Lying
in the extreme northeast of Italy, Venice, gateway to the
Orient, became an independent Byzantine province in the 10th
century. Venice is one of the few cities in the world that
can be truly described as unique. It survives against all
the odds, built on a series of low mud banks amid the tidal
waters of the Adriatic, and regulary subjet to floods. During
the Middle Ages, Venice expanded its power and influence
throughout the Mediterranean to Costantinople (modern Istanbul).The
riches of St Mark’s alone bear witness to Venice’s
position as a world power from 12th to 14th centuries. More
than 12 million visitors a year succumb to the magic of this
place whose “streets are full of water”. |
