Venice has more than 270.000 inhabitants and is the capital of Veneto Region and Veneto Province in north-east Italy. It was also historically an independent nation and the capital of the Serenissima Venetian Republic for more than a thousand years and known because of this as the “Serenissima”.
Venice is world-famous for its canals it is built on an archipelago of 118 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which the city is built are connected by about 400 bridges. In the old centre, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of transport is on water or on foot. Venice is universally considered to be the most beautiful city in the world because of this unusual urban design and its inestimable artistic heritage; it is included in the heritage of humanity projects protected by UNESCO and has the highest number of visitors of any Italian city, many of whom are foreign tourists.
PIAZZA SAN MARCO
Because of its unusual construction of canals and bridges it is a fascinating city to discover on foot or by water buses(vaporetti) or gondola.
The heart of the city is Piazza San Marco, the only square worthy of the name in Venice. The others are called “campi” (fields) or “campielli”. The magnificent Basilica di San Marco, the cathedral of Venice, the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture, is in the centre of the square. It is covered by gilded Byzantine mosaics illustrating the story of Venice, together with wonderful bas-reliefs representing the months of the year.
DOGE’S PALACE
The impressive gothic style Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), characterized by the use of arcading in the lower stories and its multicoloured marble exterior, is to be found next to the Basilica: united to it by the marvellous Porta della Carta, built by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon as the monumental entrance to the palace in 1438.It is now the exit of the Palazzo Ducale Museum the entrance is on the side facing the lagoon. The Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Grand Council chamber) was for centuries the largest seat of government in the world.
HALL OF THE GREAT COUNCIL
The Piombi (The Lead) was an ancient prison adjacent to the Doge’s Palace. It owes its name to the fact that it was covered with slabs of lead. In winter, these slabs let the cold pass and they acted as a catalyst in the summer heat, imposing harsh conditions for inmates. In 1755 Casanova made a famous escape from the prison, which still stands today. It is separated from the Palace by the famous Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs).
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