Venice - Queen of the Adriatic
from WorldWeb.com Travel Guide

Venice's Carnival is a Decadent Delight.1

Venice, the “Queen of the Adriatic”, has lost many jewels from her crown. Her face is unpowdered, her lipstick faded and the effects of Father Time have left her once radiant complexion weathered and creased. Yet, despite all she has lost, Venice is as captivating as ever.

Fiercely proud, it is a city like no other—a city of the world and a world within itself.

HISTORY

Settlement in the lagoon where Venice now sits was largely a result of the regular invasions that plagued northern Italy throughout the fifth and sixth centuries. The area's earliest inhabitants, the Veneti, fled to the area in search of refuge from the violence at home. The brutal attack by Attila the Hun in 452, followed by another by the Lombards in 568 caused refugees to flee from the north in record numbers. As northern Italy defended itself from one attack after another, it became increasingly difficult for refugees to return home, eventually leading to settlement of the area, known then as the Venetian Lagoons.

Their common bond in the beginning did little to keep the peace between island settlers, however, who were at constant odds with one another. Anti-Byzantine sentiment by some islanders was also contributing to the area's general unrest.

Seeking to regain some stability in the western portion of his empire and create some unity among islanders, Byzantine emperor Leo III instigated the installment of a Doge (Dux in Latin or Duce in Italian), the first of whom was elected in 627. In the beginning it did little to keep the peace and the first four Doges met violent ends. Over the next 1,100 years, approximately 118 more men would assume this post.

Doges Doges were elected for life by the city-state aristocracy and the first doges who assumed the post enjoyed a lot of power. In an effort to control this power an elaborate set of checks and balances were decreed. Some of these laws included: • No Doge had the right to associate any member of his family with himself in his office. • No Doge could select a successor. • No Doge could own property in a foreign land. • Doges were forbidden to leave the city Those found to have broken any of the above laws could be killed or forcibly removed from office.

Venetian settlement in the lagoon began on the island of Malamocco (now known as the Lido), as northern islands were swampy, hard to navigate and regularly flooded. Despite this setback, these islands were well sheltered from the Adriatic and enemy advances. So, under the direction of Doge Obelario degli Antenori, work on making the island inhabitable began; canals were dug, thick piles driven into the clay earth, the area drained and the first of Venice's building began their assent toward the sky. It wasn't long before this move proved advantageous.

By this time, Byzantine rule had long been swapped for Frankish ties but Venetians, missing the freedom granted to them under the Byzantine Empire, were about to stage a revolt. In 810, after having been invited by the pro-Frankish Doge to form the island's defense, a Frankish fleet set off for the island, only to learn quickly the reception they were about to receive. After the successful capture of neighbouring Grado, Eraclea and Jesolo, an attempted invasion of the unnavigable lagoon by the fleet, lead by Pepin the Short, proved ill-fated and Venice had two victories that day: the surging army was defeated, resulting in a big step toward autonomy and Venice convincingly flexed its arm muscle for all to see. Shortly thereafter Venice would pronouce itself as an official republic: The Most Serene Republic of Venice (Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia), or simply, Serenissima; the Queen of the Adriatic assumed her throne.

Venice's position at the head of the Adriatic was its biggest asset and the cornerstone to its rise in power. Land was scarce, so Venetians used their skills as seamen and merchants to propel their economy forward and the city eventually became the main entry point for goods coming into Europe. Purveyors of ivory, spices, gold, coffee and sugar, Venetians were the first people to enjoy these wares and, as a result, attracted some powerful characters.

In the wake of its growing influence, the city itself began to grow. The Doge began to commission several buildings throughout the city. The islands of Rivoalto were drained and canals cleared to create more land mass. Additional effort to extend the water-locked city came in the form of wooden pylons being driven into the marshy land, which was considered an incredible feat for the time.

