VEnice

Venice   is   a   unique   artistic   achievement.   The   city   is   built   on 118   small   islands   and   seems   to   float   on   the   waters   of   the lagoon.    The    influence    of    Venice    on    the    development    of architecture   and   monumental   arts   has   been   considerable. Venice    possesses    an    incomparable    series    of    architectural ensembles   illustrating   the   age   of   its   splendour.   It   presents a   complete   typology   whose   exemplary   value   goes   hand-in- hand   with   the   outstanding   character   of   an   urban   setting which    had    to    adapt    to    the    special    requirements    of    the site.

In    this    lagoon    covering    50,000    km2,    nature    and history   have   been   so   closely   linked   since   the   5th   century   AD when    Venetian    populations,    to    escape    barbarian    raids, found   refuge   on   the   sandy   islands   of   Torcello,   Iesolo   and Malamocco.      These      temporary      settlements      gradually became    permanent    and    the    initial    refuge    of    the    land- dwelling     peasants     and     fishermen     became     a     maritime power. The   small   island   of   Rialto   was   chosen   as   the   headquarters of     the     new     city.

In     AD     1000,     Venice     controlled     the Dalmatian   coast   and   in   1112   a   trading   market   was   founded in the Levantine port of Sidon. The    year    1204    saw    Venice    allied    with    the    Crusaders    to capture   Constantinople.   The   abundant   booty   brought   back on   that   occasion,   including   the   bronzes   horses   of   St   Mark's, is     only     the     more     spectacular     part     of     the     loot     from Byzantium   that   the   Doge   Enrico   Dàndolo   shared   with   his allies. Under   the   Doge,   a   maritime   empire   of   unequalled   power extended   over   the   entire   length   of   the   shores   around   the eastern   Mediterranean,   to   the   islands   of   the   Ionian   Sea   and to    Crete.    During    the    entire    period    of    the    expansion    of Venice,   over   the   centuries   when   it   was   obliged   to   defend its   trading   markets   against   the   commercial   undertakings   of the   Arabs,   the   Genoese   and   the   Ottoman   Turks,as   well   as those   of   the   European   monarchs   who   were   envious   of   its power,   Venice   never   ceased,   in   the   literal   sense   of   the   term, to consolidate its position in the lagoon. The   marriage   with   the   sea,   that   sposalizio   that   since   1172 was   symbolized   by   the   ring   of   the   Doge,   who   had   replaced the   Dux   (elected   for   the   first   time   in   697   by   an   assembly   of the people), was never called into question.