Venice Italy History

For the city of Venice Italy history is a long and interesting story that stretches well into the ancient world. The city was first inhabited by people fleeing Lombard invasions. These people found safety in some of the uninhabited islands of the region. By the ninth century, Venice had become a city, and by the tenth century it had acquired most of the coast of neighboring Dalmatia. This gave the city control of the Adriatic sea, and it increased trade with Middle Eastern ports. Byzantium became one of Venice's most important trade partners This partnership's influence is seen in a lot of Venetian art and architecture, which leans toward Mediterranean in style. In the 14th century, Venice had proven itself as the leading sea power in the area, and this power continued to grow until the mid 15th century. Until that point, the city acted as the main link between Europe and Asia. However, once Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, and once America was discovered, Venice began a slow decline as a world trade power. The city remained important for world trade, but it never reached its leading status again. During the Renaissance, however, the Venice Italy history story regains some of its glory. The Renaissance marks a period of artistic glory for the city that can only be matched, perhaps, by that of Florence during the same era. The Venetian school of painting developed simultaneously with the Florentine school, but the artists' values were different. Venetian artists like Titian and Tintoretto, Bellini and Veronese, used blazing color and light to express themselves. This is very different from the much more linear, drawing-based artwork that was coming out Florence. While Michelangelo and da Vinci were perfecting perspective and draftsmanship, Titian and Tintoretto were exploring the expressive and powerful nature of color in painting.

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