Venice [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION ORIGINS OF THE CITY What is the reason why Venice appears so different from all the other cities in the world? To answer this question, you need not think deeply of it, but it is enough to watch all that surrounds you. Who does so will realize at once that Venice is not made only of stones, water and air, but of all these things put together, which become part of the city to form the wonderfu! atmosphere created by the forms and the colours which penetrate into the inner fibres of its very structure. Actually the first city planning was marked out by the wandering waters of the river Brenta which could not discharge because of the contrary flood-tide of the Adriatic sea. It seems in fact that, at first, the Canal Grandé was the last course of the river winding among the islands and the islets situated between the lagoon and the sea. That was a long time before Venice was built; there was only a poor and vague population of Venetici scattered along the sea and the lagoon coasts. It was about the 5th century and new villages were forming at Grado, Eraclea, Concordia and Torcello. Large groups of refugees sought an everlasting refuge in the lagoon - enclosed between the river mouth of the Brenta and Malamocco - after leaving the unsafe cities of Aquileia, Altino, Caorle, ravaged by the barbarians. As soon as they settled, they established their own government; at first they were ruled by maritime tribunes who were dependent on the Esarca of Ravenna, later on by a Dogé whose residence was first at Malamocco and then in the much safer Rialto. The islets were 120 and their number could not increase: the people cut down whole forests to thrust the long trunks - piles - into the soft and muddy ground so that it might bear the weight of the houses and monuments. The many islands were joined together by means of 450 bridges; the houses were built one against the other and förmed tall and continuous walls while appeared large squares and canals winding among the houses. HISTORY AND ART Beginning from the 9th century the new and definitive Venice was born. A maze, for those who do not know it well, which looks like a wonderful Burano lace-work. Since then the Republic of Venice - an aristocratic regime with its Maggior Consiglio förmed by noblemen - got established in military politics and diplomacy. Through new conquests Venice reached its greatest expansion in the middle of the 15th century and extended its territories to the whole Venetia, part of Lombardy and to Dalmatia as far as the islands in the Aegean Sea. Besides it had colonial or trade expansion in Greece and Asia Minor. Venice is a city which is unique because of its structure and origins and the people in it live differently from the people who live in any other city in the world.