Venice Italy
78VENICE
Venice is a magical place and the most beautiful, romantic city on earth. The city is built on 118 small islands and no automobiles are allowed. Instead, all transport besides walking, is on the 150 canals (most about ten feet deep) between the islands. There are waterborne taxis, buses, delivery boats, police, and ambulances; in addition to the many personal watercraft and the famous gondolas. Venice is a treasure trove of art, architecture, palaces, churches and 409 bridges.Â
GRAND CANAL
The huge Grand Canal (average depth 17') snakes through the center of the city and is the main thoroughfare. It is bridged at only three places. Lining the sides of this enchanted canal are 170 gorgeous old buildings, with steps leading up into them right out of the water. Venice is a marvel of engineering, but it is slowly sinking into the marsh.  The buildings are supported by wood pilings, more or less a city on stilts.  In many homes, the ground floor is not used for fear of rising waters. There are 63,000 permanent residents.
HISTORY OF VENICE
Venice has a history shrouded in mystery. It was founded by people who fled the mainland under attack by the Lombards in the 6th Century. They escaped the slaughter by finding safety in the Venetian Lagoon. It became known as the City of St. Mark by the 9th Century, so named because it had become the repository for the bones (relics) of St. Mark the Evangelist in 828. St. Mark (John Mark) wrote the first Gospel of Jesus Christ, and is himself written about in the Acts of the Apostles as having traveled with the Apostle Paul on some of his church planting journeys.
THE MERCHANTS OF VENICE
The merchants of Venice, and its famously powerful navy, gradually made it into an autonomous state; and a powerhouse of trade in the Mediterranean.  Venice soon became one of the wealthiest nations in the world—and remained so for the next six centuries. Venetian galleys dominated the trade between east and west; plying cargoes of silks, spices, silver, timber, corn, salt and slaves.
VENETIAN EMPIRE
At the pinnacle of its power, the year 1500, Venice had acquired extensive landholdings—including Cyprus, Crete and large swaths of the European mainland—that became known as the Venetian Empire. Venice was also the leading center of printing in Europe at this time—the paperback book was invented there also—because of its well known religious freedom.
THE REPUBLIC OF VENICE
Then began a long, slow decline in its fortunes; largely precipitated by Portuguese explorers who, in the Age of Discovery, found new trade routes, via the Atlantic Ocean, to rival Venice in supplying the goods for which Europe wanted to trade. Napoleon conquered Venice in 1797, officially bringing its glorious history as a powerful nation to a close.Â
DOGE'S PALACE
I have visited the Doge's Palace (a Doge is similar to a Duke and was the title of the elected leader of the city for over a thousand years) and the Bridge of Sighs, which connects to Palace to the old prisons. It was so named because it was a one-way trip across for the accused; and their last sight of the elegant city.
MURANO & BURANO
I recommend side trips to the nearby islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is world famous for 700 years of glass making and it is thrilling to watch these artisans at work. Burano gets you off the tourist trail to check out a fishing village known for its lace making and brightly painted structures.
ST. MARK'S SQUARE
During my visits to Venice, I have had the pleasure of sitting in the evening, under the stars, drinking wine, serenaded by music, in the center of life in the city: St. Mark's Square.   The Square is dominated by the 1000-year-old  St. Mark's Basilica (the word means royal, religious building) and the 99 meter tall Campanile (meaning a bell tower near a church).Â
GONDOLA
The best part of a visit to Venice is simply walking around for hours on end through this mysterious maze of streets. And, of course, if you are not alone, take the Gondola ride and the pilot will sing to you: "O Sole Mio." ("My Sun" to you English speakers.)
Master Hubber, Amanda Severn, has a page of wonderful paintings of Venice. I highly recommend you check it out.
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Comments
nice pics, Nice to see old churches for a change all ours here look like gymnasiums.
Thank you, Vladimir. ha ha ! I'm glad you stayed out of trouble during your visit.
thinking out loud— Yes, those old cathedrals do look a bit more ornate and, well, sacred. I appreciate you for visiting.
You travel to the classiest places,James! Lovely hub, lovely American tourist!
Gypsy Willow— Thank you Gypsy Willow! I do try to enjoy life while I have it and I have been truly blessed up til now. :D
Beautiful! I have never been to Venice and I'd like to be able to see it personally one of these days. Your photos and narrative do give me a glimpse of what to expect. You really get around a lot. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the history and the memories, James. I was there about a year ago and truly enjoyed my visit.
jill of alltrades— This is the first Hub where I used my own photos because I'm still a 35mm guy and I wasn't sure if they would scan well. But I'm pleasantly surprised: I think they look pretty good. Maybe I'll replace some photos in my older Hubs with my own, too, so they are more of "original content." :D
Thanks you reading and commenting so kindly.
Douglas— You are Welcome. And thank you!
Another of your many delightful posts, King James ...
