“O Venice, the city of lovers or the “fabulous city”!

This is how I imagined this city since childhood.

The first time I came here in early spring and this city immediately fell in love with me. I walked around Venice and, like my fellow countryman Joseph Brodsky, wondered why I feel at home here? “Is it the smell of dead algae, or something else?” I have collected several of his quotes from the poet in a post. Brodsky's "Embankment of the Incurable" is worth reading before the trip.

Of course, if you come to Venice at the height of the tourist season and for one day, you can easily get into a traffic jam of tourists. Making your way through the crowd to the famous Venetian sights, it's hard to fall in love with this city.

However, our second trip was exactly like that. The second trip to Venice was a day trip, during one of our great trip across Italy. We visited this city because we wanted to show it to our daughter. About this trip next post -

Despite the crowds, we liked Venice and decided to visit it again. And for the third time the city opened up to us from a completely different side.

Since this was our third trip to Venice, I already wanted to see all those places that ordinary one-day tourists do not reach. First of all, these are the islands:. We finally visited the largest art galleries in Venice: and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. And plunged into the life of the townspeople, renting an apartment in the area of ​​the old Ghetto.

Architecture of Venice

At first, Byzantium ruled Venice, it owned most of Italy, and culturally at the beginning of the Middle Ages it was not equal. Fine examples of the Byzantine style in Venice are: the Cathedral of St. Mark and the temples of the island of Torcello.

With the decline of Byzantium (in which the Venetians played an important role), the republic becomes more and more independent and strong. As a result, the Venetians developed their own style in architecture, the so-called. Examples of the Venetian style are the former palaces of the nobility - the palazzo.

We went to a concert in one of the Venetian churches. They played the most famous work written by the Venetian - The Seasons. And there I realized that the winter of Antonio Vivaldi is a Venetian winter, with its unpredictable weather, magnificent carnival and floods.

Summary - what to see in Venice?

1. 1. There are dishes invented in Venice - for example, carpaccio. Venice is famous for its fish market and seafood.
   2. To drink - Bellini cocktail, coffee in a silver mug at the Cafe Florian.
   3. View -, Rialto Bridge and any palace on the Grand Canal,
   4. Nature - ride.
   5. Excursion - go 40 km. from Venice to
   6. Read before the trip - Joseph Brodsky "Embankment of the incurable."
   7. To watch a movie. A huge number of films have been shot about Venice, both historical and modern, from The Honest Courtesan to The Tourist. And how beautifully the palace in Venice goes under water in the Casino Royale.

1. Listen to music - of course, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.
2. Bring from Venice - carnival masks, Murano glass.

Historical sights of Venice on the map

History of the founding of Venice

According to legend, Venice was founded on March 25, 421 AD. e. the inhabitants of the region fleeing from the Goths on the deserted islands of the swampy coast. The settlement of the islands continued during the decline of the Western Roman Empire.

The inhabitants of the Venetian lagoon were engaged in fishing, salt mining and shipping.

The cities of the lagoon until 751 were under the jurisdiction of the Byzantine administration, headed by the exarch of Ravenna. In 751, Ravenna was conquered by the Lombards and ceased to exist as main city Western Roman Empire. However, in fact, Venice is ruled by a doge, elected by the townspeople for life.

In 726, in response to an imperial iconoclastic edict, the Venetians elected as their dux (doge) a local resident (not a Byzantine) named Orso. After the conflict is resolved, Orso submits to the exarch and the emperor confirms him in office. From that time on, representatives of the local nobility were elected doge, and Byzantium formally approved them. Byzantium needed allies to fight pirates, and Venice already had an impressive fleet in the 6th century. Venice received its first trading privileges back in 568 in gratitude for its help in the war against the Ostrogoths.

Venice becomes an intermediary between the west and the east when, in 1095, Emperor Henry IV grants it additional privileges forbidding the Franks to travel by sea further than Venice. Now foreign merchants are forced to hand over their goods to the Venetians in the Rialto area.

A strong fleet, which is successfully fighting piracy in the Mediterranean, becomes the main arguments of Venice. The symbol of the power of Venice becomes arsenal (4) founded in 1104.

