark’s Basilica from the 11th century; the bell tower and clock tower constructed in the 15th century; and the Doge’s Palace built in the 13th century, which houses works by renowned artists such as Veronese (1528 – 1588), Titian (real name Tiziano Vecellio) (1490 – 1576), and Tintoretto (1518 – 1594).
Venice first elected its Doge in 697, becoming a city-state within the Roman Empire. From the late 10th to the early 11th century, Venice annexed the Istrian Peninsula and used Dalmatia, located in what is now northwestern Yugoslavia, gaining dominance in the Near East. By the 12th century, Venice further acquired several islands in the Aegean Sea, but by the end of the 13th century, it had lost its foothold in the Near East. In the late 18th century, it was occupied by Napoleon and handed over to Austria. In the mid-19th century, there were attempts to re-establish an independent republic, but they failed. From 1866, Venice was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy and ceased to exist as a nation.
Today, Venice maintains its significant cultural status and has a thriving tourism industry. However, it is facing decline: the lagoon’s foundation is gradually subsiding, there are significant tidal variations, and environmental pollution poses many threats to the city’s cultural heritage. After the flood on November 4, 1966, the Italian government had to allocate a large amount of relief funds, yet it was insufficient. UNESCO quickly organized a “campaign” for timely support of cultural heritage.