Thinking Out Loud's comment was all-too-correct. Having designed many churches (as well as all of the new improvements for Orlando's Holy Land Experience, recently acquired by Trinity Broadcasting), we've seen exactly that trend.
Church owners today are mostly concerned with fitting the largest congregation possible into the least-expensively-built space. Monetarily, this simply makes sense, but certainly at the cost of a more traditionally designed building (in the classical sense).
Your typical church today will be concrete masonry walls to 8' and metal building above that ... never elegant and at most, pleasantly inoffensive. On the other hand, it does give the biggest bang for the parishioner's buck in the context of square feet for the dollar.
An exception to this would be some of the newer churches being built by the Catholic Diocese, which still make an effort to retain looks of earlier centuries.
Just my 2¢ worth - please keep up the great and informative work!
The place seems like an endless dream
Lovely, thank you for sharing. Now we all have to go there!
Melinda M. Sorensson
Thank you and you are welcome. I wish everyone could go there. It is magical, to be sure. I consider it a real blessing that I was able to visit a few times. I may not get the chance again.
Kushal Poddar— It is a dream. Perfect for a poet such as you!
Thanks for the trip to Venice James. A place I will visit one day. It looks so romantic.
Venice is beautiful ! Thanks !
Beautiful pictures! I was lucky enough to go there for a summer course at my university, and you pictures brought back fond memories!
ethel smith— You are welcome. It is romantic; and mysterious, too. I appreciate you for viewing my Hub.Â
R Burow— The most beautiful place I have ever been. You are Welcome! Thank you for your comment.
cjcarter— Thanks! I am glad it brought back good memories. Thank you for taking the time to read my Hub.
Nice hub and one of the places on my must visit list, even more so now.
Brian S— Thank you for visiting and leaving your comment. And by all means, do go.
Pity it's sinking!!!
Ned Kelly— Tis a shame. There are engineers working on the problem. Thanks for reading!
Outstanding photos James! To visit Venice has long been on my wish list. The gondolas have always intrigued me as do the horse drawn carriages in Central Park.
Thank you and welcome! It is a dream to be there. It hardly seems real when you are there.Â
The horse drawn carriages are fun. Maybe I should do a Hub about New York? I have been a frequent visitor.Â
Great hub with interesting historical stuff and great photos. Thanks.
lefseriver— Nice to have you visit again. Thank you!
In Venice Italy, the Byzantine architecture is as stunning as a Byzantine painting. Thanks for the tour.
newsworthy— You are welcome and thank you for stopping in. It is stunning, isn't it?
Ahh I am now regretting my choice of holiday destination this year!! Beautiful pictures and lovely descriptions - hope I get to go myself! Thankyou for the post!! :)
kbristow01— Welcome to Hub Pages! I appreciate the compliment and you are welcome. Thanks for visiting! I look forward to reading your Hubs.
Awesome place, although I remembered "st. mark's square" as "San Marco Square?" Or is that the same thing... (I do not speak Italian.)
JessicaR1211— So, you've been there? Ah, one of the lucky ones. Both names are the same, yes. San means Saint and Marco means Mark—or vice versa. Thank you for visiting my Hub and leaving your comment.
James: another great page of yours (I read and commented recently on your union page site). Well organized with good history. I was in venice many moons ago - I'm sure it's changed (rising water). :)
Joseph
jvhirniak— Thank you very much. I appreciate your comments and the visit. I am glad you have been there. That is a blessing in itself.
what a lovely hub. great photos.
Iðunn — Thank you for saying so!
I don't think I"ll ever get to travel, but I've always wanted to. Beautiful hubs like this are a total delight to me.
Iðunn NO? My traveling days might be in the past. I am very pleased to bring joy to others. Thank you.
Venice is nice city in Italy
Really i like very much of the city
Asif— Yes it is. I have traveled around Italy a fair amount. Maybe I will write about it more in the future. Italy is my favorite place to travel. Thanks for visiting.
asihussa— Thank you for saying so.
Wow - some really awesome pics! Thanks for sharing and for the interesting Hub. Perhaps you might care to also contribute to the travel community at trivago?
Regards from Cape Town, Pierre
Pierre— Thank you and you are welcome! I will take a look at your site. I am flattered by the offer.
Hi James, I stayed in a Youth Hostel in Venice when I was nineteen, and busy inter-railing my way round Europe. I don't think I appreciated it as much then as I would now. I have visited since, but only twice, on day trips from other places. This is a great hub, as it reminds me of why I should go again, and next time I will definitely spend more time exploring.
Amanda Severn— Thank you for swinging by and leaving word. I love it there. But I think it would take a month to really "get it." During the old days, I am told it was much dirtier and stinkier than it is today. So, maybe it is nicer now than in the "Youth Hostel Days." Nice to see you.
I adored Venice. Your hub brought back some sweet, sweet memories. Thank you.
