A Brief History of Venice
The church of San Giacomo di Rialto, the oldest church in Venice, dedicated in 421.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, barbarians from the north (including Attila the Hun) raided Rome’s former territories. In order to escape these raids, the Venetian population on the mainland escaped to the nearby marshes, and found refuge on the sandy islands of the lagoon. Although the settlements were initially temporary in nature, the Venetians gradually inhabited the islands on a permanent basis.
Medieval
421 Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, San Giacomo at the Rialto (Rivoalto, "High Shore") said to have taken place at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421.
639 The gorgeous Venetian Byzantine Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is built in Torcello, where you will find the oldest mosaics in the lagoon.
Step by step, Venice is being built on several islands of the lagoon.
726 In Rialto the Doges' government is established: the first doge is Orso Ipato. Doge is the Venetian word for duce in Italian or duke in English.
814
Venice flourishes as a trading center and ships sail to and from her ports. The construction of Palazzo Ducale (Doges' Palace) starts but the origional palace is burnt down in the 10th century.
828
Venice's prestige increases with the acquisition of the relics of St Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria. (Winged lions, visible throughout Venice, symbolise St Mark.)
Venice continues to develop and as Byzantine power wanes, her autonomy grows.
834 Construction of the Basilica of St. Mark begins, but this first basilica is also burnt down in the 10th
century.
Part of the fabulous Ships Pavillion at the Naval Historical Museum.
11th Century
1000 Venice is spreading her commercial boundaries and her fleet defeats the pirates of the Adriatic.
1094
Saint Mark's Basilica is dedicated.
Gondoliering begins as a strictly male profession.
The Basilica of Saint Mark with the bronze horses from Constantinople visible over the main doors. These are actually replicas, the real ones are inside.
1097
The Market is established on the Rialto.
1181
The first bridge across the Grand Canal is built. A wooden pontoon to later become the Rialto Bridge.
1204
Venice becomes an imperial power following the Fourth Crusade, and captures Constantinople. Considerable Byzantine plunder is brought back to Venice, including the gilt bronze horses from the Hippodrome, which are placed above the entrance to St. Mark's Basilica.
The wooden Rialto Bridge in a detail from a painting by Vittore Carpaccio in the Accademia Galleries.
1255
The wooden Rialto Bridge was built, with the central section able to be raised to allow tall ships to pass along the Grand Canal.
1271 The Venetian merchant Marco Polo travels from Venice to Asia. His adventures and meetings with Kublai Khan are told in his book 'Il Milione'.
By the late 13th century, Venice is the most prosperous city in Europe. At the peak of her power and wealth, she has 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships, dominating Mediterranean commerce.
Venice's leading families vie with each other to build the grandest palaces and support the work of the greatest and most talented artists.
The city is governed by the Great Council, which is made up of members of the noble families of Venice. One member of the great council is elected "Doge" and holds the title until his death.
1291
All the glassmakers in Venice are forced to move to Murano due to the risk of fires
1348 Venice's population is halved by the plague. In spite of this, Venice becomes the leader of the Four Seapowers of the Mediterranean Sea: the other ones are the Republics of Amalfi, Genoa and La Spezia. But after Constantinople falls to Sultan Mehmet II, he declares war on Venice. The war is to last thirty years and cost Venice much of its eastern Mediterranean lands.
1400
Venetian Giovanni Spinetti builds the first small piano, a spinet.
Bellini's altarpiece can be seen in the Church of San Zaccaria. It is dedicated to St.Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
1430
1482
Venice is the printing capital of the world and the leading printer Aldus Manutius, invents paperback books that can be carried in a saddlebag.
1488
Titian is the most important painter of the Venetian Renaissance school. Introducing a whole new style of painting characterized by the importance of colour and its relationship with light.
Assumption of the Virgin by Titian, It is located on the high altar in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and is the largest altarpiece in the city.
1497
Vasco da Gama of Portugal finds a sea route to India by rounding the Cape of Good Hope destroying Venice's land route monopoly.
Venice's oared galleys cannot compete when crossing the great oceans, and Venice is left behind in the race for colonies and spices. 1508
Andrea Palladio the most famous Venetian architect is born. From his name comes the term "palladian" which refers to a style heavily influenced by Roman and Greek Classicism.
1516
Although the people of Venice generally remain orthodox Roman Catholic, and the state is notable for its freedom from religious fanaticism, the first Jewish Ghetto in Europe is founded in Venice.
