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Rising from the waters of a shallow, marshy lagoon and built on wooden piles driven into the shifting mud, it’s arguable that Venice should never have existed. One of the most improbable cities in the world, it began as a place of refuge that grew into a magnificent, powerful republic, commanding trade routes, shaping empires, and dazzling visitors with its wealth and beauty. Over the course of a thousand years, its ships carried spices and silk, its artists reshaped European culture, and its masked revellers embodied libertine decadence.

But what difference did a daring relic-heist from Alexandria make to Venice’s identity? How did this small republic of merchants bend crusaders, emperors, and popes to its will? And how will the place sometimes known as the Floating City manage the threats it faces from mass tourism and rising waters?

This is a Short History Of Venice.

A Noiser Podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Thomas Madden, Professor of History at Saint Louis University, and author of “Venice: A New History”.

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Venice, A New History

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