Venice

1. Venice: A City Born of Refuge and Water

At 45°14‘N, 12°18’E, the navigator, sailing up the Adriatic coast of Italy, discovers an opening in the long low line of the shore: and turning westward, with the race of the tide, he enters a lagoon.

A unique landfall. Venice is situated in a shallow, melancholic lagoon, a stark contrast to the open sea. This watery environment, encircled by illusory reflections and dotted with silent islands, became the unlikely birthplace of a great city. The atmosphere is translucent, the colors pallid, suggesting a place set apart.

Refuge from barbarism. In the 5th and 6th centuries, waves of invaders drove people from the Roman mainland cities into the lagoon's marshes. These refugees, seeking safety from fire, vengeance, and heresy, gradually became the first Venetians. They learned to live on fish and rainwater, build on piles, and master the treacherous tides, transforming from landlubbers into pioneers of the water.

Founded in misfortune. Venice was founded by necessity, by people forced to abandon their old ways and learn new ones. Scattered communities slowly united, devising institutions based on Roman precedents, eventually electing a Doge. This origin story, though blurred by myth, highlights Venice's foundation in adversity and its subsequent development into a unique city-state, proud and independent.

2. The Venetian People: Islanders Apart, Shaped by History

So the Venetians became islanders, and islanders they remain, still a people apart, still tinged with the sadness of refugees.

A distinct character. True Venetians are often recognizable by their features and demeanor, a blend of various historical influences. They possess an introspective melancholy pride, courteous reserve, and a hint of sly contempt or knowing guile, like people long excluded from ordinary nations. They are not boisterous but possess a quiet, sometimes peevish, resignation.

The Venetian way. There is a deep-seated conviction that the Venetian way is the right way, a parochial pride rooted in centuries of self-sufficiency. They are connoisseurs of their own city, convinced that skills and arts ripple outwards from St. Mark's Square. This self-esteem, while sometimes leading to narrow horizons, also fuels a curious fervency and devotion to Venice, despite its modern decline.

A unique language. Venetians speak a rich, original dialect, a "sweet bastard Latin" influenced by French, Greek, Arabic, and German. This language, full of Xs and Zs and often ignoring the letter L, adds to the city's distinctiveness. Street signs often use vernacular contractions, making navigation a linguistic puzzle for outsiders.

3. A Republic Built on Policy, Power, and Paradox

Nothing in the story of Venice is ordinary.

Extraordinary statecraft. From a small city, Venice grew into the Serenissima, a unique trading state and naval power. Its government evolved from a patriarchy to a tight aristocratic oligarchy, buttressed by ruthless, impersonal tyranny to prevent dictatorships and popular uprisings. Power was carefully distributed and citizens showing too much prominence were often swiftly brought low.

Wealth from the East. Venice's greatness was built on its geography, serving as a funnel between East and West. It became mistress of the Adriatic and the eastern Mediterranean, dominating trade routes to the Orient. Venetian merchants, like Marco Polo, ventured far, bringing back silks, spices, and treasures that made Venice the most flamboyant city in Europe.

Unloved but respected. Venice was never loved by other nations, always envied and suspected for its unscrupulous pursuit of profit and political stability. It traded with both Christians and Muslims, defied Papal penalties, and treated holy wars as investments. Despite its decline and eventual fall to Napoleon, its thousand-year history of independence and unique system of government fostered an unparalleled love of country among its citizens.

4. Life Navigated on Water: Canals, Boats, and Bridges

'Streets Full of Water', Robert Benchley cabled home when he first arrived there, 'Please Advise'.

A city without wheels. Venice proper has no roads, only footpaths and canals, making life slow, erratic, and unique. Goods and people arriving by land must transfer to water or proceed on foot. The city's entire organization is governed by the presence of water, which serves as both highway and drain.

The Grand Canal and its veins. The Grand Canal is the central artery, a majestic waterway lined with palaces, while smaller canals branch off like veins, pumping the city's sustenance. These waterways, following ancient natural courses, vary in size and usefulness depending on the tide, which dramatically alters the city's appearance and efficiency.

