| For a millennium, Venice has provided | | | | shipping and the restoration of natural |
| inspiration for artists and writers. This | | | | sandbanks have all contributed to the cause. |
| coveted city is made up of 118 islands linked | | | | |
| by 453 bridges. Each corner of town exhibits | | | | The first settlers of Venice were those |
| individual architectural magnificence, the | | | | fleeing the Barbarians around 400 AD. To |
| city combining as one to form a spectacular | | | | create solid foundations for their buildings |
| theatrical stage set. | | | | they drove timber into the mud and began |
| | | | creating a community for their people. |
| Beautiful churches adorn the banks of the | | | | |
| Grand Canal as she snakes her way through the | | | | The city's emblem, the winged lion, derived |
| city. This main artery is at the centre of a | | | | from Saint Mark the Evangelist. The first |
| myriad of canals running throughout the town. | | | | significant church of Venice was built in the |
| | | | ninth century to house the relics of Saint |
| The lifeblood of Venice is its tourism, a | | | | Mark, and his emblem was soon adopted. |
| magnet for over 12 million visitors a year. | | | | |
| Catering for this influx of visitors, the | | | | Venice?s trade brought great wealth and |
| cities population of 70,000 people continue | | | | prosperity to the city and for many centuries |
| their daily lives, working the bars, cafes | | | | it continued to grow. The city thrived on its |
| and restaurants. | | | | colonies and invested its riches wisely. |
| | | | Churches and palaces became commonplace, as |
| Despite all this however, it seems that | | | | were museums to house many newly acquired |
| Venice is slowly sinking at the rate of | | | | works of art. |
| approximately 2 inches every century. | | | | |
| Terrible floods in 1966 caused much doom | | | | For the past couple of centuries however, the |
| mongering and many people feared that Venice | | | | obvious lack of development space meant the |
| was about to be taken off the map. | | | | city found it difficult to advance further. |
| | | | Wars with Turkey were a drain on the |
| The threat to remove funding for vital | | | | resources and so Venice was content to |
| restoration projects gave serious cause for | | | | consolidate. |
| concern and prompted an urgent response to | | | | |
| save the city. It was feared imminent | | | | Despite this, Venice does not rest on its |
| flooding could completely destroy the city; | | | | laurels. Every visit offers something new, a |
| preventative measures were high priority. | | | | fresh experience to take home. Each region of |
| | | | the city has an individual charm, giving the |
| The efforts of the past two decades have had | | | | sense there is always something special |
| considerable success. Reduced pollution, | | | | around each corner. |