St. Mark's Basilica.2

To further assert her independence, Venice set out to find a patron saint that matched more her own charisma than St. Theodore, the patron saint assigned to Venice by the Byzantines. Saints were hard to come by, so, in 828, Venice merchants set out to steal the body of St. Mark (San Marco), who laid in rest in Alexandria, Egypt, justifying their actions by proclaiming that they were only fulfilling a prophecy. Legend has it that St. Mark once stood on the banks of the lagoon and was told by an angel that his body would rest there. Within the next two years, work would begin on the first St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco), just one of many projects in the making for Venice.

With an economy centred around trade, Venice began growing into a powerful banking centre as well, and it was here where the idea of insuring ship cargo was conceived—one of many clever inventions that put Venice on the map as a centre of finance. Venetians also began to use their power to their advantage politically, trading military support to other empires in exchange for commercial and political privileges; these actions resulted in the city beginning to form a reputation for being shrewd, in business and otherwise—an adjective still used to describe Venetian ethos today.

Venice's rapid growth and involvement in third-party conflicts in exchange for trade concessions caused problems for the city on more than one occasion. Locked in a bitter rivalry with its neighbours Pisa and Genoa, Venice established a ship building yard, the Arsenal (Arsenale di Venezia), where some of the most advanced commercial and battle ships were constructed at an explosive rate. At its height near the end of the 14th century, the Arsenal employed over 16,000 people and had 3,300 ships at sea, manned by over 36,000 seaman.

Because of this large naval presence, Venice began to offer protection to its Adriatic neighbours from the constant threat of pirates that sailed the sea, further solidifying its position in the sea.

After Venice's unfavourable involvement in the First Crusade, in which the Byzantines lost Jerusalem to the Turks in 1095, its friendly relations with the Byzantine Empire were completely severed. In an act of retaliation, the Byzantine emperor incited the massacre of all Venetians living in Constantinople (now Istanbul). This act, in turn, caused Venice to become heavily involved in the Fourth Crusade. Organized by pope Innocent III, the Fourth Crusade set out with the agenda to reclaim the Holy Land from Egypt. Venetians, however, had their own plan, and managed to alter the conflict to suit their own ambitions—revenge against Constantinople. Venice lost many men to the Fourth Crusade, which set sail for Constantinople on October 8, 1202, but when the victorious Venetians finally conquered the city on April 12, 1204, the rewards were incredible—art, jewels, religious relics—not to mention that Venice was now the undisputed Queen of the Adriatic. This dominance of the sea was further recognized with the eventual defeat of the Genoese, with whom Venice had been locked in a bitter rivalry over control of Eastern trade, in 1380, after which the overconfident Venetians dubbed themselves the Stato da mar or the Sea-State.

During the beginning of the 13th century, Venice was growing into its newfound prestige. The city's building projects were elaborate and plenty: a new Rialto Bridge was constructed in 1264; St. Mark's Basilica was beginning to take shape as one of the finest in all of Italy and the Doge, in keeping with appearances, began to wear an elaborate garb that seemed more fitting of an emperor.

After the monumental defeat of Genoa, Venice turned her attention inland, and during the beginning of the 15th century had extended her empire to include the neighbouring cities of Treviso, Padova (Padua), Vicenza, Verona, Belluno, Udine, Cividale, Feltre, Bergamo, Brescia and Milan.

Venice might have continued on with her territorial pursuits if it hadn't been for the Ottoman Empire, which had begun its sweep across the Balkans claiming, in 1453, the last of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople.

	The Rialto Bridge Spans Venice's Grand Canal.3

Venice was also about to meet some opposition closer to home, as well. Headed by Pope Julius II, whose animosity toward the powerful Venice, brought on by the city's lack of obedience to the papacy and the 'losses' the city inflicted on others, led to the establishment of the League of Cambrai. Venice's nonchalant attitude toward religion certainly didn't help their cause. Named for where the league negotiations took place (in Cambrai, France), Julius II met with representatives of France, Spain, Vienna and other northern Italian states to work out the terms of an invasion of Venice. With the promise of Italian land as their prize, the League, in the spring of 1508, struck swiftly and with gusto, causing Venice to surrender in a humiliating public display by the end of this same year.