Byzantium begins to get fed up with Venice's independence and the fact that money is flowing out of the country to Venetian merchants. Byzantium draws closer to the Genoese, and in 1171 Emperor Manuel orders all Venetian merchants to be expelled from Byzantium and confiscates their property. From this moment begins the confrontation between Venice and Byzantium.

Venice and the Fourth Crusade

Doge Dandolo pays the crusaders for their campaign, but in exchange he asks for one favor - to make a stop in Zara - the rebellious province of Venice and in Constantinople.

In the spring of 1203, the crusaders moved towards Constantinople. After numerous battles, the Byzantines were defeated, and on July 17 the city was taken. This was followed by a brutal sacking of the city. After that, although Byzantium continued to exist, its role as a superpower passed to others.

As a result of the Division of the Byzantine Empire, Venice acquired land and became a real colonial medieval empire. This is a golden period in the history of Venice.

The property of Byzantium stolen by the Venetians is exhibited in St. Mark's Cathedral (1), and in Museum of Sacred Byzantine Art (3).

In different countries, objects have been preserved that testify to the power of Venice.

View in a larger map

During this period, Genoa becomes the main rival of Venice.

Naval battles between Venice and Genoa unfolded throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, in most cases the victory was given to the Venetians. Venice had the largest naval base, on Arsenale (4) employed more than 16 thousand workers. The victory of Venice at Chioggia over Genoa in 1380 put an end to this confrontation. From now on, Venice is a full-fledged mistress of the sea.

The popes repeatedly tried to influence the politics of Venice, but Venice always resisted this. In 1508, the Pope succeeded in gathering an alliance against Venice. However, Venice will soon regain its territories and privileges.

At this time, Europe is covered by an epidemic of syphilis, which was supposedly brought from America. In Venice, on the Zettere embankment, a casa was built for patients with the “sexual plague”

The center of state and judicial power is doge's palace (5). He is the embodiment of the power of the Venetian Republic. And the solvency of its individual inhabitants is expressed in the presence of many palaces, in, its best example is the palace Ca d Oro (6)

The rival of Venice becomes the Ottoman Empire. In 1453 the Turks conquered Constantinople. In 1571 the Turks conquered Cyprus, and in 1669 Crete. After losing its dominant position in the Mediterranean, Venice is in decline.

Interestingly, the heyday of the famous Venetian carnivals falls precisely on the decline.

Venice is gradually moving to the production of fabrics, printing is growing. In addition to the Turks, in the 17th century, new competitors to Venice appeared in the form of large trading companies: the East India Company in England and the East India Company of the same name in Holland.

At this time, Tiepolo artists worked in Venice, the playwright Carlo Galdoni, the composer Vivaldi. The 18th century in Venice became the century of gambling and sophisticated love pleasures (described with pleasure in Casanova's memoirs).

On May 1, 1797, Napoleon declared war on Venice. Venice became part of Napoleon's empire. Napoleon abolished the Venetian government - the republic ceased to exist.

French rule was short-lived, but the occupying troops sacked Venice. The doge's royal badges and all the lions of St. Mark were destroyed. The quadriga and the treasury of St. Mark were sent to Paris. Churches and monasteries have been ravaged by marauders.

For the first time in more than a thousand years of history, Venice ceased to be an independent state, turning into a province. In 1815, Venice became part of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, which belonged to Austria.

On October 19, 1866, power in Veneto was transferred to a representative of the Italian government, and on October 21, in a referendum on unification with Italy, only 69 people voted "no".

The fashion for sea bathing led to the development of the tourist business in Venice and on the nearby islands. Since 1895, the Venice Biennale has attracted many prominent artists to Venice.

In November 1966, Venice experienced the largest flood in history, the water rose by 2 meters. Great damage was caused by spilled oil from the fuel tanks, which led to the transition of Venice to gas. UNESCO launched an appeal to save Venice, and more than 30 organizations were created to raise funds and coordinate efforts to save Venice.

