Description

Venice is one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world. This sanctuary in a lagoon is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which adds to the fascinating character. Venice has decayed since its heyday and is heavily touristic, but the romantic charm remains. The Most Serene Republic of Venice dates to 827, when a Byzantine duke moved its seat to what is now known as the Rialto, and for the following 970 years, prospered on trade and under the rule of a Roman-style Senate headed by the Doge. In 1797, the city was conquered by Napoleon, a blow from which it never recovered. The city was soon merged into Austria-Hungary, then ping-ponged back and forth between Austria and Italy, but Venice is still a monument to the glory days of the Renaissance.