After the fall of the Venetian Empire, the pope then turned on the foreign powers that had helped him realize his vision. The war that ensued over the next eight years was, up to that point, the bloodiest Europe had ever seen, with tens of thousands of soldiers meeting their fate. Toward the end of the war, in 1513, Venice, in another defiant measure against the pope, signed a treaty with the retreating France, who also suffered many losses at the hands of the Holy League. The treaty, simply put, stated that France and the Republic of Venice would come to the other's help against any surging threat—including that of the pope.

Contradictory to its economic downward spiral, Venice was still atop the podium when it came to the high life. Venice's art and cultural scene thrived thanks to an Italian movement that would later be recognized as the Renaissance. Because of the flourishing economy, artists of all kinds were able to make a lucrative living and artist guilds more powerful than any modern-day labour union were charged with protecting the interest of all artists working in Venice; art schools were developed and strict rules enforced on who could, or couldn’t, belong. The art market was so protected that one simply did not purchase artwork outside these schools.

Over the next few years, Venice struggled to rebuild, having paid heavily as a result of the Cambrai War. With her commercial prowess waning, Venice turned to her citizens. Taxes were heavily imposed, toll and import duties increased and government offices put up for sale. Strict moral laws were also put into place in an attempt to rid the city from the licentious reputation it had formed in recent years. This did little to prevent the activities themselves, but did improve its appearance to the outside world, if only slightly.

Toward the end of the 1500s, Venice, which had regained its strength as a Republic, was about to face one of its biggest foes yet. A few years after defeating a surging Turkish army in 1571, Venice contracted a plague that almost completely wiped the city out. The 17th century proved no less trying than the last and before the 1600s came to a close, Venice would have to battle one more major plague that hit around 1630 and claimed nearly a third of its people. The Turks and Venice played a tug-o-war for territory well into the 1700s, finally ending with the Treaty of Passarowitz, whereby the three waring factions—The Republic of Venice, The Ottoman Empire and Venice's allies, the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria—agreed upon their 'new' territories, which reflected their current military situation.

Its military exhausted and its economy in a downward spiral, Venice maintained a brave face in the interest of remaining, if in title only, the Queen of the Adriatic. Still, the people kept coming, lured to the city known for its culture, art, gambling and great nightlife—it seemed as though Venice found its niche in the European market.

The Doges Palace.4

In the meanwhile, Napoleon was beginning his sweep of Europe; his army entered the city in May of 1797 and by October 17 that same year, Venice grudgingly signed the Treaty of Campo Formio and was handed over to Austria. The once powerful Republic of Venice was reduced to but a memory and one thousand seventy years of being on the top of European politics came to a sudden and tragic end.

The city became part of Napoleon’s Kingdom of Italy in 1805, only to be returned to Austrian power in 1814. The republic of Venice would re-establish itself once more before the end of the 1800s, but its stint was brief and paled in comparison to its former Serenissima self. The city began to gradually fall into serious decline—palaces were abandoned and left to crumble, and artists, no longer able to make a living, moved on.

The First World War brought about the deaths of over 600,000 Italian soldiers and left the country impoverished. Not yet having the resourses to rebuild from the First World War, the country was thrown into another world war, which again crippled the country and all of Europe. Venice did, however, manage to escape the bombings of both wars fairly unscathed—perhaps one advantage of its waning influence.

Leading up to the 20th century through to the present-day, the city has had to battle a completely different foe. In an ironic twist of fate, the very thing that helped to make Venice powerful, is now leading to its demise—the surging seawaters. In the mid-1960s a storm almost completely wiped out entire sections of the city, forcing Venice, and indeed the entire world, to come to grips with the reality that it was sinking.