Today, Venice's economy is based solely on tourism, with about 15 million people visiting Venice every year. Many houses have the status of a monument of architecture.

according to wikipedia

INTRODUCTION

Island Venice -- seaside resort, a center of international tourism of world importance, a venue for international film festivals, art and architectural exhibitions. Settlement since the 5th century BC. e., a city from the beginning of the 9th century. From IX-X to XVI century - a major center of intermediary trade between Western Europe and the East.

Venice - the southern city, lies approximately at the latitude of the Crimea, Krasnodar Territory. Venice is characterized by long hot summers with an average temperature of about 23 degrees in July, and mild winters. In winter, there are occasional frosts and snowfalls.

Nature has endowed Veneto with a wide variety of landscapes. Natural wealth and mild climate allow you to combine different types of recreation and make a trip to Italy very interesting and memorable. The Po, the largest and deepest river in Italy, flows through the territory of Veneto. The Po Delta is a large network of lagoons, canals and small islands. It is home to countless bird species. Having set sail on the river, you find yourself in the silent realm of nature. The silence is broken only by rare splashes of water and the playful chirping of birds.

The object of the control work is the city of Venice.

The subject is an analysis of the emergence and culture of Venice.

The purpose of the work: to study Venice and the modern existence of the city.

Work tasks:

1. Analyze Venice - like a city on the water.

2. Learn the culture of Venice.

The methodological and theoretical basis of this work are the works of Ivanova L.V. (the book discusses the most beautiful cities in the world, the history of their occurrence, development and modern existence).

The methods of control work are the method of analysis and synthesis, the analysis of educational and scientific literature.

Stages of work:

1. The study of scientific literature on the research topic.

2. Selection of material.

3. Work on the content.

Structure: the work consists of an introduction, two paragraphs, six subparagraphs, a conclusion and a bibliographic list.

VENICE - "QUEEN OF THE SEA"

The history of the city of Venice

The most ancient history of the city on the islands is drowning in deep darkness, for for a long time people lived there quietly, poorly and inconspicuously. They were surrounded by water and sky, and there was so little land that their whole life was connected with the sea; it fed them with fish and other gifts of its bounty, and also opened the way for them to other countries; they learned to navigate the sea, build ships (at that time forests grew on their flat islands, of which nothing is now left) and engaged in intermediary trade between Europe and the East.

For many centuries, Venetian merchants were considered the most active and wealthy in the civilized world: they carried salt and fish, bread and wine, oil and wood, spices and silk, wool and many other goods, including slaves (in 1368, the market in Venice accumulated so many slaves that there was even a danger of an uprising, and the authorities subdued them with sticks).

Having become islanders involuntarily, people did not return to terra ferma - solid land, to the mainland, because the water that surrounded them turned out to be a true salvation. While all the cities of medieval Italy took refuge behind strong and high walls and yet constantly suffered from wars and sieges, only the Venetians on the water turned out to be inaccessible to the evil genius of war. Having grown rich, they became aggressive, hired commanders with troops and subjugated vast territories both in Italy and outside it, but they themselves lived serenely, because water remained an insurmountable barrier for the military equipment of the Middle Ages. Therefore, the Venetians treated the waters of the lagoon with reverence and guarded them. In the XVI century. on a black stone slab, an edict was inscribed in gold letters in Latin, which is located in the city museum of Venice (Miseo Stso Soggeg): So, anyone who dares to damage the state waters in any way will be judged as an enemy of the fatherland. May the power of this edict be sacred and unchanging."

In the 7th century in Italy, the center of the Byzantine possessions (exarchate) was Ravenna ( ancient city, founded by the Etruscans, where the Western Roman Empire came to its decline). The islands of the lagoon were subordinate to the exarchate. At the end of the 7th century the Byzantines united them into a duchy. The residence of the Duke (in the Venetian dialect he is called "Doge") was the island of Heracliana (it is also called Cittanova - "New City"). At first, the Doge was appointed by the authorities from Ravenna, then the islanders themselves began to choose them. Ivanova, L. V. The most beautiful cities world - Smolensk, 2002. - S. 56 - 59.

