Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a famous romantic city on a lagoon in the northern part of Italy - Veneto.
According to legend, Venice was founded in 421 AD. The founding of Venice is associated with the raids of the Goths, who sacked and burned everything in their path on their way to Rome. The local Veneti therefore retreated to the islands in the lagoon where they could better defend themselves against these raids. Some of the earliest settlements were founded at what is now the bridge over the Grand Canal - Ponte di Rialto (the name comes from Rivo alto - high bank).
Today, the Rialto is one of the four bridges that connect the two banks of the Grand Canal, the Grand Canal that divides the historic centre of Venice. Probably the oldest building from the founding period of Venice is the cathedral on the island of Torcello - the church of Santa Fosca from the early 6th century.
Venice is spread over 118 islands, connected by more than 400 stone bridges and canals, which act as roads - all traffic is on the water.gondolas, which were commonly used to transport goods to the palaces, are now widely used as a tourist attraction. Originally, gondolas used to be decorated in colourful patterns, but a 1562 law banned their decoration and mandated a uniform black colour. The gondola is still made by hand today and the trade is passed down from father to son. It takes about 4 months to build and costs around one million crowns.
The town is divided into traditional administrative districts (called sestiere): Cannaregio, Castello, San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo and Santa Croce.
The most attractive district for tourists is San Marco, where you can find the Doge's Palace, the Basilica of Saint Mark, the square of the same name and the piazzetta with two columns, symbols of Venice.