Since this time, much thought has gone into the best way to handle Venice's sinking situation, but work on fixing the problem has only just begun. The project, named MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico or Experimental Eloectromechanical Module) will introduce 79 mobile barriers situated at the three main entrances to the lagoon. During low tide, the barriers will lie at the bottom of the sea. During high times or flood risk, the barriers will be pumped full of air and will rise to protect the lagoon from the Adriatic's rising waters. Although MOSE has been in the making for some time, ongoing debate continues within the scientific and environmental communities as to whether the project will have a significant impact on saving Venice. MOSE is expected to be complete by 2011 and has been budgeted at € 3 million.

Substantial work also continues, thanks to the efforts of UNESCO and a number of other private organizations, on preserving Venice's buildings and artwork. Dealing with flooding has become a way of life for Venetians and many first storeys of buildings have become uninhabitable. This, combined with pollution, has created a less than ideal situation for Venetians but, as usual, the populations' resilience prevails and life goes on as usual.

LAYOUT & TRANSPORTATION

Truly a city like no other in the world, Venice is built on some 200 islands, which are connected by more than 400 bridges. Running through the belly of the city are over 160 canals, among them the aptly named Grand Canal, with which the city has become synonymous.

From the Marco Polo Airport, located 12 km (7.5mi) from the city of Venice, guests can drive into the city, or take a bus, water taxi or public water transportation.

	Venice's Canals are Best Explored by Gondola.5

By Car
Vehicles are the least cost effective way to travel, since they must be parked at the Piazzale Roma or on the island of Tronchetto, both of which cost a lot of money (approximately € 18 to € 20 a day). Those who would still like to access the city by car can do so through the following routes: Highway A4 connect Venice from both Trieste and Turin; the A27 connects the city from Belluno, the A13 from Bologna, and the state roads SS 309 Romea from the Adriatic Coast, SS 14 from Trieste, SS 13 from Treviso, SS11 from Padua.

By Bus
There are two kind of buses that also head into Venice from the airport. Bus ATVO offers a direct route from Marco Polo into the city for a reasonable fare. Slightly less expensive is Bus ACTV, which follows a regular bus route and makes several stops along the way. Both buses drop visitors at the Piazzale Roma.

ACTV also provides a water taxi service that follows the same routes as the public system. This option is much less expensive one than takingg a private water taxi into the city, which is also offered.

By Train
Train Service, provided by Trenitalia, connects Venice to many other towns and cities throughout the country. The routes are extensive and a range of services are provided.

In the City
Given its watery predicament, transportation in Venice is achieved by using boats or by travelling by foot, upon which visitors will log a fair amount of miles. Depending on the season, walking could also require the aid of rubber boots.

To get from one end of the Grand Canal to the other, guests can utilize the city's public transportation, Il Vaporetto, which also travels to other areas throughout Venice and surrounding areas. The fee is fairly reasonable and is worth it just for its scenic qualities.

Private water taxis are also an option, but only for those with some money to spare. These taxis are almost as expensive as taking a gondola ride, which offers more of an experience than the regular taxis. Also included in the price of a gondola is a singing, stripy-shirt driver, just like those immortalized in movies and the like set in the city.

The city of Venice is comprised of six zones or sestiere: San Marco, San Polo, Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello and Santa Croce. When searching out sites, it is imperative to know where these sestiere lie in relation to one another, otherwise navigating the city is practically impossible. Unlike most cities, which are broken into blocks with street names and a numbering system that increases or decreases depending on the direction one is travelling, addresses in Venice are numbered by the sestiere. Where the confusion lies is that the number system has no apparent logic. Street maps are easy to come by, but almost everyone will get lost in Venice, map aside. But this is, afterall, the best and most cost-effective way to experience Venice's maze of streets and canals—the reward being the discovery of a little restaurant, shop or historic relic to explore. Most sestieres are small and therefore easily walkable, so visitors should eventually find their way.