Part of the nobility was very unhappy with the emergence of autocracy, and therefore in the VIII century, many doges were either killed or, according to Byzantine custom, blinded, thrown into prison or expelled. However, the rebels had to accept, and the doge's power was established, because a significant part of the island aristocracy was connected with the sea. In the middle of the 8th century in Italy, only the islands of the lagoon remained under the rule of Byzantium.

In the region of Venice, there were several Roman cities: Aquileia, founded in 181 BC. e., Opitergius (modern Oderzo), Tarvisius (modern Treviso), Altin (modern Altino), Patavius ​​(modern Padua), etc.

In 452, when the fading Western Roman Empire had already lost its military power, Aquileia and other cities of the Venice region were captured and plundered by wild Huns, led by the formidable Attila.

Part of the local population fled in horror from the barbarians to the islands of the living lagoon, where from time immemorial there were modest huts of poor fishermen, salt miners and water bird hunters. During the early Middle Ages, the island population was repeatedly replenished with refugees from Parma, Mantua, Ferrara, Florence, Bologna, Ravenna, Pisa and many other cities not only in Italy, but also in the Eastern Adriatic.

In 568, when Italy was subjected to a devastating invasion of the Lombards, Patriarch Peacock fled from Aquileia with all the shrines and church treasures and settled with his patriarchy on the small island of Grado; at the same time they moved to the islands of the bishopric from other cities (from Altina to Torcello, etc.).

A single ticket (from 21.50 euros, www.venicecard.it) can be purchased for one, three or seven days. It provides access to public transport and free access to state museums and important churches.

Where to stay

Even despite the large influx of tourists, finding accommodation in Venice will not be difficult. It is easy to find hotels of any star rating, as well as budget options - hostels.

In order to spend as little time as possible on the road to the sights, it is advisable to choose establishments located in the center. For example, the hotel A La Commedia, located a ten minute walk from Piazza San Marco, offers cozy rooms equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay. The price per room ranges from 400 euros per day. In the immediate vicinity of the Doge's Palace, there is a four-star hotel Palazzetto Pisani, popular with tourists. It offers rooms with views of the Grand Canal, and some apartments have a balcony.

The mid-range hotel Domina Home Giudecca, located on the island of Giudecca, has also earned positive reviews from guests. Guests are offered rooms with canal views, and the buffet included in the room rate will save on food. Regular flights to Piazza San Marco public transport.

Travelers who have gone to Italy with a small amount of money can stay in hostels. There are a lot of similar hotels in Venice, and in most cases they are located in ordinary apartments, well-furnished accordingly. By choosing this option, tourists can count on new interesting acquaintances and a cheerful company of people from different parts of the world. For example, A Venice Fish is located in the heart of the city in the Cannaregio area. Spacious rooms with bunk beds, shared bathrooms and toilets, a free kitchen - all this, as well as evening feasts with pasta and wine to the sound of a guitar, can be obtained for only 20 euros per day.

Special offers for hotels

Road to Venice

Since the city is located on the islands, in order to get to the historical center, tourists will have to make several transfers, no matter which mode of transport is chosen. The most convenient option is air travel. So, from Moscow there are direct flights from Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo to the city of Tessera (Marco Polo airport) on Fridays and Saturdays, respectively. The road will take only three hours, and an early departure will allow you to be in Italy by noon.

In addition, you can choose a flight to Milan (from Vnukovo to Malpensa on Fridays and Saturdays or from Sheremetyevo on Fridays) or Rome (from Domodedo to Fiumicino on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). Venice itself can be reached by train or train. Transport runs regularly and almost without delay. Considering that the carriages are in most cases equipped with seats, it is better not to choose night flights. The arrival station is called "Santa Lucia".

There are regular bus services from Marco Polo Airport to Venice. In just half an hour, ATVO and ACTV routes will take vacationers to Piazzale Roma (Piazzale Roma, Piazzale Roma). You can get to the railway station by bus number 15. A ticket costs an average of 5-6 euros.

River buses and taxis also run from the airport. The fare is more expensive than the bus, but along the way you can enjoy views of the canals and key tourist sites in the city. This type of transport is suitable for those who are not tired on the way and are ready to spend more than an hour on the road.

