Venice

This article is about Venice, Italy; see also other places called Venice.

Venice (Venezia) is a city in the northeast of Italy at the head of the Adriatic Sea and is the capital of the region of Veneto.

The city was founded as a result of the influx of refugees into the marshes of the Po estuary following the invasion of Northern Italy by the Lombards in 568. At first an outpost of Byzantine civilization, as the community developed an anti-Eastern character emerged, leading to the growth of autonomy and eventual independence. Venice was an city state (Repubblica Marinara - the other three were Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi). The chief executives were from an early date called Doge (duke), and held their elective office for life. At the height of its power, Venice controlled much of the coastal territory along the Adriatic, most of the islands in the Aegean, including Crete, and was a major power-broker in the Near East. After 1070 years the independence was lost when Napoleon Bonaparte on May 12, 1797 conquered it. The French conqueror brought to an end the most fascinating century of its history: it was during the "Settecento" that Venice became perhaps the most elegant and refined town in Europe, influencing art, architecture, and literature.
At the conclusion of the Napoleonic era, Venice became part of the Austrian held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia when on October 12 1797 Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campoformido. The Austrians took control of the city on January 18, 1798.

Venice is famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of more than 100 islands in a shallow lagoon. In the ancient classical center, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of transport is exclusively on water. The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies, due to its cost; most Venetians now travel by motorised waterbuses ("vaporetti") or private boats.

The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced poles, or pilings, which penetrate alternating layers of clay and sand. Most of these pilings are intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the pilings, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The buildings are often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring.

During the 20th century when many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to sink noticeably. It was realised that extraction of the aquifer was the cause. This sinking process has slowed to very low values since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city still is threatened by more frequent low-level floods (so-called Acqua alta, "high water") that creep to a height of several centimetres over its quays, regularly following certain tides.

Some recent studies lead us to hope that the city is no longer sinking, but this is not yet certain; therefore, a state of alert has not been revoked. The town council is still studying defensive plans, one of which would require building artificial barriers in the sea to break the strengh of waves.

Venice is served by the Marco Polo Airport, Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo, named in honor of its famous citizen.

Many works in art recall Venice: most famous is perhaps William Shakespeare's "Othello".

Places of note: