Venice is a unique city, made up of 118 islands intersected by canals and connected by bridges. It sits in a lagoon that covers 212 square miles and is mostly just three to 10ft deep.
HISTORY
The city of Venice was originally populated by refugees from mainland cities sacked by the Huns. According to legend, it was founded exactly at the stroke of noon with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo at the islet of Rialto on March 25, 421 (the Feast of the Annunciation).
By the 10th century Venice became had become a wealthy independent trading republic and by the mid-15th century is stretched to the Alps and included Crete. It was governed by an aristocratic oligarchy, the Council of Ten, and a senate, which appointed the Doge, or chief magistrate.
From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice had the monopoly on the spice trade with the Middle East.
Early in the 12th century, Venice acquired some villages near Tyre and set up estates to produce sugar for export to Europe, where it supplemented honey, which had previously been the only available sweetener. By the 15th century, the area centered on Venice was the chief sugar refining and distribution centre in Europe.
The Queen of Cyprus sold her kingdom to Venice in 1489. When the Ottoman Empire invaded Cyprus in 1570 the Republic of Venice declared war along with the rest of the Holy League. Venice helped defeat the Ottoman Empire in the naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571, but two years later the Ottoman–Venetian War ended with Venice ceding Cyprus to the Ottomans.
Venice developed in the 16th century one of the first major sewer systems in the world. A series of tunnels, called gatoli, channelled the city’s wastewater into the canals via outlets known as sbocchi. The sewage would then flow out into the lagoon with the tides.
Venice was overthrown by Napoleon in 1797 during the War of the First Coalition. After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo it became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.
In 1848 and 1849, a revolt briefly re-established the Venetian Republic under Daniele Manin. The first air raid in history took place in 1849 when Austria launched pilotless balloons against the city of Venice.
Following the Third Italian War of Independence, Venice became in 1866 part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
The old city is built on piles on low-lying islands. Venice has had a handful of nicknames since its founding, one of which is the "City of Canals" due to its 400 bridges connecting the 118 small islands together.
In 2018, 260,897 people resided in Comune di Venezia, of whom around 55,000 live in the historical city of Venice.
The old city is now connected with the mainland and its industrial suburb, Mestre, by road and rail viaduct.
Venice is held up by millions of ancient tree poles driven into the mud. They never rot due to the lack of oxygen.
The Grand Canal divides the city and is crossed by the Rialto bridge; transport is by traditional gondola or Vaporetto (water bus).
The position of a Venetian gondolier is extremely exclusive and difficult to attain. Only 425 licenses are granted each year, and applicants must be Venetian by birth. Apprenticeships involve over 400 hours of training, and when a gondolier dies the license passes to the beneficiary, who then decides the replacement.
Venice sunk by 9 inches (23 cms) between the 1870s and 1960s, and was expected to be completely submerged by the middle of the 21st century. However, it was realized that extraction of water from the many artesian wells that had been sunk into the periphery of the lagoon was the cause. The sinking has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s.
Venice is famed for its glass-making expertise. The Venetian Patent Statute was issued by the Senate of Venice in 1474 to grant and protect patents in the field of glass making.
Some of the most important brands of glass in the world today are produced in the historical glass factories on Murano, an offshore island in Venice.
When Marco Polo returned home to Venice in 1295 from Asia, he bought back the idea of Venetian blinds to Europe. From Venice, they then spread worldwide and hence they are now known by the name of that city.
Source Daily Mail
HISTORY
By the 10th century Venice became had become a wealthy independent trading republic and by the mid-15th century is stretched to the Alps and included Crete. It was governed by an aristocratic oligarchy, the Council of Ten, and a senate, which appointed the Doge, or chief magistrate.
From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice had the monopoly on the spice trade with the Middle East.
Early in the 12th century, Venice acquired some villages near Tyre and set up estates to produce sugar for export to Europe, where it supplemented honey, which had previously been the only available sweetener. By the 15th century, the area centered on Venice was the chief sugar refining and distribution centre in Europe.
The Queen of Cyprus sold her kingdom to Venice in 1489. When the Ottoman Empire invaded Cyprus in 1570 the Republic of Venice declared war along with the rest of the Holy League. Venice helped defeat the Ottoman Empire in the naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571, but two years later the Ottoman–Venetian War ended with Venice ceding Cyprus to the Ottomans.
Venice developed in the 16th century one of the first major sewer systems in the world. A series of tunnels, called gatoli, channelled the city’s wastewater into the canals via outlets known as sbocchi. The sewage would then flow out into the lagoon with the tides.
 |
| View of San Marco basin in 1697. Gaspar van Wittel |
Venice was overthrown by Napoleon in 1797 during the War of the First Coalition. After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo it became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.
In 1848 and 1849, a revolt briefly re-established the Venetian Republic under Daniele Manin. The first air raid in history took place in 1849 when Austria launched pilotless balloons against the city of Venice.
Following the Third Italian War of Independence, Venice became in 1866 part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
FUN VENICE FACTS
The old city is built on piles on low-lying islands. Venice has had a handful of nicknames since its founding, one of which is the "City of Canals" due to its 400 bridges connecting the 118 small islands together.
 |
| Aerial view of Venice including the Ponte della Libertà bridge to the mainland.By Chris 73 |
In 2018, 260,897 people resided in Comune di Venezia, of whom around 55,000 live in the historical city of Venice.
The old city is now connected with the mainland and its industrial suburb, Mestre, by road and rail viaduct.
Venice is held up by millions of ancient tree poles driven into the mud. They never rot due to the lack of oxygen.
The Grand Canal divides the city and is crossed by the Rialto bridge; transport is by traditional gondola or Vaporetto (water bus).
 |
| Grand Canal from Rialto to Ca'Foscari By Didier Descouens |
The position of a Venetian gondolier is extremely exclusive and difficult to attain. Only 425 licenses are granted each year, and applicants must be Venetian by birth. Apprenticeships involve over 400 hours of training, and when a gondolier dies the license passes to the beneficiary, who then decides the replacement.
Venice sunk by 9 inches (23 cms) between the 1870s and 1960s, and was expected to be completely submerged by the middle of the 21st century. However, it was realized that extraction of water from the many artesian wells that had been sunk into the periphery of the lagoon was the cause. The sinking has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s.
Venice is famed for its glass-making expertise. The Venetian Patent Statute was issued by the Senate of Venice in 1474 to grant and protect patents in the field of glass making.
Some of the most important brands of glass in the world today are produced in the historical glass factories on Murano, an offshore island in Venice.
 |
| The Doge visits Murano |
When Marco Polo returned home to Venice in 1295 from Asia, he bought back the idea of Venetian blinds to Europe. From Venice, they then spread worldwide and hence they are now known by the name of that city.
Source Daily Mail
No comments:
Post a Comment