Travelers who do not want to wait for public transport can order a taxi, but this option will be the most expensive.

Oh Venice! How many poems have been written about this amazing and unique city! Even her name conveys a beautiful poetic image of serenity. But lately, the situation in the city can no longer be called cloudless, because the city is literally sinking before our eyes. And now you can often hear words of alarm that the city is slowly sinking into the water and dying forever. From the once "serene" Venice, perhaps in the near future there will be no trace. It is no coincidence that many people now call it the oldest urban locality Italy, a city where visiting travelers and tourists only stop.

Of course, the townspeople do not look at it indifferently - throughout their history they have been struggling with water inflows as best they can, but now the elements are still becoming even more active than usual. If we take the times of the Roman Empire as a starting point, Venice has already gone under water by three meters and the process of such immersion cannot stop in any way. Scientists see the main reason for this in the ever-increasing pressure of ground structures, and the fact that artesian wells do not stop their constant work also plays a big role.

On the brink of disaster

Once, namely 50 years ago, the city was already on the verge of disaster. Then - a riot of elements captured almost the entire territory of Northern Italy. Local residents who are still alive to this day recall those fateful hours with horror. From the tide, which invaded the city in the evening, a rapid rise in water began. There was nothing to counter this unexpected misfortune. It turned out that the Laguna could not resist the water in order to protect Venice from the pressure of the waves ...

An ominous communication silence hung over the city, telephones stopped working, it became dark in the houses due to the outage of electricity, gas was not available. All who were in it could only walk in high rubber shoes. Eyewitnesses of the incident say that if there had not been a lull for some time, the destructive effects of the tide would have caused irreparable damage to the city.

For the already ancient foundations of castles and the residential sector, the danger is not only strong tides of waves, but even their gentle splashing. And therefore, in such a situation, there was practically no chance of maintaining a stable position for the buildings. Without any doubt, walls would begin to crumble, roofs would fly off, and as a result, their complete collapse would come. But at random, the element, as it arose, suddenly began to recede, the wind no longer raged and the water began to decline.

The consequences of the disaster were monstrous and the extent of the damage colossal. But it would not be possible to fit the loss of Venice into any material costs. But the very possibility of the existence of the city, and not just some partial destruction, was in question. This is a monument city. Venice is not just some separate historical sights, it completely represents one huge monument and heritage of history.

Thank God, everything worked out, and the city can still please everyone who decides to admire it. He has seen a lot in his lifetime - both periods of prosperity, and decline, and the sweet years of rebirth. Therefore, the task of people in relation to it should be extremely simple - to do everything so that more than one generation can admire such a unique place.

First settlements

This city, which is not at all like a metropolis in our usual sense. The history of Venice contains a lot of interesting things. The Venetian lagoon, which is separated by more than one and a half hundred canals and channels with almost four hundred bridges thrown over it, gave rise to this unique phenomenon, where the historical center of the city is located on more than a hundred islands. A long, interrupted spit serves as a kind of border that separates the place of modern Venice from the mainland.

It is also a dividing strip, between the Adriatic Sea and the relatively shallow lagoon, which has a large number of shoals. By and large, they are not small parts of the land, they only resemble it, representing mud or sand formations caused by rivers. Therefore, they are like swampy soils. Being unsteady and very unreliable, they are excellent places that are able to hide from enemies, persecuted people.

Those who are interested in history are interested to know what Venice was like at the very beginning, how it was built. The first buildings that were erected by people on the site of the present city, of course, belong to the times of distant antiquity and such settlements belonged to fishermen and salt miners. A more accurate date for the founding of the city, if you rely on the research of scientists, should be considered the year 560. In those distant years, the Lombards made their devastating raids on Italy. The head of the church, Peacock, having taken all the church relics and riches, hastily left Aquileia and found refuge for himself and the patriarchy on the small island of Grado.

