Travel To Venice - The Wealthiest City In Europe

Travel To Venice - The Wealthiest City In Europe


Once the wealthiest city in Europe, traveling to Venice Italy is arguably also the most beautiful. Built on wooden piles in the middle of a lagoon on Italy’s Adriatic coast, Venice wears its riches with pride. In its heyday, this city state had strong trade links with the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim world. During the late thirteenth century, over 3,300 Venetian trade ships dominated Mediterranean commerce. Throughout this prosperous time, the city’s most prominent families competed with each other to build the grandest palaces and support the most talented artists.


Travel To Venice

The main artery of the city, the Grand Canal, sweeps in an elegant curve through its centre. A vaporetto (water-bus) trip down the Grand Canal will reveal the faded elegance of more than 300 palaces, revealing the city’s beautiful blend of Europe and Byzantium. And it is these private palaces and houses, rather than the public monuments, which make Venice Italy so appealing. Explored by gondola or on foot, the narrow alleys and backwaters of the city reveal all its decorative detail which reflects its past wealth and importance.

Venice was governed by the Great Council, made up of members of the most influential families. The Great Council appointed public officials and elected a Senate of 2-300 men. The Senate chose the Council of Ten, an elect group which handled the administration of the city. One member was elected’ Doge’, the ceremonial head of the city.

The Doge’s Palace, the ducal home and seat of power for 700 years, was largely constructed from 1309 to 1424 and is a stunning Gothic creation with the canal on one side and St Mark’s Square on the other. Next to the palace on St Mark’s Square is St Mark’s Basilica, is the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best-known examples of Byzantine architecture. The cathedral has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, since 1807. It is famous for its sheer opulence, and its wonderful gilded Byzantine mosaics. Venice Italy boasts some great works of Renaissance art. The best galleries are the Accademia, the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti in the Gothic Ca’ d’Oro and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Venice Italy may be one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, but however busy it is, few visitors are not overawed by its beauty, elegance and grandeur.


Population of Venice Italy

271,000 (2006)

When To Go To Venice Italy

The two weeks before Lent for the Carnevale.

Travel To Venice | Don’t Miss This Place

*Murano – this island just north of Venice is famous for its glasswork.
*A gondola ride.
*Torcello – the most intriguing and atmospheric of the islands in the Venetian lagoon. Don’t miss the stunning Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta on the dusty piazza.
*The Lido – Venice’s seaside.
*La Fenice opera house, one of the most beautiful in the world.

 

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