Venice

Venice

The city and lagoon of Venice, in the Veneto region of north-east Italy, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Venice, founded in the 5th century AD and made up of 118 small islands, became an important maritime power in the 10th century. The entire city is an exceptional architectural masterpiece, with even the smallest building featuring the world's greatest artists, including Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and others. In the 70,176.4 hectares of lagoon, nature and history have been closely intertwined from the 5th century, when Venetians fleeing barbarian invasions found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Jesolo and Malamocco. These temporary settlements became permanent and the city became a maritime power. In the heart of the lagoon stood Venice, one of the largest capitals of the medieval world. When a collection of tiny islands was packed and organized into a unique urban system, all that remained of the primitive topography was a network of canals, such as the Giudecca Canal, the Saint Mark's Canal and the Grand Canal. Nowadays, Venice has many attractions, such as Saint Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco. Lido di Venezia is also a popular international luxury destination, drawing thousands of actors, critics, celebrities and film industry professionals. The gondola is the best-known form of transport on the Venice waterways. Only a few hundred of these unique boats remain today, and they have long been outnumbered by other vessels. But their elegant, slender shape and glossy black paintwork have made them a symbol of Venice.