Venice
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Venice is a city in northern Italy.
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[change] Characteristics
Venice is the capital of the Veneto region, which is in the north-east of the country. The population of Venice is 271,367. Area is 412km². Usually, the warmest month is July and the coolest month is January. The maximum average precipitation occurs in November.
Venice is built on 117 small islands that are separated by 150 canals. People cross the canals by many small bridges. They can also be taken for rides along the canals in a type of boat called a gondola.
The buildings in Venice are very old and attractive, and tourists come from all over the world to see them and the canals. This has made Venice one of the most famous cities in the world. The most famous sights are the Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.
Every year the city sinks a couple of centimeters because the ground is made from mud. Eventually the city will be completely underwater, but that will take years. Because of this the Italian government is building the MOSE Project, a state-of-the-art defense against the sea water flooding, that will safely protect Venice forever.
There are other ways to get around in Venice as well. The most common is the gondola, and also the vaporetto, which is a water bus and carries lots of people around the canals. There are also motoscafi, motonavi and traghetti (ferries). You can use a motorboat, catch a taxi, or walk.
There are problems with transit and sewage in Venice, but it is still the most popular tourist attraction in northeast Italy. It was once flooded.
[change] History
The history of Venice is very big and important. The city was founded by people from the actual veneto region as a refuge from the barbarian invasions, when the Roman empire fell. During the middle Ages Venice slowly grew to be an important commercial city. Around the year 1000 AD the Republic of Venice started to create an empire in the eastern Mediterranean sea. It lasted until 1797 AD , when was annexed by Napoleon' s France. Venice deeply influenced the Veneto, Istria and Dalmatia coast for one thousand years.
Venice started to lose population after Napoleon conquest, but with the unification of Italy the city returned to be an important city. Actually it is one of the most visited places on earth by turists from all around the globe.
[change] Bibliography
- John Rigby Hale. Renaissance Venice (1974) (ISBN 0571104290)
- Lane, Frederic Chapin. Venice: Maritime Republic (1973) (ISBN 0801814456)
[change] See also
[change] Other websites
| Provinces of Veneto |
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| Belluno | Padua | Rovigo | Treviso | Venice | Verona | Vicenza |