His example was followed by other church ministers, creating on the islands one by one their own bishoprics, which were in different cities of Italy. Therefore, this difficult time is considered, albeit conditionally, the date of the formation of Venice. One can imagine in what unusual conditions and difficult conditions the first settlers lived. To connect the small islands to each other, wooden decks were built, for this it was necessary to drive in huge piles that could hold on to the unsteady bottom or ground.

Therefore, in the future it can be observed that all buildings, even the most grandiose, have a foundation of wooden piles, which were driven to a depth of at least three meters, and in some cases the depth of driving was three times more, reaching up to ten meters. They are located very densely and on top, as a rule, space is given to platforms that connect oak and larch logs. Such devices are the basis for laying stone foundations.

For example, many log cabins were used for the church of Santa Maria della Salute; it has more than a million different wooden piles under it, mainly from such species as oak, alder, and larch. It took more than two years to build it all. More than 10,000 piles were used to construct the Rialto Stone Bridge. The fact that the foundations of Venice are completely based on the forests of Dalmatia can also speak of the scale. The strength of such piles is very reliable, because, for example, larch, lowered into salt water, becomes as strong as iron.

heyday

The history of Venice knew in its lifetime both ups and downs. If we talk about the period of greatest prosperity, then the Middle Ages became the golden age for it. This applies both during the Crusades and after them. By the beginning of the fifteenth century, it was already an influential state. Venetian prosperity also owes much to ongoing trade. At this time, the paths along the sea had long been beaten, merchant business was going uphill. An inexhaustible stream of wealth flowed to Venice from all over the world. All this made it possible to build magnificent buildings and cathedrals. The greatness of the merchant fleet and the scale of trade could be evidenced by the fact that in 1424 thousands of first-class ships already plowed the seas here.

The construction and renovation of the city proceeded on a grand scale. As Venice was built, embankments were laid, bridges were erected, great attention was paid to the construction of new canals, while the old ones that had already outlived their time were filled up. But by the beginning of the sixteenth century, Venice began to gradually decline in political circles, its economic role and ability to significantly influence the world economy were weakening. With the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, Venice was removed from the ports abroad. New paths to India and the New World were opened, markets appeared in Europe - such countries as Spain, England, Holland, all this undoubtedly affected the state of affairs and the Venetians irretrievably lost their advantages in the trade sphere.

This is interesting: Venezuela owes its name to Venice. European navigators led by A. Vespucci, in one of their travels, noticing Indian houses on stilts that stood right in the lake, could not help but remember Venice. Since then, the name of the Latin American country, translated from Italian as little Venice, has taken root and has survived to this day.

But the riches that were accumulated during the heyday did not disappear and embodied in beautiful architecture and other sights, as before, allowed Venice to remain one of the largest cultural centers not only in Europe, but, without exaggeration, of the entire globe. During the heyday of the fine arts, they began to call her the Serenissima - the Most Serene. The famous Venetian school of painting is still remembered. Namely, in those years it was founded. Among its descendants are masters whose creations still delight the eyes of visitors - these are palaces and temples. And among the masters, history remembers such outstanding names as Bellini, Carpaccio, Titian, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Veronese.

Manners of ancient Venice

But not only Venetian painting and architecture attracted visiting gentlemen in those years. Strange as it may seem, but with the growth of visual culture, morality in the city fell. Often, prostitutes were in the center of attention of guests no less than urban architectural objects and paintings. Historians attribute the adventures of the famous womanizer Casanova to this Venetian period. Among other things, this womanizer still unwittingly became a trendsetter - triangular hats and raincoats, which could be seen at the carnivals of Venice, became fashionable thanks to him.

True or not, but numerous studies show that in the 18th century, the entire internal policy of the city was aimed at the decomposition of the whole society, and not just, for example, the aristocracy. When her idle life and luxury were unequivocally encouraged; it was considered a good deed to support the ignorance and licentious behavior of the ministers of the church, and depravity in the monasteries. The authorities also encouraged the development of all sorts of continuous strife among the common people. In addition to the moral disaster, there were others - just as terrible in their destructive power. For example, the plague covered the city more than fifty times!

Ah, carnival, carnival...