CLIMATE

Month Avg. Daily Temperature Average Rainfall Min Max Jan 1°C (34°F) 6°C (43°F) 37 mm Feb 2°C (36°F) 8°C (46°F) 48 mm Mar 5°C (41°F) 12°C (54°F) 61 mm Apr 10°C (50°F) 17°C (63°F) 78 mm May 14 °C (57°F) 21°C (70°F) 65 mm Jun 17°C (63°F) 25°C (77°F) 69 mm Jul 19°C (66°F) 27°C (80°F) 52 mm Aug 18°C (64°F) 27°C (80°F) 69 mm Sep 16°C (61°F) 24°C (75.5°F) 59 mm Oct 11°C (52°F) 19°C (66°F) 77 mm Nov 7°C (45°F) 12°C (54°F) 94 mm Dec 3°C (37°F) 8°C (46°F) 61 mm

Climate data from BBC Weather

Spring and summer are high season in Venice and at this time the city radiates—both from the city's heat and humidity, and from the large number of tourists who pack its attractions and restaurants.

Those who choose to visit during autumn will find milder temperatures and generally fewer visitors, although Venice is rarely deserted. The same can be said of spring in Venice, when the weather is mild and the city is also less crowded.

October through March in Venice slows down considerably and visitors will most likely have to contend with the flooding, called acqua alta, that has become synonymous with the city. At this time it is possible, on occasion, to see a boat paddle through St. Mark's Square and other low-lying areas of Venice. Armed with rubber boots, the rising water levels don't seem to faze Venetians too much, as they go about their day like any other. When water levels are high, duckboards (raised wooden walkways) are also placed throughout certain flood-stricken areas to aid in keeping feet dry.

During the winter months, particularly January, Venice can also experience snow, given its northern location, making winter-gear imperative. Venice under snow is quite the sight to behold and a treat for those lucky enough to experience it.

ATTRACTIONS

St. Marks Square (Piazza San Marco)
Truly the heart of Venice, St. Mark's Square has been a primary Venetian meeting spot since the 9th century and has played host to countless dignitaries, politicians and royalty. The square has also supplied the backdrop for many important events in history, both celebratory and gruesome.

Famously coined “the drawing room of Europe” by Napoleon, it is a constant buzz of people—visitors and residents alike—who come to sip expensive coffee, marvel at the surrounding architecture and sit for hours people-watching. The square, which is more of a slanted rectangle, is home to scads of cafes, restaurants and shops, as well as St. Mark's Cathedral and the Doges palace.

A Flooded St. Mark's Square.6

St. Mark's Cathedral
Built and rebuilt several times since the original structure was erected in 828, the St. Mark's Basilica that stands today was consecrated in 1094 and is a Byzantine masterpiece. Built on a Greek cross plan and crowned by five domes, St. Marks was modeled after the now destroyed Church of the Twelve Apostles in the former Constantinople.

Adorned in art and artefacts that span the ages, each time a victorious Venetian ship (and there were many) sailed home from battle abroad it brought with it more wares to decorate the already lavish church. It quickly became a status symbol and has remained so to this day, despite the city's otherwise crumbling facade.

Visitors to Venice must make it a priority to visit the famous St. Mark's Basilica and, if possible, meander inside, where religious mosaics cover over 8,000 square metres of wall space, and wall-to-wall tessellated marble flooring line its rooms. St. Marks Museum is also worth the visit and contains Persian carpets, manuscripts and, the crowning jewel, the Triumphal Quadriga, a bronze statue plundered from Constantinople after one of the crusades.

Those who wish to visit the inside of St. Mark's Basilica should ensure they are dressed appropriately; as with all Italian churches, a strict dress code requires arms to be covered and pants, or skirts to come to the knees, at least.

Doges Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
The present Palace of the Doge was largely constructed during 1309 to 1424 and, in true Venetian fashion not to be outdone by anyone, is a striking addition to St. Mark's Square. Draped in pink-and-white Istrian and Venetian marble, respectively, the palace is mostly Venetian Gothic, infused with a bit of Renaissance influence. And as impressive as the outside is, it is the within the palace walls where the magnificent scale is tipped off its base. Many leading artists of the time have left their permanent mark within the palace, which in its day was home to Venice's political facets, including the offices of the Empire lawyers, the Grand Council Chamber, civil servant offices and even a torture chamber. It was also home to the Doge himself until the fall of the Empire in 1797.

