History

Venice was founded in the fifth century by Italians fleeing Attila the Hun, and at first was a wretched village on mud flats. After several centuries as a part of the Byzantine Empire, Venice emerged as an independent republic in the ninth century. When the Crusades encouraged trade between Europe and the East, the location of Venice made it a commercial and shipping center. By the 13th century Venice held territory on the Adriatic coasts and in the Near East. In 1380 Venice defeated its chief trade rival, Genoa, winning naval supremacy in the Mediterranean Sea.

In the 15th century Venice reached its greatest power. Some of the enormous profits of Venetian merchants built its marble palaces. Although a republic in name, Venice was actually ruled by a few merchants; the doge was a figurehead.

The decline of Venice began in the 16th century following costly wars with the Turks and discoveries of new routes to the East. Venice remained independent until Napoleon attached it to the Austrian empire in 1797. In 1866 Venice became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

During World War I the city was damaged by aerial bombing. It escaped serious damage during World War II.

Venice faces serious problems caused by its island location and by water and air pollution created by mainland industries. Among them are frequent flooding caused by high tides, currents that erode foundations, and pollution that eats away at buildings and statues. For a time, from the early 1950's until the mid-1970's, the city was sinking due to the lowering of the water table under the bed of the lagoon. The sinking stopped when the artesian wells in nearby cities were capped. During the 1970's and early 1980's much work was done to repair and restore Venice's churches, palaces, and other historic buildings. In 1996, a fire destroyed the historic opera house Teatro la Fenice, where works by Verdi, Rossini, Stravinsky, and others had first been presented.

Population: 296,422.