This period is also characterized by the fact that at this time the world-famous Venetian carnivals began to emerge. Speaking figuratively about what the 18th century was like, it was the age of masks. Here, in the Venetian open spaces, the mask was given the status of almost a state institution. It was one of the most significant inventions of the state, which lost any serious meaning. Starting from the first days of October until the Christmas holidays, then from the beginning of January until the first "Lenten" days, as well as on some other holidays, including the election of the doge and other officials, the Venetians were allowed to wear masks. These days in total occupied half the calendar year ...

Everything is full of masks, they are already an indispensable attribute of clothing and the Doge and the very last servant. Everything is done in masks and this is not only a game, as they say to the public, they carry out daily work, lawsuits are conducted, they sell fish, read, go to visit. It's hard to imagine, but that's exactly what happened. And the beginning of the birth of the Venetian carnivals should be sought in the ancient customs of the Romans - the Saturnalia.

These were such festive annual celebrations of Saturn, they were held when the harvest was over, and it was the winter solstice. In mass festivities, carnival masks were born. On this day, slaves could be at the same table with their masters. The masks concealed the true position of its wearer in society. This was invented in order to reduce the influence of class prejudices, which could spoil the mood of those having fun.

Now the carnival does not last for half a year - only ten days. Every year Venice is visited by a huge number of tourists. They come here not only to see the carnival, but also to participate in it. These days, various concerts are held in open areas, theaters delight the audience with performances, where the central theme is carnival. Salutes rumble and fireworks sparkle, but the doors of ancient palaces are open for those guests who dream of taking part in balls - masquerades. Venetian streets are full of citizens dressed in outfits of world-famous characters, among which Colombina is the emblem of the holiday.

Roads do not need to be repaired.

What is good about Venice, apart from all its unique attractions, is that there are no roads here. The main mode of transport used by local residents and guests of the city is water. As on ordinary roads, there are their own "minibuses" - they deliver passengers along specified routes. And although there is no highway, there are also signs similar to ordinary road signs. Known all over the world, gondolas serve as an excellent transport for romantic walks, which, as a rule, is of particular interest to tourists.

To ride on such an exotic transport, you need to pay a fairly decent amount. An hour of walking costs seventy euros. The gondola is a rather long - eleven-meter vessel and one and a half meters wide. She is also a symbol of the city, as are carnival events. By the way, it should be noted that this type of transportation is not used anywhere else. The first similar boat began to be built in the second century, and if we talk about an elongated shape, then the countdown already begins five hundred years earlier.

There are two things that tourists pay attention to. They can be said to be one of the main features of Venice. The first is the lack of tree plantations. With this, as they say, everything is clear. The second is the pronounced shabbyness of the walls of the structures. This is what confuses a lot of people. They just don't know that this is a specially created style that gives an irresistible look to Venice. For this, even freshly plastered buildings are artificially aged.
Information for tourists.

Those wishing to visit Venice should be interested to know that the island part itself, which is historical and where tourists mainly come, is quite compact and small in size. It will be a little more than four kilometers long, and half as wide. Therefore, it is possible to pass it even in an hour and a half at a leisurely pace.

The city has six districts, which are separated by a large canal - Canal Grande. If you rise to a bird's eye view, you can see that Venice is similar in silhouette to a fish, cut in the middle by the same canal, on both sides of which the Venetian regions lie. Each of them is original and different from each other, having their own historical values ​​and unique atmosphere. Next to the canals and narrow crooked streets stand churches and palaces sparkling with rich decoration.

Well, now about the places that every visitor must visit, so that Venice, the history of the city, opens up before him more fully. In a relatively small city there are more than one hundred and fifty churches, many other attractions: palaces, museums, galleries. Everyone can find something interesting for themselves. Here are some attractions:

• the main square of San Marco. Highly beautiful place, lined with marble tiles;
• Cathedral of Saint Mark;
• the Doge's Palace - it housed the former rulers of Venice;
• Bridge of Sighs. Among the many bridges that you can talk about for hours and have different amazing stories, this bridge is notable for the fact that convicts were escorted to prison along it from the Doge's Palace. In those harsh times of the Inquisition, there were practically no acquittals, so there was a short farewell to the convict.
• Peggy Guggenheim Gallery. Worth a visit for those who are fond of contemporary art, including the avant-garde.
• Academy Gallery. It will be very useful for those who are fond of classical art.

