Here's a short history of Venice through the centuries, from the splendour of the Serenissima Republic, with its dogi prestige, its battles for supremacy and its maritime trades with Orient, that made Venice the most rich sea power over Mediterranean Sea during its long empire, to our present-day city, facing the every day difficulties of its nature and its touristic destiny.

For centuries, wells have been fundamental elements in Venetians' everyday life. Their increasing numbers can be explained with the always compelling need of supply and catch of fresh water; indeed through centuries their numbers grew up to six thousand.
As the poet Marin Sanudo (1466-1536) wrote "Venice lays in water without water".

 A short trip into the history of Venice, from the first settlements in the lagoon after the barbaric invasions, through the prestige and the opulence of the Serenissima Republic, the greatest italian sea power, until  the present-day problems.

 

The city of Venice originated as a collection of 118 little islands crossed by 150 canals and linked together with more than 400 bridges. Of all these bridges, there are just four bridges linking the two docks of the Grand Canal – the main waterway and arterial ship canal of the city –, which are: Rialto Bridge, Accademia Bridge, degli Scalzi.Bridge and the “new” one Costituzione Bridge, better known as Calatrava Bridge from the name of its builder.