Day 4: Venezia
We left Macerata 6:30 AM the next day. Our goal was to start driving early so we could visit Venice on the way home. We made Venice by 10:30 AM.
Map of the old city of Venice.
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Venice sees its beginnings in 421 AD, when the first of the barbarian attacks occured in the North of Italy due to the weakness of the Roman Empire created by the split between the West and the East Empires. The people of the Veneto mainland sought refuge from the barbarians and settled into the marshy region of Venice. They built watery villages on rafts with posts driven into the subsoil, laying the foundations for the palaces of modern day Venice. Over the years, Venice grew and eventually claimed Republic status, paying lipservice to the Byzantine Empire, the former East Roman Empire and in 697 it had its first elected government known as Doges or Chief Magistrates. In 828, Venice became the home to the earthly remains of the Apostle St. Mark, stolen by merchants from Alexandria. The Basilica of San Marco was built as the final resting place for this holy relic. In 1095, Venice provided many ships for Pope Urban II's First Crusade which included the rape and pillage of the Byzantine Empire and Jerusalem. The Fourth Crusade of 1202 saw the Venetians plunder and eventually rule Constantinople. Venice now commanded a thriving and expanding commercial empire, with the banner of St. Mark flying over the bulk of the eastern Mediterranean.
The wealth and prestige of Venice was not overlooked by its competitors, particularly the maritime city of Genoa. The two powers fought over the control of the Mediterranean, with neither side gaining the upper hand until the decisive Battle of Chioggia in 1380, with Venice emerging the victor. Venice then turned its sights to the mainland, acquiring self-sufficiency and allies to bolster its population, and trade continued to flourish. It wasn't until the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 that the power of Venice started to decline. In the years to come, Venice could not compete in the world of growing global empires, and had neither the resources or the population to arm vast fleets and armies. This paved the way for Napoleon's invasion in 1797, and the the city's eventual shunting into Austrian hands. In 1848, the Venetians joined the long list of rebels who rose up against the established order across Europe, and in 1866,Venice joined the Kingdom of Italy. In the decades that followed Venice became a hive of activity and rapidly grew. Mercifully, although a major Allied target in WWII, the city emerged virtually unscathed from the war. The disastrous floods of 1966 focused the world's attention on the city's watery plight, and the ensuing years have seen a succession of debates on a range of solutions, from floating barriers to platform soles. For more about the history of Venice click here or here.
Today, the population of Venice has more the halved in the last 50 years due to cost of living, transportation, and lack of jobs. But while the city remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, it is still facing the problems of rising waters and water damage. In 2003, the Mose project was set in motion, a work that will hopefully prevent the loss of Venice due to water problems, but there is much speculation that this project may not provide the solution needed. To read more about this project and the water problems of Venice click here or here.
We spent the better part of this day exploring Venice. At first we just walked the city by foot, enjoying the atmosphere and culture. Then we reached San Marco's Piazza, where the infamous San Marco Basilica and Doge's Palace are located. Finally we took a boat tour along the Grand Canal to experience Venice from the waters. It was really amazing. Below are links to three sections of Venice photos, as there were too many to put on one page. Enjoy.
Walking tour of Venice
San Marco's Piazza
Boat tour of Venice
After touring Venice we left to drive back to Germany. On the drive back through Austria we stopped at Innsbruck for a quick look around. And now we could properly appeciate the Austrian Alps that we couldn't see in the dark on the first drive through this country. By 9:30 PM we found ourselves back in Munich, Stuttgart by 11:30PM, and Mannheim/Heidelberg 1ish. Thus ended our Italy Road Trip, definitely one for the books! Well, until next time, God's Speed!