Service

This is where things stand, probably not as well as many tourists who visit this beautiful corner of Italy expect. Often you can hear complaints about not very good service. Often you can be offered not very tasty, but at the same time very expensive food. Among other things, you can run into rudeness. In this regard, experienced tourists are advised to buy food and eat away from the city center.

And to live in the city itself in a hotel is simply an unaffordable luxury that only wealthy tourists can afford. The prices are exorbitant. Therefore, most visitors stay somewhere in neighboring towns, for example, one of them is called Mestre. It is easily accessible by any means of transport - bus, train, boat or taxi. The cost of staying in a hotel is several times cheaper.

Venice is a city in northern Italy, geographically occupying a group of islands. The climate in Venice is temperate, similar to the climate of the Crimea, the summers are hot and the winters are mild.

The history of Venice is full of ups and downs. Today we will learn how the city on the water arose.

The name of the city comes from the Veneti tribe, who inhabited the territory of the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea at the time. This territory was captured by the Romans and named Aquileia. Later, Aquileia became the administrative center of the province of Venetia. In 402 the province was ravaged by the Visigoths. According to legend, Venice was founded by the inhabitants of the province, who fled from the Goths on March 25, 421. Settlement began in the Rialto Islands and continued during the decline of the Roman Empire. The main source of income for the inhabitants of the islands was fishing, salt mining and coastal swimming.

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While the tribes of the Huns, Lombards and Ostrogoths ravaged the cities of the Western Roman Empire, Venice, thanks to its isolated position and the fact that the inhabitants learned to build houses on stilts and live on water, avoided the fate of mainland cities. The invasion of militant barbarians led to the resettlement of wealthy inhabitants of the mainland to the islands.

The result of this was a rapid increase in trade and transportation of goods, as the runaway nobility invested in these industries.

In the 6th century, Venice had the strongest fleet on the Adriatic, which supported Emperor Justinian in the war of the Eastern Roman Empire with the Ostrogoths. In gratitude, Byzantium granted Venice its protection and trading privileges. The Venetians elected the first Doge in 697. For more than 1000 years, 117 doges have been in power in Venice.

Due to its unique location, Venice was a trade and transport hub through which silk, rice, coffee and spices, which at that time cost more than gold, reached Europe.

Middle Ages and trade

The competent policy of Doge Pietro Orseolo II, the Morganist marriages, the help of Byzantium provided by Venice against the Saracens, further increased the privileges of the Venetian merchants. The "golden bull" given by Byzantium halved the duty from the Venetian ships coming to Constantinople. During the Crusades, Venice increased its wealth through loans to the crusaders and ship charters. With varying success for almost two centuries, Venice waged wars with Genoa, which were based on trade rivalry. In the 12th century, the first banks were opened in Venice. Venetian sailors were the first to insure their cargo.

In the XII-XIII centuries, the shipyards of Venice began to build large ships with a displacement of up to 200 tons.

To increase its economic power, the Venetian Republic annexed mainland territories, called terra farms. In 1494, the Venetian Luca Paciolli systematically described double-entry bookkeeping, which is successfully used in the modern world.

decline

From the 15th century, when great geographical discoveries were made, Venice lost its positions to Portugal, Spain, Holland and England. By the 18th century, Venice had lost its former power, most of the mainland possessions passed to Austria. But the city itself radiated splendor. During this period, gambling and prostitution became widespread in Venice.

On May 1, 1797, Napoleon declared war on Venice. The Grand Council decided to fulfill all the requirements, on May 12, Doge Ludovico Manin abdicated.

For the first time in over a thousand years, Venice lost its independence.

The city's economy was undermined by the French continental blockade. But time passed, in 1869 the Suez Canal was opened, a new port was built in Venice, and the city became a popular place to start traveling to the East. The tourist business is developing, annual international art exhibitions are held in Venice, since 1932 the Golden Lion International Film Festival has been held.