A few of the Palace's defining features include: the Giants' Staircase (Scala dei Giganti) carved by Antonio Rizzo; the Golden Staircase (Scala dei Giganti), by Gocopo Sansovino; the Hall of Four Doors (Scalla delle Quattro Porte), which is adorned with frescoes by Tintoretto, who is also responsible for other frescoes throughout and also one of the world's largest oil paintings (measuring 22m by 2m), Paradise (Paradiso) found in the Grand Council Hall (Sala sel Maggior Consiglio).

At the back of the palace, the building is connected to an adjoining prison by the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri), so named by Lord Byron in the 19th century as a commentary on the sadness that prisoners must have felt on their march to the prison, perhaps looking at Venice's skyline for the last time. For those visiting the palace, it is definitely worth looking into taking an official tour of the palace, or at least, purchasing the optional audio guide offered as to not miss out on all it has to offer.

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES

Ca' d'Oro
The Ca' d'Oro, or Golden House, has lost much of its original grandeur, including the gold leafing responsible for its name, but remains a constant reminder of the city's prestigious past. Officially titled Saint Sofia's Palace (Palazzo Santa Sofia) (but always known as the Ca' d'Oro), the palace is described as one of the city's crowning achievements in the Venetian Gothic style, which is actually more Byzantine in appearance than Gothic. Constructed between 1428 and 1430, the building sits alongside the Grand Canal, consequently enjoying spectacular views of the waterway from its ornate balconies.

After the fall of the Republic, in the 1700s, the palace changed owners several times, each one manipulating and adapting the palace to his/her tastes. Unfortunately for the building, some of these changes desecrated the integrity of the original design by destroying some key architectural details. Most notably, in the 19th century under the ownership of dancer Marie Taglioni, the Gothic stairway in the inner courtyard was removed.

Today, the building, which belongs to the state, operates as the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti and has been restored to its original design (including a rebuilt Gothic stairway in the Courtyard). The gallery itself holds a meaty collection of Titian, including Venus at the Mirror, as well as Andrea Mantegna's San Sebastiano. Other artists include Tintoretto, Carpaccio, Vivarini, Signorelli, van Eyck, Giorgione, and Jan Steen. While here, be sure to step out onto the first and second floor balconies to see one of the great masterpieces of Venice herself: the Grand Canal.

Academy Gallery
By far, Venice's, and indeed Europe's, largest and most prolific collection of Venetian art is housed in the Academy Gallery (Gallerie dell'Accademia). The museum's exhibits runs chronologically, cataloguing the city's art from the 13th to the 18th century. Some artists featured include, Paolo Venezaino, Lorenzo Veneziano, Gentile Bellini, Giovanni Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Canaletto, Piazzetta, Longhi, and Tiepolo, among others. Although the line-ups to get in this gallery are as significant as the art itself, it is definitely worth the wait as nary an art lover will be disappointed.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Eccentric millionaire and American expatriate Peggy Guggenheim is responsible for amassing the comprehensive collection of modern art which is housed in her former home, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, located on the edge of the Grand Canal. The building itself was never completed, hence its unusual one-floor design, but the collection it houses is far from incomplete and includes many styles, including Cubanism and Surrealism. A few of the famous artists whose work is displayed here include Picasso, Dali, Georges Braque, Mondrian, Giacometti, Pollock, Chagall, and Miro, not to mention the extensive collection of Guggenheim's husband, Max Ernst.

