Venice - The Origins of the
Sinking City by Richard Monk
Often called the sinking city,
Venice is a wonderful place to spend a few weeks walking up and down little
alleys. To truly enjoy the city, however, one needs to know how it came
to be.
| Italy is one of the most
interesting countries in all of Europe. The culture, language, climate
and even the boot shape of the country are all things that draw people
to Italy and its history. Within Italy, there are many cities that also
attract people, including Rome and Venice. Venice, Italy is particularly
engaging and deserves more than just a glance.
Venice has a long and varied
past. It was supposedly founded in 422 AD by Romans who were fleeing the
Goths. The Goths, in turn, were trying to conquer areas of the Roman Empire.
However, there are no concrete records of when exactly Venice was founded.
Starting in the ninth century
AD and continuing on into the twelfth century, Venice became a city state
similar to other city states such as Genoa and Pisa. Strategically, Venice
was strong, as it was situated at the edge of the Adriatic Sea and was
virtually untouchable. It's naval and other marine forces made it a center
of commerce for the region. |
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Construction on the Venetian
Arsenal started in 1104, and when Venice gained control of the Brenner
pass in 1178, they also obtained all the rights to the silver trade from
Germany. This made the city one of the economic powers of the time.
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By 1204, Venice had taken
yet another turn. This is the period of the Fourth Crusade. Venice played
a crucial role in the taking of Constantinople and creation of a Latin
Empire. Venice's ability to send out ships to transport men and goods made
them invaluable in the Crusades, and they received much plunder from the
city's takeover.
Venice's form of government
also helped the city to prosper - here, a form of rule much like that of
ancient Rome took place. A doge (or duke) ruled over the city state theoretically
for life (although some of the doges were forced into early retirement).
A senate, comprised of nobles, also ruled over the area as advisors to
the doge. A mass of the citizens were included in the ruling class, but
they held limited political power and were eventually removed from the
government entirely. |
Modern-era rule of Venice
started when the city state (republic) lost its independence after 1070
years of self-rule. Napoleon conquered Venice in 1797. By 1798, Venice
was part of the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1866, Venice along
with the rest of Venetia became part of Italy. Although initially dominated
by the rule of the various Popes, the united country slowly developed into
a full fledged republic.
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About the Author: Richard
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