Origins

Most people believe that Venice was founded when refugees from Roman cities such as Aquileia, Altino, Padua and Concordia fled the barbarian invasions. As the invasions continued into the Roman Empire, there was much disruption and thus new ports had to be built including those at Malamocco and Torcello, which were in the Venetian lagoon. As time went on the settlements grew in importance and, in 775-776, the bishopric seat of Olivolo was created in region. Later duke Agnello Particiaco (811-827) moved this seat up to high fortified ground - to Rialto, the actual site of modern day Venice. The city soon became an even more important religious centre, as in 828 relics of St. Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria were taken to the city and were placed in the new basilica.

Expansion

Venice became a city state within Italy, after it developed in size and importance from the ninth to the twelfth century. Because it sat at the head of the Adriatic, it made Venice and important place for naval and commercial power. The city became an important trading point between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world especially, and the Eastern and Western worlds in general. In the twelfth century the city grew even more impotent and attempted to cement its power; this included the creation of the Venetian Arsenal in 1104, and battling for control of the Brenner Pass from Verona in 1178 which allowed them to open up a silver trade route with the Germanic countries to the north.

The Republic of Venice flexed its muscles more as the years rolled on. It seized the Eastern shores of the Adriatic, to combat the pirates in 1200. They also took control of the large Aegean islands of Cyprus and Crete and started making inroads into the Near East. When the Fourth Crusade seized Constantinople in 1204 and established the Latin Empire, Venice truly entered the world as an Imperial power. Much plunder was taken from the Byzantines who previously held the city, and the gold and artefacts were shipped back to Venice. This included the Winged Lion of St. Mark, which is now the symbol of Venice.

The military and the merchant were intertwined in the city, with many of the merchant boats leaving Venice’s port being capable for conversion into war crafts. Indeed the government required every ship to carry a certain number and type of weapons for fighting if needs be. The citizens of Venice were also made to train in bearing arms and at one point the city had 30,000 fighting men. The city’s leaders also developed a clever system which meant that the head of the military always had to report to a board of citizens, to stop Generals becoming all powerful and overthrowing civilian rule, as had happened in other Italian cities. Thus the army remained on the offensive abroad, and could help expand Venetian territory without posing a threat to rule at home.

The Golden Years

During the thirteenth century the Venetian Republic was at the height of its power and importance. At this time there were 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships in and out of the city, dominating Mediterranean commerce. This was when Venice's leading families built the grand palaces, and supported the great artists of the day. Though it was also an important religious centre, Venice missed much of the fanaticism which gripped other parts of Europe. There was not a single person executed for heresy during the Counter-Reformation, and this seemingly tolerant attitude drew the wrath of the Pope and meant that the city was pressured and criticised heavily, especially by Pope Julius II in the 1500s. Venice was built on trade, and it even only saw its wars as a means to extend its trading power, but as Europe drifted into the Renaissance period, its position as an important trading post waned as Lisbon grew in stature. The city still remained an important player in trade and manufacturing until the mid eighteenth-century, but the golden years of trade were gone.

Modern Times

As with most of Europe, Venice lost its independence to Napoleon Bonaparte, this happened on May 12, 1797 bringing to the end over 1000 years of city rule. Unfortunately for the arts, this brought to the end golden period for the city in terms of painting, writing and building. However his arrival was warmly greeted by the Jews of the city, as he removed the gates from the Ghetto and allowed them to move and trade freely in the city. The city then went into a period of decline. It passed hands from French into Austrian rule, until eventually it fought for independence in 1866 during the Seven Weeks War, and consequently gained the right to be part of Italy. However, it had lost its significance on the world stage and traders and artists alike left. It started to become a popular place for tourism from the end of the 19th century, something which is still maintains up until the present day.