HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF VENICE

 Settlement in the lagoon predates Roman times,When the present city of Venice started to take shape (in
roughly the 7th century), the lagoon was an extensive area lying between the sea and the mainland where the
rivers flowing down into the sea from the “Po” valley met,turning into canals before finally reaching the sea
through the apertures in the outermost sand banks.
 The lagoon is an environment that has a specific hierarchy and the canals were created by ebbing and flowing
tides. Venice was considered a river city , though in this case the water flow between fluid banks rather than
between dry embarkments.
 The city of Venice ,however has an unusual pattern, quite different from the other mainland cities , where
these generally develop OUTWARDS FROM A SINGLE NUCLEUS.
 Indeed the orginal city of Venice developed in the exact opposite way , starting from a series of nuclei, built
precariously on the first unstable islands as these started to emerge from the lagoon, separated by the canals
and large expanses of water.
 HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF VENICE
 The original population of Venice consisted of refugees from Roman cities near Venice such as
Padua,Aquileia,Treviso,Altino and Concordia and from the undefended countryside.
 Some late Roman sources reveal the existence of fisherman on the islands in the original marshy lagoons.
 There is evidence for a settlement in 600CE , and this grew , having its own bisphoric by the end of the 7 th
century.
 The city’s location was originally a marshy area with many sandbanks.
 The lagoon was exploited for commercial trading during the Roman Empire and was also holiday resort for
noblemen.
 The original city of Venice was destroyed by several invasions until eventually a small strip of coast remained
of the area and hub of the city is relocated there.
 These small settlements cover a far smaller area than the waters between them and
form what we know as the city of Venice .
 Such as unusual environment was crucial for the fortunes of the city:the very reason
that the city developed in such an awkward location ,without any traces of previous
settlements , it was not affected by the bitter fighting during the early middle ages that
led to neighbouring mainland cities being repeatedly razed to the ground.
 The city initially consisted of a few precarious villages on a series of islands , physicaly
separated from each other , yet forming a concentration of settlements along this vast
archipelago.
 The city was not alone , many monasteries and other minor settlements were built in
the lagoon area .
 The original city was , therefore , a cluster of elementary urban units each of which
gradually gained the necessary spaces and infrastructure.

 Unlike the Medival mainland towns , whose physical centre is where the main roads
meet adorned with squares and churches and hence the towns expand outward, Venice
contains several centres that are relatively autonomous and have their own identity.
 The city is based on these units and has grown over the centuries via a process of
gradual “filling –in”,with the construction of new buildings , starting from Rivoalto area
and extending towards all the other settlements reducing the water ways between the
islands and so forming the modern day canals.
Perspective view of Venice by
Jacapo Barbari at 1500
The city is based on these units and has grown over the centuries via a process of gradual “filling –
in”,with the construction of new buildings , starting from Rivoalto area and extending towards all the
other settlements reducing the water ways between the islands and so forming the modern day
canals.
VENETIAN ARCHITECTURE is not , however, entirely identical one can see tell-tell signs of the
city’s increasing wealth – prestigious palaces and important funzioni – along the edges of the islands
considered to form the real city centre.

GEOGRAPHY
The historical city is divided into six areas or “sestiere”[while the whole commune (municipality)is
divided into 6 boroughs of which one is composed of all 6 sestiere.
CANNAREGIO-entry point for most visitors to Venice.
CASTELLO- industrial hub
DORSODURO-settlement founded by fisherman.
SAN MARCO-home of the political and the judicial centers.
SAN POLO-has markets stalls, small shops, and local bars.
Traditionaly this was a commercial center for
bankers and brokers.
SANTA CROCE- named after the church of Santa Croce.
Traversed by the grand canal.