Randy Behavior— Thank you. I am so glad it did. And you are welcome.
Very nice and informative hub. I was in Venice in February. It was dark and snowing. I got very sad looking at the houses becoming destroyed piano piano - slowly by slowly. In the wet and cold everenings taking vaporetto in Grand canal I felt like I am visiting gost city.
Summer is a diffrent story. Italy is lovely in summer.
Thanks for your wonderful hub about Venice. On my list of sites to someday visit. Your photos are excellent. Thanks!
Inese— Thank you! I did not know that it snows in Venice! I do appreciate you for taking the time to visit and leave new information about this grand and unusual place in the world.
Peggy W— Thank you for the complimentary comment and the Fan Mail, too. I hope you do go, before it sinks! JK :-)
It's the one place I want to visit before I die. I wouldn't mind if I died there as a matter of fact:)
christine almaraz— Lucille Ball! That is one funny lady! Thank you for visiting and leaving your comment. There is no place I would rather revisit than Venice. It is mysteriously magical.
The buildings are amazing. Sinking eh? I heard that a long time ago. Great pics!
Chris Eddy111— Thank you! The architecture is great. It would be nice to spend a couple of months there. But even a few days makes for a very memorable experience.
nice hub with very personal touch!
jajeisan5892— I surely do appreciate you saying so!
James A Watkins,
At last I get to say my piece. Your hub brought back memories of past ages tor me. I visited Venice when I studied in London and went on a grand tour of Italy during the holidays. Venice was one of the places I visited besides Rome, Florence, Naples, Pisa and Milan. I was in Rome three times, Pisa and Florence twice but Venice only once. I also visited the island of Murano and witnessed the glass blowers making objects of glass. It was fascinating.
At the time I felt it was the most beautiful city in the world, especially at night and I was sad because none of my family was there and I thank God for the lovely pleasure of visiting beautiful places.Â
The first cruise was to Japan during cherry blossom time and I did say that I was happy to die after my trip to Japan. It was my childhood dream. I was young and foolish. After my trip to Venice, I did not think of dying any more. I just enjoyed the sights and sounds of the places I visited and thank God that He gave me what I loved most, travel. Thank God.
einron— It is nice to have you visit! I appreciate your thoughtful, insightful commentary.
There is not much I enjoy more than to travel and the Lord has blessed me to see many places, for reasons only He knows.
I would really like a chance to visit Japan. I have a huge coffee table book of photographs of Japan, and it is quite enjoyable itself. Maybe some day.
Hi James - I have a gift for you..some background music for one of the most enchanting and historic cities on Earth - Venezia! It's the Venice Baroque Orchestra's rendition of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" ("Spring" movement).
Enjoy!
Drake's Compass— Ah! Vivaldi! I have that music on CD. Still, it was a pleasure to kick back, close my eyes and take it in. How refreshing! Thanks a lot for that gift. After the Cubs lost 2-0 it took me away to a beautiful place and . . . I put my rope back in the closet. :D
Glad it kept you out of that kind of trouble, James!
I have always dreamed of visiting Venice since I was a child. You describe it more beautiful than I imagined. I can't wait to turn my dream into a reality and actually visit there!
rkmertz— And you must! It is pure magic.
Thank you for visiting my Hub tonight. I very much appreciate it!
James- Excellent overview of a magical city. I have been to Venice nine times and every day I long to return. While the city has been sinking for hundreds of years, we now have the technology to assist her. The Moses project has created a sea barrier and floodgates to reduce the effects of Aqua Alta (the seasonal high tides) in the lagoon. I pray that it works.
ContessaP— I pray that it works as well. Nine times!? You do enjoy magical places! I should imagine a "Contessa" would we a world traveler. :)
I have only been twice.
Thank you for visiting and for your fine comments.
Welcome to the Hub Pages Community.
Excellent hub! I got a lot of pleasure reading it. Once I've been to Venice when I was 10, but you know... I was too little to enjoy being there and I dream to visit this magic city once more.
Gennifer— Thank you! I would think it would purely magical for a child. I hope you do go again. There is no place on Earth like Venice. Thank you for your comments and Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!
Belarus? That is interesting. I hope to learn more about Belarus from you. I wrote a Hub recently called "Russia History" that you might enjoy.
I devoted one hub to the magic nature of my native country and placed some photos (Discovery of this summer - amazing things are next to us)
Gennifer— Wonderful! I'll go take a look. Thanks for telling me about it.
Wonderful photos - many thanks for sharing them. Venice is at the top of my places-to-visit list.
AdeleCosgroveBray— Thank you and you are welcome. Venice is the most unusual place I have ever been. Highly recommended.
My dream is to visit Venice. What a lovely hub.
-Taylor-
Vladimir Uhri says:
6 months ago
Beautiful city James. I visit Venice but it was long time ago.Â
But I was not in trouble. :-).