VENICE: A City on The Water
Although at the beginning of Christianity the lagoon and was populated by fishermen and hunters, the real Colonization V century, when the inhabitants of the land went to the islands to escape the barbarian invasions, first by the Huns and then of the Lombards. The confederation of the Laguna was not independent, but he owed loyalty to the Byzantine Empire, and the year 812 became one of its provinces. Constantinople to Venice privileges granted him because he was an important point for trade between East and West.
When Charlemagne and the Byzantine Emperor signed the Treaty of Aachen, the influence of Byzantium was greatly reduced, as evidenced by the fact that the Venetians 828 Alexandria robbed the body of St. Mark, who named the city’s patron, San Teodoro replacing. In 1000, the Doge got to stop pirate attacks many Slavs, and this victory was celebrated with the marriage between Venice and the Sea, to confirm his supremacy on the rise.
Venice’s power increased greatly through the Crusades, especially the fourth, in 1204, in which the Venetians used Christians as mercenaries to defeat Constantinople. After this victory, Venice secured control of trade and became one of the major powers of the time.
In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks and the Venetians lost many possessions. With the arrival of Columbus in 1492 and the new sea route to the Indies in 1500, Venice began to lose its monopoly of trade. In later centuries, the alliance between Spain and Portugal, the booming trade of Genoa and the losses to the Turks, further weakened the Venetian Republic, which still managed to maintain its independence until the arrival of Napoleon in 1797. Later, with the treaty of Campo Formio, Napoleon gave the city the Austro-Hungarian Empire and divided their possessions. Venice became part of the Kingdom of Italy after the third war of independence in 1866.
Venice: a city on the water
Venice from its origin, lives with water: the first inhabitants, to escape the incursions of the barbarians, took refuge in the lagoon, and, because of the marshy ground, were forced to build stilt houses to live. These stilts, little by little they became one of the most beautiful cities in the world, who lives around the water and whose main street is the Grand Canal, through which pass many boats each day going from one part to another the city, 446 bridges of stone, iron or wood connecting the streets and alleys of the city.
Water is the peculiarity of this city, but not always easy, because there is also the phenomenon of “acqua alta”, the high tide: the water covers the floor of Venice because of the currents and wind. This phenomenon is most common in the months from November to May. The first part is immersed Plaza San Marcos, which is the lowest point of the city, and the square is even more spectacular.
But however fascinating it may be, the frequency of this phenomenon is increasing every year and is damaging the foundations of houses and other buildings. In 1966, Venice was a great flood that paralyzed the city, as it was without power. Since then, there have been many projects to protect Venice and some have already been activated, but it will take years before completion.
The story of the theft of the body of San Marcos
San Marcos is the patron saint of Venice from the year 828, when two merchants, Buono da Malomocco Tribune Rustico da Torcello and stole the body of St. Mark’s tomb in Alexandria of Egypt and hid it in a load of pork to Muslims guards discovered him. When they arrived at Venice, it was donated to the doge. Placed the relic in the castle of the Doge Giustiniano Partecipazio and began immediately to build a sanctuary on the model of the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles in Constantinople, which was consecrated in 832.
Source: www.venecia.es/arquitectura-y-arte/la-historia-de-venecia.htm
image source: http://users.ipfw.edu/virtue/intl/Photo%20Contest/Photo%20Contest%20Winners%2007/9.f.%20Venice.JPG; www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/183/basilica-san-marco-venice_12561.jpg; http://imagecache6.allposters.com/LRG/29/2914/XYQPD00Z.jpg
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