Venice – a beautiful city in northern Italy famous for tourism and industry. Some of its popular names include: “La Dominante”, “Serenissima”, “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “The Floating City” and “City of Channels”. Many describe it as “The most beautiful city built by man”. Venice has also been described as one of the most romantic cities in Europe. Added to its beauty is the transportation system that is unique in the world. There are absolutely no vehicles or roads in the city and transportation relies entirely on foot or water. It is considered as the largest car-free area in Europe. Its rich and diverse architecture gives it an even more beautiful and influential style.
Venice is believed to have been founded around 421 AD Signs of democracy in the city date back to 697. It has a long history of invasions and fighting and was invaded by Napoleon and the Austrians at different times. It also escaped heavy bombardment during the world wars.
Today, there are several attractions in Venice, such as St. Mark’s Basilica, the Grand Canal, and Piazza San Marco. The Lido di Venezia is another popular international luxury destination that attracts many actors, critics, celebrities and, above all, people from the film industry. The city also boasts of a huge cruise business.
Venice has also been famous for its music. It has played a very important role in the development of music in Italy and was rightly dubbed the Republic of Music. It was home to some of the really famous music composers including Antonio Vivaldi, Ippolito Ciera, Giovanni Picchi and Girolamo Dalla Casa.
Venice has also been a source of inspiration for some of the greatest authors. The most famous writers in Venice were Marco Polo in the Middle Ages and later Giacomo Casnova. It also inspired authors from around the world such as Shakespeare.
In recent times, Venice has been affected by a series of problems. Being a very popular tourist destination, it gets very crowded at many times of the year. Cruise ships operating on the Giudecca Canal send huge waves towards the city which are eventually causing the city to sink. Furthermore, competition from foreigners to buy houses in Venice has resulted in a dramatic increase in prices. This has forced many inhabitants to move to more affordable areas of Italy.
Venice has always been the fashion center of Italy, a great competitor to Paris in luxury, taste, commerce, decoration, wealth, architecture, style and design. It will surely continue to fascinate the world with its enchanting beauty and richness.