CANALS AND BRIDGES

A Row of Gondolas Await Their Next Passengers.7

The Grand Canal
Weaving its way through the city in a backward 'S' Pattern, the Grand Canal is Italy's and perhaps the world's most famous canal. Acting as Venice's main street, it is lined with some of the city's most impressive residences (most of which now house museums or the like), as well as some upscale shops and restaurants. Totalling 3.5 km (2 mi) the canal's depth is about 6m (20 ft) and ranges in width from about 40m (131 ft) to about 100m (328 ft). Those wishing to explore its shores can do so by taking a vaporetto or water bus. Of the 400 bridges that call Venice home, only three cross the Grand Canal: The Ponte dei Scalzi (which translates to Bridge of the Barefoot), Ponte dell'Accademia, and the most famous, the covered Rialto Bridge.

Rialto Bridge
The oldest bridge in Venice, the Rialto Bridge was first constructed in 1181 under the name of Ponte della Moneta. The establishment of the Rialto Market led to more traffic than the pontoon style bridge could handle and in 1250 the structure was rebuilt to much the same design specifications as it employs today—that of two inclined ramps that meet at a portico in the middle. It was also at this time that the idea emerged of adding shops along the covered edges of the bridge; today the bridge has become an exclusive shopping area, selling Venetian wares to hordes of tourists at much higher prices than can be found at most other places.

Having collapsed twice, once in 1444 and another time 1524, it became apparent that the bridge needed to pitch its wooden frame for a more stable material—hence its current stone structure designed by Antonio da Ponte and completed in 1591. Criticized by some for its bold and supposedly impractical design, the bridge has become symbolic of Venice's character and now has a life of its own.

EVENTS

	An Extravagant Carnival Costume.8

The Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice (Carnivale di Venezia) is probably the city's most famous event—characterised by the elaborate costumes and masks that are indicative of the celebration. The festival, which takes place in February, two Fridays before the eve of Ash Wednesday, dates back to the 11th century. When it was first introduced the city was at the height of its power. At this time, the event was spread over two months and was a showcase for Venice's upper-class to reiterate their social status by hosting grand events and commissioning lavish costumes and detailed masks. So important was the Carnival in Venetian society that mask-makers enjoyed a heightened status in the city. There have been long periods of rest for the Carnival, during times of national sorrow and its outright banning by Mussolini, but has been going strong again since 1979.

Today, the celebration has been shortened to 10 days, but is an event that attracts thousands. Given its aesthetic qualities, the Carnival has also become a magnet for photographers, who simply cannot resist the contrast of the colourful costumes set against the haunting grey of Venice's winter sky.

Historical Regatta
The city's maritime culture comes alive every first Sunday in September with the Historical Regatta, set on the Grand Canal. The ultimate celebration of its relationship with the sea, the Regatta begins with a ceremonial procession whereby Venetians dress in historical 16th century costumes and then reenact the arrival of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus. A native Venetian, Caterina returned home to hand Cyprus to Venetians.

The Regatta follows and, like the many before it, Ventians compete with neighbouring cities for bragging rights over the best oarsman. Once the formal regatta is complete, all of the city's waterways and canals are inundated with colourful boats and gondolas and the celebration spills into Venice's squares and piazza's, where street performers and musicians further entertain the crowds.

Venice Biennale
What more appropriate place in the world to celebrate art in all its forms than Venice—where art's inspiration lives? It is exactly this mission that drives the Venice Biennale (Biennale di Venezia), which first entered the Venice art scene in 1885 and almost immediately received international attention. The Biennale, held on uneven years, has grown into a five-month long series of events that includes the International Venice Film Festival, Music Festival, Theatre Festival and Dance Festival, in addition to its large modern art exhibit. Artists the world over participate in the festival, their pieces evaluated by a prolific international judging panel.

PHOTO COURTESY Venice's Carnival is a Decadent Delight. St. Mark's Basilica. The Rialto Bridge Spans Venice's Grand Canal. The Doges Palace. Venice's Canals are Best Explored by Gondola. A Flooded St. Mark's Square. A Row of Gondolas Await Their Next Passengers. An Extravagant Carnival Costume.