A unique armada. Centuries of life on water have produced a diverse fleet of boats unique to Venice.

• The iconic gondola, a symbol of the city, is a high-prowed, lop-sided craft perfectly adapted to the narrow channels.
• Vaporetti (water-buses) provide public transport.
• Motoscafo (motor launches) serve as taxis.
• Numerous other craft, from fruit barges to hearses, navigate the channels.

5. The Stones of Venice: A Tapestry of Age, Art, and Decay

The buildings of Venice are mostly very old, and sometimes very decrepit, and for centuries it has been a popular supposition that Venice will one day disappear altogether beneath the waters of her lagoon.

Precarious beauty. Venice is built on mud-banks, resting on millions of wooden stakes, making it prone to subsidence and decay. Its buildings, a mix of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles, often appear to bulge and totter, testament to their great age and the constant battle against the elements.

Falling towers. Venetian campaniles have a long tradition of collapsing, with many leaning precariously today. The most famous, St. Mark's Campanile, fell in 1902 but was rebuilt "as it was and where it was," a symbol of Venetian resilience and determination to preserve its iconic skyline.

Slowly sinking. While not collapsing dramatically, Venice is slowly subsiding into the lagoon, and the water level is rising. This phenomenon, partly natural and partly human-induced, means that areas once at ground level are now below it, and streets are increasingly prone to flooding. International efforts are underway to save the city from this gradual submergence.

6. A City of Curiosities, Contrasts, and Grotesquerie

Venice is a cheek-by-jowl, back-of-the-hand, under-the-counter, higgledy-piggledy, anecdotal city...

A mad-cap menagerie. The city is decorated with a bizarre collection of carved animals, often grotesque and seemingly malignant, peering from the masonry. Dragons, monsters, and contorted beasts abound, reflecting a streak of paranoia or peculiar relish in the sculptors. This contrasts sharply with the gentle animals often depicted in Venetian painting.

The ubiquitous lion. The winged lion of St. Mark is the city's patron beast, appearing everywhere in countless forms and expressions. From fierce war symbols to amiable garden ornaments, these stone lions contribute an essential element of cracked but affectionate obsession to the Venetian atmosphere.

Melodrama and macabre. Venice has a long history of tyranny, terror, and public punishment, leaving behind an atmosphere of enjoyable shudder. The secret methods of the Council of Ten and Council of Three, the infamous dungeons, and tales of swift, brutal executions contribute to a sense of historical melodrama that still lingers in the city's stones and stories.

7. The Enduring Echo of the East in Venetian Life

In Venice, as any gilded cockatrice will tell you, the East begins.

Bridge between worlds. Venice has long seen itself as a bridge between Occident and Orient, a place where East and West mingle. This connection, forged through centuries of trade and interaction with the Byzantine and Muslim worlds, has deeply influenced Venetian culture, art, architecture, and even language.

Oriental influences. The city's buildings often show Byzantine and Islamic influences, from the domes of St. Mark's to the cool courtyards and intricate window grilles. Venetian artists incorporated Eastern elements and figures into their work, and the city's love of color, pageantry, and formality reflects Oriental tastes.

Diverse communities. Historically, Venice was a cosmopolitan city where various foreign communities, including Greeks, Armenians, Germans, and Jews, had their own quarters and contributed to the city's texture. The Jewish Ghetto, the first of its kind, exemplifies Venice's complex relationship with minorities – offering protection while imposing harsh restrictions.

8. Seasons, Spectacles, and the Business of Pleasure

Venice is a seasonal city, dependent more than most upon weather and temperature.

Winter's private charm. In winter, Venice sheds its tourist facade and becomes a quiet, melancholic, private city. Fog and damp weather prevail, canals are choppy, and the atmosphere is subdued. This season reveals a simpler, homelier side of Venetian life, with local celebrations like Christmas having a strong, club-like family feeling.

