Overview
Venice is surely one of the world's most exotic cities. A gondola ride through its moonlit canals is everyone's dream, while walks along narrow calli (paths), across the 400 bridges that span the 114 canals, are enchanting. In the mornings, visitors awaken to fog horns, the hum of ferries, and the slap of waves against the quays. Instead of streets, there is the rio (canal) or the fondamenta (quay); a small expanse of land, large enough to be a piazza, is called a campo (field). Everywhere there are reminders of Venice's uniqueness, down to the garbage barges and gondola traffic jams.The reality of Venetian living can be less than romantic, of course. Some flee Venice and its crowds (others retreat to the quiet back canals where often, even in summer, there is no one else). The aqua alta (high tide) washes the campi at least 40 times a year and sometimes floods them alarmingly, as in 1966. The maintenance difficulties caused by too few plumbers and laborers and increasing numbers of seasonal, wealthy occupants has rendered many homes uninhabitable. The result has been a decline in population to 80,000—less than half that of 40 years ago and considerably less than the 200,000 of the city's heyday.
In ancient times, Venice didn't even exist. Not until the 5th century, when the Roman empire battled the Goths, did refugees flee to the safety of the area’s lagoon islets, and it was only after the Lombards invaded that the lagoon villages grew into towns. While the mainland lived under Lombard rule, the islet sanctuaries did quite well by trading salt and provisions with Constantinople. When Charlemagne tried to expand the reconquest to the lagoon, these communities united to protect their trade with the East and founded a common government away from the easy reach of pope and Frankish emperor alike. They also expanded their navy. Thus Venice was born, a free and maritime republic, in 811.
By the time the crusaders needed transport to the East, the republic was ready with ships. Christian Constantinople was conquered in 1204, much to the advantage of Venice, which monopolized the spice trade, introducing Europe to sugar and controlling the distribution of pepper. Its most adventurous merchant, Marco Polo, made his way to the cinnamon and ginger of China by 1275. In the early 14th century, Venice controlled the Dalmatian coast of modern Yugoslavia, as well as Crete and Corfu, and its trading rights included Alexandria, Constantinople, and beyond to the Black Sea and farther east. Its ships carried the spices of the exotic Orient around Gibraltar, to England and Flanders, and returned laden with furs, wool, and French wines. While the mainland towns fought their way through the feuds of medieval Italy, Venice became the greatest maritime power in the world.
Straddling East and West, Venice created a unique state. Its doge (duke) lived in quarters sumptuous enough for an eastern pasha and was paraded through the town on special occasions. And yet, though the doge was a symbol appropriate to the wealthy and aristocratic republic, in fact the checks on his power reduced him to a mere figurehead, for the enduring health of Venetian commerce could not be entrusted to a personality cult. Venice was in the hands of the anonymous state, and its wealth spread beyond the doge, spilling over into low taxes and greater internal peace—so that soon it became known as La Serenissima, the most serene republic.
Venice endured as an independent state for 1,000 years, finally abdicating to Napoleon in 1797. Yet the grand city flourishes, as it has for centuries—and largely because of its tourism. Empires have come and gone, but few have put on such a splendid show.