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Venice and its Lagoon

Venedig, Italy
09.09.2021

Venedig und seine Lagune is a unique and breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the city of Venice, Italy. This extraordinary site includes not only the city itself, but also the surrounding lagoon and its islands, making it a truly one-of-a-kind destination.

Venice is known for its romantic and magical charm, with its maze-like streets, stunning architecture, and iconic canals. It's a city that has captured the hearts of visitors for centuries, and it's no wonder why. With a history dating back to the 5th century AD, Venice has a rich and fascinating past that is still evident in its monuments and landmarks today.

One of the most famous and recognizable landmarks in Venice is the St. Mark's Basilica, a stunning Byzantine style cathedral located in Piazza San Marco. The church was built in the 11th century to house the relics of St. Mark, and its ornate exterior and intricate interior are a testament to the wealth and power of the Venetian Republic.

Another must-see attraction in Venice is the Doge's Palace, a magnificent Gothic style palace that served as the residence of the Doge of Venice and the seat of government for the Republic. This impressive building is a symbol of the city's political and cultural importance during the Medieval and Renaissance periods.

But Venice is not just about grand buildings and historic landmarks. It's also a city of art and culture. The Gallerie dell'Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection are just two of the many museums that showcase the rich artistic heritage of Venice, from Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary works.

A visit to Venice is not complete without a gondola ride through its canals. This traditional and romantic mode of transportation has been a part of Venetian life for centuries, and it offers a unique perspective of the city's architecture and charm.

But it's not just the city of Venice that makes this World Heritage Site so special. The lagoon and its islands are also important components of the site. The island of Murano, famous for its glassmaking tradition, and Burano, known for its colorful houses and lace production, are just two of the many islands that can be explored and admired.

Visiting Venice and its lagoon is like stepping back in time. Its rich cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and romantic atmosphere make it a truly unforgettable experience. It's no wonder that it has captured the hearts of so many and continues to be a top destination for travelers from all around the world.

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Founded in the 5th century and spread over 118 small islands, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. The whole city is an extraordinary architectural masterpiece in which even the smallest building contains works by some of the world's greatest artists such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and others.

The Venetian Lagoon (Italian: Laguna di Venezia; Venetian: Łaguna de Venesia) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea, in northern Italy, in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Italian and Venetian languages, Laguna Veneta (cognate of Latin lacus 'lake'), has provided the English name for an enclosed, shallow embayment of salt water: a lagoon.

Venice ( VEN-iss; Italian: Venezia [veˈnɛttsja] ; Venetian: Venesia [veˈnɛsja], formerly Venexia [veˈnɛzja]) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 126 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are linked by 472 bridges. The islands are in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay lying between the mouths of the Po and the Piave rivers (more exactly between the Brenta and the Sile). In 2020, around 258,685 people resided in greater Venice or the Comune di Venezia, of whom around 51,000 live in the historical island city of Venice (centro storico) and the rest on the mainland (terraferma). Together with the cities of Padua and Treviso, Venice is included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE), which is considered a statistical metropolitan area, with a total population of 2.6 million.

The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC. The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice for almost a millennium, from 810 to 1797. It was a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as an important centre of commerce—especially silk, grain, and spice, and of art from the 13th century to the end of the 17th. The city-state of Venice is considered to have been the first real international financial centre, emerging in the 9th century and reaching its greatest prominence in the 14th century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history. For centuries Venice possessed numerous territories along the Adriatic Sea and within the Italian peninsula, leaving a significant impact on the architecture and culture that can still be seen today. The Venetian Arsenal is considered by several historians to be the first factory in history, and was the base of Venice's naval power. The sovereignty of Venice came to an end in 1797, at the hands of Napoleon. Subsequently, in 1866, the city became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

Venice has been known as "La Dominante", "La Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". The lagoon and the historic parts of the city within the lagoon were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, covering an area of 70,176.4 hectares (173,410 acres). Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their architecture, and artwork. Venice is known for several important artistic movements – especially during the Renaissance period – and has played an important role in the history of instrumental and operatic music; it is the birthplace of Baroque composers Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi.

In the 21st century, Venice remains a very popular tourist destination, a major cultural centre, and has often been ranked one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has been described by The Times as one of Europe's most romantic cities and by The New York Times as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". However, the city faces challenges including an excessive number of tourists, pollution, tide peaks and cruise ships sailing too close to buildings. In light of the fact that Venice and its lagoon are under constant threat in terms of their ecology and the safeguarding of the cultural heritage, Venice's UNESCO listing has been under constant examination by UNESCO.

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