Summer's vibrant influx. Summer transforms Venice into a bustling pleasure factory, where the tourist industry operates at full blast. The city becomes crowded, colorful, and noisy, with visitors from around the world flocking to its famous sights. This influx, while sometimes overwhelming, is essential to the city's modern economy and feels like a return to its historical role as a great international hub.

Pageantry and performance. Venice has always loved spectacle and display, from the Doge's ceremonial Wedding of the Sea to the wild carnivals of its decline. Today, pageants, festivals, and events, both traditional and overtly touristic, continue to fill the calendar, providing entertainment and drawing crowds, though sometimes lacking the spontaneity of old.

9. The Lagoon: A Wide, Wild, and Warlike Moat

Sometimes in a brutal winter night you may hear the distant roar of the Adriatic, pounding against the foreshore: and as you huddle beneath your bedclothes it may strike you suddenly how lonely a city Venice remains, how isolated among her waters...

A natural defense. The lagoon, a vast expanse of shallow water, mud-banks, and reedy islands, served as Venice's primary defense for centuries. Its intricate, treacherous channels were known only to the Venetians, making it an impassable barrier for landlubber enemies. No foe ever successfully took Venice by storm across these waters.

Engineered environment. The lagoon is partly artificial, shaped by centuries of Venetian engineering. Rivers were diverted to prevent silting, and the lidi (barrier islands) were reinforced. This constant management is necessary to maintain the delicate balance of salt and fresh water and prevent the lagoon from becoming either a landlocked swamp or overwhelmed by the sea.

Military history. The lagoon is studded with antique forts, gun-sites, and abandoned barracks, relics of its military past. It was a key base for the Venetian navy and later for Austrian and Italian forces. Despite its historical significance as a moat, Venice itself has largely been spared the direct ravages of war, often being bypassed or captured without a fight.

10. The Islands of the Lagoon: From Ancient Cities to Modern Retreats

Many other islands of the lagoon have had their eras of urban glory, before fading, like Torcello, into bleached obscurity, for the life of a lagoon town is beset with inconstancy.

Lost cities. Before settling on the Rialto, Venetians established thriving towns on other lagoon islands. Torcello, once a major city, is now a poignant ghost island, its grand cathedral and few remaining structures standing as a testament to a vanished past, its decline caused by silt and malaria.

Living communities. Only a few islands remain as living towns.

• Burano is known for its brightly colored houses, fishing industry, and lace-making, maintaining a distinct, almost theatrical character.
• Murano, famous for its glass-making, is a cluster of factories and churches, historically important for its craft monopoly but often perceived as less charming than Venice proper.

Monastic and isolated. Many islands were historically home to monasteries, some famous centers of learning and piety, others places of fashionable indulgence. Today, only a few survive, like the urbane Armenian monastery of San Lazzaro and the serene, isolated Franciscan convent of San Francesco del Deserto, offering glimpses into a different kind of lagoon life.

11. Venice's Future: A Relic, a Resort, or a Reimagined Metropolis?

Venice poses an insoluable dilemma.

The modern challenge. Venice faces a fundamental challenge: how to survive in the modern world without destroying its unique character. The rhythm of modern life, with its cars, industry, and mass tourism, threatens to overwhelm the city's delicate fabric and traditional way of life.

Museum vs. metropolis. Two main philosophies grapple with this. One advocates preserving Venice as a static artistic and scholarly center, confining industry to the mainland suburb of Mestre. The other argues for infusing Venice itself with new economic activities, even if it means significant modernization and changes to its physical structure, to prevent its population from dwindling and its palaces from decaying.

A potential destiny. Despite the debates and challenges, Venice retains its strategic position between East and West and its status as a major port (via Mestre). Some envision its future as a south-eastern gateway to Europe or even a symbolic center for international mediation. Ultimately, Venice's purpose remains tied to its unique identity, a blend of history, geography, and human endeavor, waiting to be fully realized in the 21st century.

Last updated: May 18, 2025