Tintoretto's Moses Drawing Water from the Rock is housed at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco
1518
Tintoretto's paintings are characterized by sharp light, luminous half shadows and different
shades of colour and he was interested in perfectly recreating perspective.
Forks are used at a banquet (maybe the first ever).
1591
The Rialto Bridge is built of marble.
During the 17th century Venice gradually loses power and influence.
The Black Death devastated Venice in 1348 and once again between 1575 and 1577. In three years, the plague killed some 50,000 people.
Since that time the spectacular Festa del Redentore has been held every year with a walkway built across the Giudecca Canal to the Chiesa del Redentore which was built as thanks for the end of the plague. Unfortunately in 1630, the Italian plague kills a third of Venice's 150,000 citizens.
Venice begins to lose her position as a center of international trade as Portugal becomes Europe's principal intermediary in trade with the East, striking at the very foundation of Venice's great wealth.
The Bridge of Sighs between the Ducal Palace and the prison is constructed. legend says that lovers will be granted eternal love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge of Sighs as the bells of St Mark's Campanile toll.
1678
Antonio Vivaldi is born and will be recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers.
1697
Canaletto is born in Venice which was to become the ideal setting for his landscape paintings.
Vivaldi's "Spring" from The Four Seasons, played by i musici.
The Entrance to the Grand Canal by Canaletto
1720
Caffè Florian opens and is patronised by notable people including the playwright Carlo Goldoni, Goethe and Casanova, who is no doubt attracted by the fact that it is the only coffee house that allows women. Later Lord Byron, Marcel Proust, and Charles Dickens were to be frequent visitors.
1725 Giacomo Casanova is born in Venice. The myth of the irresistible seducer and lover will tell his story in the book 'Memorie di Giacomo Casanova'.
1790
In the 18th century Venice is politically unimportant although the arts such as opera flourish. Venice becomes perhaps the most elegant and refined city in Europe, greatly influencing art, music, architecture and literature.
1792
Teatro La Fenice opens.
1797
La Serenissima loses her independence when Napoleon Bonaparte conquers Venice. He removes the gates of the Ghetto and ends the restrictions on when and where Jews can
live and travel in the city.
19th Century
1813
20 year old Rossini premiers his first opera L'Italiana in Algeri at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice.
1819
The English Romanticist landscape painter Turner arrives in Venice for the first of several visits.
The Grand Canal by JMW Turner
1836
La Fenice burns down but is rebuilt quickly.
1853
Verdi's opera La Traviata premiers at La Fenice.
1854
The origional steel Accademia Bridge is built only to be rebuilt in timber in 1933 and 1985. Above is the only wooden bridge over the Grand Canal as it is today.
1861
Venice's Santa Lucia Railway Station opens.
1866
After the Third Italian War of Independence, Venice, along with the rest of the Veneto, becomes part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
1889
Designer Mariano Fortuny moves to Venice buying an ancient building which was almost in ruins.
The Fortuny Palace is restored to become his residence and studio and is now an art gallery.
A beautiful Fortuny lamp.
20th Century
1902
The Bell Tower in Piazza San Marco collapses and is completely rebuilt.
A new Modern Art Gallery opens at Ca' Pesaro, thanks to a bequest from Duchess Bevilacqua-La Masa
1910 The Biennale exhibition has one room dedicated to Klimt, a one-man show for Renoir and a retrospective dedicated to Courbet. A work by Picasso is removed by the organizers, fearing that its novelty might shock the public. Picasso had his first work exhibited at the Biennale only in 1948.
1931
Harry's Bar opens by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani.
1932 The Venice Film Festival is launched.
1933
Mussolini opens the Ponte della Liberta the road from the mainland to Venice.
1948
Ernest Hemingway spends some time in Torcello, writing parts of Across the River and Into the Trees.
1949
Peggy Guggenheim settles in Venice. Her Modern Art Collection on the Grand Canal is one of the most visited attractions in Venice.
The Peggy Guggenheim Gallery in Dorsoduro
1966
Aqua alta causes serious flood damage throughout the city.
1980
The Carnival of Venice is revived. It was originally held for two months at a time in the 11th Century.
1996 Teatro La Fenice is totally destroyed by fire it finally re-opens in 2004.
2003
The MOSE project to control the flooding of Venice is launched.
2007
The courts allow a woman to operate a gondola under strict controls and great opposition!
I hope this will give you just a little idea of where Venice comes from. My vision is a little biased I am sure! Please let me know if I have made any terrible mistakes. Many thanks to Veniceword.
