Venice History/Info

Venice was created on a series of mud banks with canals instead of roads, making it truly one of the most unique cities in the world! It was orginally a province of the Byzantine Empire and by the 12th century it was a completely independent city-state. Through its control of the spice and silk trade form the East, it was the richest trading nation in Europe. The canals are lined with many beautiful palaces that date back to the 18th century. Venice's power was beginning to wind down around the 18th century and finally lost its independence in 1797....and has since been somewhat frozen in time.






The Grand Canal-
The Grand Canal weaves through the heart of the city ranging in width from 100 to 230 ft and is approximately 2.5 miles long. It is lined with palaces that were built over a span of 5 centuries, almost all of them bearing the name of a once-great Venetian family. There are 3 bridges that cross over the Grand Canal (...and I'm proud to announce that I've crossed all three!) the Calzi, the Rialto and the Accademia. As stated by the French Ambassador in 1495, the Grand Canal is "the most beautiful street in the world".

Ponte di Rialto


Ponte Accademia


Ponte Scalzi




Gondolas-
Most of the time when people think 'Venice' they think 'Gondola'. Rightfully so because the gondola has been a part of Venice culture since the 11th century and are still extremely popular today! We saw them everywhere! With its slim shape and flat underside it is designed to handle the narrow shallow canals. In the past it was simply a way of transportation but today it is mainly just a tourist attraction, and an expensive one at that!









Basilica di San Marco/ St. Marks Basilica-
In St. Marks Basilica you can find a mixture of architecural and decorative styles from the east and west to create one of the greatest buildings in Europe. Built on a Greek-cross plan, it is actually the 3rd church to stand on this site. The first one was built to enshrine the body of St. Mark in the 9th century but was destroyed by fire. In the 11th century, the 2nd one was pulled down to make room for spectacular edifice that would reflect the growing power of the Republic and it's connections to Byzantium. Many of the treasures, statues, and icons that stand inside were brought to St. marks after the 4th crusade had plundered Constantinople in 1204.