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Table of Contents Introduction 1 History 2 Culture 6 Art 9 Colophon 12
Introduction L
a Serenissima Republica (the brightest republic), Queen of the Adriatic, a captivating city of canals and palaces. Venice’s nature is dual: water and land, a long history and a doubtful future. For thousands of years the city was one of the most enduring mercantile sea powers on the face of the earth. Today the brilliance and influence have long since faded leaving an extraordinary relic. Venice is built on 117
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Oppostie: St. Marco Basillca
small islands, has 150 canals and 409 bridges (only three of which cross the Grand Canal, considered the main ‘street’ of the city). The historic centre is divided into six sestieri (quarters): San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio and Castello. No cars or buses can be encountered in the city. The entire transportation system is based on the water.
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History
he first human settlements on the Venice Lagoon islands date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, when the inhabitants from the mainland came to this semi-swamp area to escape the barbaric invasions that followed the fall of the Roman Empire. The populations coming from mainland Venice settled in the lagoon, fighting as hard as they could to survive: little by little this group of pieces of land surrounded by water took on the semblance of a real town, a town that was so unique and special that it would become the only one of its kind in the world. The new inhabitants built several rafts of various sizes, supported by strong wooden poles that were fixed to the underside. The rafts were connected to each other with wooden walkways and houses, buildings and monuments were then built on them.When Venice had a big enough population to begin to deserve the title of city, it was then an2
nexed to the Byzantine Empire, while maintaining its own independence. In 697, Venice elected its first Doge, giving life to a new government: the Dogado (Maritime Empire). However, the event that finally made Venice’s name in the world took place in 828, when two enterprising Venetian merchants stole the Apostle Mark’s body from Alessandria in Egypt, and secretly transported it to Venice. A huge church, consecrated in 1094, was built to house the remains of the Saint, who then became the patron saint of the city: the Basilica of San Marco. Since the very beginning, Venice showed strong inclinations towards trade. This increased to the point that at the end of the 11th century, the city set up close trading connections with Byzantium. This was the start of the Republic of Venice, which was finally consecrated in 1202 through the 4th crusade that saw the conquering of Oppostie: St. Marco Basillca
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Byzantium and then the islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The eastern city was sacked and the booty was taken to Venice, where it was used to decorate churches and palaces. The four bronze horses that still adorn the main facade of the Basilica of San Marco. After the 4th crusade, Venice gained a strong political role due to the fact that it now controlled a large part of the Mediterranean and it also increased its military power 4
and its trading. The city’s historical rivalry with Genoa exploded under the form of four wars that were fought one after the other until a truce was finally agreed at the end of 1381. Venice then realized that it was necessary for the city to have bases on the mainland too and began to expand towards Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia and Bergamo. Venice’s prestige grew at the same rate as the increase in the land it controlled and was thus given the name of Serenissima. However, danger was round the corner: the Serenissima was so busy expanding on the mainland that it did not realize that the Turks’ power was expanding rapidly, to the point where they took over Constantinople (Byzantium) and some cities on the Greek and Albanian coastlines. The League of Cambrai was founded in 1508: this was a sort of coalition against Venice which most of the European powers joined. Venice managed to maintain some of its land after seven years of war, but it lost its control over the Mediterranean. In the 17th century, the Serenissima had to give up Crete, one of its historical lands and the whole of the PeloLeft: Lion of St. Marks
ponnesus area to the Turkish Empire. In the period that followed, Venice’s political power was seriously damaged but there was a considerable increase of the arts and literature in the city, which gave rise to the creation of works of art by Tiepolo, Pietro Longhi and Canova and to theatre plays by Carlo Goldoni. In 1797, Napoleone Bonaparte conquered Venice, and sacked the whole area, just as he did in the rest of Above: Gondola in a canal, Rialto Bridge
the country. A short while later the Emperor handed over the city to Austria, a ruler that was never accepted by the Venetians: in 1848, the Austrians were run out of the city by a group led by Daniele Manin, and the second Republic of Venice was proclaimed.
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Culture
he charm of Venetian culture is best experienced during the marvelous festivals and carnivals that are the highlight of local cultural life. The most attractive event is undoubtedly the Carnival: a splendid celebration that makes both locals and tourists forget everything else within the eight days in January each year when this colorful event is carried out. The programme consists of a row of concerts, balls, theatre performances and emblematic processions with masked participants. Namely, the rich decorated masks and costumes with magnificent ornaments represent the major appeal of Carnival. Their mass production has become one of the most profitable branches of tourist industry in the city. The Venetian Carnival is the second most renowned and spectacular event of this kind in Europe. Carnival first appeared as a typical Catholic custom and its origins can be traced back to the 6
knowledge, science and culture. The best place to start your museum tour is at Doges Palace, an amazing building that amalgamates styles from all epochs; and all lords of the city throughout the years have left their own imprint on it. Today it is used as a massive museum with its spectacular interior and precious collections of paintings by great artists like Tintoretto, Veronese and Titian. Other exclusive museums are Marciano, with valuable manuscripts and mosaics on display; Correr, dedicated to the history and art of Venice; and the School of San Rocco, the greatest destination for art lovers in Venice. Venice boasts a large number of prominent composers that brought the city fame as one of the musical centres of Europe during the Renaissance. The world-known Venetian School has produced extremely talented composers over the course of time, with Antonio Vivaldi and Tomaso Albinoni being the most important. Today the Venetian musical scene ranks among the most prestigious in the world with its top-level opera and musical performances that form a great part of the cultural programme of the
18th Century, when the glorious winter parties took place on the streets of Venice. Venetian architecture and urban planning are also a characteristic feature of local culture. Splendid imposing palaces, cathedrals and churches reveal the high level of development of Venice’s economy and society during different historical periods, particularly the Renaissance. These cultural monuments of extraordinary significance symbolise Venice worldwide, as the countless canals and waterways are widely recognized as one of the most miraculous facilities in urban planning. They give the ‘City of Water’ its unmatched romantic and glamorous ambience. For those who want to gain a more detailed impression of Venice—and its art and history—should by all means drop in at one of the various museums and art galleries that show valuable treasures from all fields of Right: Participatants of Venician Carnival
Right: Doge’s Palace and Campanile
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city. The legendary Teatro Italia has given stage to world classics for more than 500 years. Also, the emblematic Teatro la Fenice provides a delightful experience for art lovers of all tastes and preferences. Museum houses of eminent citizens of Venice, or the ‘Queen of the Adriatic’, will also give you a special insight into the essence of Venetian culture. Quite possibly, the most famous person to ever live in Venice is Marco Polo. Antonio Vivaldi, Titian and a galaxy of great artists and musicians also have museums and houses where tourist can become acquainted with their art and work.
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Left: Doges Palace and Campanile
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Art
ome to a wealth of architectural heritage, Venice is without a doubt one of the greatest tourist destinations, not just in Italy but in the world. Visitors will have a memorable experience in this most romantic city sightseeing its famous palaces and churches, cruising along Canal Grande or just enjoying the spectacular views from different parts of the city. Most tourists first direct their steps towards Piazza San Marco to see its highlights—Basilica di San Marco and Doge’s Palace as well as several other important buildings that line the square’s side streets. However, other picturesque districts likewise offer a variety of things to see and do. The Campanile of St. Mark has had to undergo a number of adversities and changes in order to acquire the look we know today. Its construction began in the 9th Century
and lasted approximately 300 years, during which it was constantly being expanded and refurbished. After disasters like fires and earthquakes, the work was finally finished and the tower acquired its present form in 1514. The Campanile consisted of a tall quadrangular tower with five bells and various ornaments, topped by a pyramidal spire with a wind vane in the form of archangel Gabriel. During the 16th Century in the base of St Mark’s Campanile was built a loggetta, designed by Sansovino, that housed the Doge’s troops. Over the course of time, it was often necessary to refurbish and even rebuild this landmark. The most dramatic moment in its history was on July 14, 1902 when the structure collapsed due to huge cracks in the walls. The local government decided to rebuild the tower so that is was characteristic of Venice exactly as 9
it was before the demolition, and on April 25, 1912, the day of St Mark, the replica was officially inaugurated. St Mark’s Campanile is not only merely one of the major monuments and tourist attractions of the ‘Queen of the Adriatic’, but also a model for the construction of many bell and clock towers worldwide. The Glass Museum is hosted in a palace which was once the residence of the bishops of Torcello. Years later, it became the city hall of the municipality of Murano, after which it was annexed to the Venice municipality, and the Glass Museum became one of Venice’s civic museums. The palace is a beautiful Gothic building, entirely dedicated to glass works. The museum used to encompass only the central hall of the palace, but its collections increased amazingly and now the whole building is occupied by it. There’s also an archaeological section which presents curious exhibits from the necropolises of Enona. The Glass Museum has an interesting history, both as a building and a collection. The exterior is an impressive Gothic construction set in the Flamboyant style. Since the 10
Left: Staircase in Doges Palace
17th Century, it served as a residence of the bishops of Torcello, and at that time constant reconstruction works were carried out. In the 19th Century. it was acquired by the municipality of Murano—one of the beautiful islands of Venice. The museum was founded in 1861. The collections grew in size, and in 1923, when the municipality of Murano was abolished and annexed to Venice, the Glass Museum already occupied the entire building. History shows that the museum assisted in its own way the rebound of the industry it exhibited. Today, the Venice Glass Museum is one of the most fascinating of its kind, not only in Europe but worldwide. It represents all periods of glass-blowing traditions in the exquisite Venetian style.
Right: Clock Tower in St Mark̓s Square
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Colophon This book was completed March 2010 and later redesigned in November of 2011. The overall design and concept was created by Danielle Moody. All images and information were compiled and bound by Moody. The typefaces used in this book were Times and Snell Roundhand LT. The color scheme was found at ColourLovers. com. The Pantone color used was 4535C. There is only one edition of this book. All images used in this book belong to Getty Images. The text information for the the introdction was found at http://www.europe-cities.com/ en/573/italy/venice/. The text information for the History section for the book was found at http://www.veniceworld. com/venice_guide_history_culture.htm. The text information for the Culture section was found at http://www. europe-cities.com/en/600/italy/venice/culture/. The text 12
information found for the Art section was found at http:// www.europe-cities.com/en/590/italy/venice/attractions/.
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