History of Venice
According to the tradition, Venice was founded in 421 AD on April 25th, Saint Mark’s day, who is the patron saint of Venice. during the Romanic period Venice was not the name of the city we know now but it was the name given to the northern region of Italy. It was just after the fall of the Empire and the arriving of the Longobards that the name started to be used in indicating the settlements that born in a group of small islands in the lagoon. For nearly 1400 years, the two or three miles of shallow water separating Venice from mainland Italy, had protected and isolated Venice from invaders and from the Italian political life.
Untouched by the Pope and imperialism warfare, feudalism and territorial squabbles, they fixed their attention toward the East and the rich market of Levantine and Constantinople. It was in this way that started the grand trade empire of the Venetian Republic. After having fight against Romans, Arabs and pirates to maintain its autonomy, in 1000 Venice started spreading its commercial boundaries. Then Venice took part to the Crusade to enlarge its business opportunity. Manu works of art were taken to Venice as a booty: for instance, the four bronze horses of St. Mark’s.
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The territorial expansion of Venice
At the beginning of the XIV century, Venice started to rapidly expand toward the interior part of the Veneto, Friuli, and the Lombard cities of Brescia and Bergamo.Due to the attacks moved by other European countries, between the end of the 14th Century and the beginning of the 15th century, Venice started its decline and expansionism either in Italy and in East while the discovery of the American turned the attention of many merchants to the new world. But we have to wait till 1866 to see Venice jointed together with Italy.
