For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Venice, Italy Travel Guide has been your connection to Venice's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
History
Since the very beginning, Venice was a city driven by expansion. Originally part of the declining Byzantine Empire, Venice grew increasingly independent, electing its own governor, or Doge, and eventually forming an independent Republic in the late 7th century CE. In 828, two enterprising Venetian merchants stole the Apostle Mark’s body from Alexandria in Egypt, and secretly transported it to Venice. A huge church, consecrated in 1094, was built to house the remains of the Saint, who became the patron saint of the city: the Basilica of San Marco.
In 1797, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice and sacked the whole area, as he did in the rest of the country, ending 1,070 years of republican government. A short while later the Emperor handed over the city to Austria; in 1848, the Austrians were run out of the city, and the second independent Republic of Venice was proclaimed. This new republic did not last long; Venice was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
After 1797, the city fell into serious decline, and many of the old palaces and other buildings were abandoned and fell into disrepair, although in the late 19th century the Lido was a popular beach resort. At times the city has incurred serious damage from flood waters; most notable in recent history was the flood of 1966, when the waters reached 2 meters above sea level. Today the city is working to protect its historic legacy from the threat of rising sea levels due to global warming; controversy swirls around alternatives including raising the whole city higher and using inflatable pontoons to control tidal flow in the lagoon.
