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Venice, in Venetian Venesia or Venexia, is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region.
It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 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.
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 a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 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, and is the birthplace of Baroque composers Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi.
Although no surviving historical records deal directly with the founding of Venice, tradition and the available evidence have led several historians to agree that the original population of Venice consisted of refugees -from nearby Roman cities such as Padua, Aquileia, Treviso, Altino, and Concordia (modern Portogruaro), as well as from the undefended countryside-who were fleeing successive waves of Germanic and Hun invasions.
This is further supported by the documentation on the so-called apostolic families, the twelve founding families of Venice who elected the first doge, who in most cases trace their lineage back to Roman families.
Some late Roman sources reveal the existence of fishermen, on the islands in the original marshy lagoons, who were referred to as incolae lacunae, lagoon dwellers.
The traditional founding is identified with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo on the islet of Rialto or Rivoalto, High Shore -said to have taken place at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421, the Feast of the Annunciation.
In 828 the new city's prestige increased with the acquisition, from Alexandria, of relics claimed to be of St Mark the Evangelist; these were placed in the new basilica. Winged lions -visible throughout Venice- are the emblem of St Mark.
The patriarchal seat was also moved to Rialto. As the community continued to develop, and as Byzantine power waned, its own autonomy grew, leading to eventual independence.
More information: Introducing Venice
San Giacomo di Rialto is a church in the sestiere of San Polo, Venice. The addition of Rialto to the name distinguishes this church from its namesake San Giacomo dell'Orio found in the sestiere of Santa Croce, on the same side of the Grand Canal.
It has a large 15th-century clock above the entrance, a useful item in the Venetian business district but regarded as a standing joke for its inaccuracy.
The Gothic portico is one of the few surviving examples in Venice. It has a Latin cross plan with a central dome. Inside, the Veneto-Byzantine capitals on the six columns of ancient Greek marble date from the 11th century.
According to tradition, San Giacomo is the oldest church in the city, supposedly consecrated in the year 421. Although documents exist mentioning the area but not the church in 1097, the first document citing the church dates from 1152.
It was rebuilt in 1071, prompting the establishment of the Rialto market with bankers and money changers in front of the church. The system with the bill of exchange was introduced here, as clients went with such a bill of exchange with a credit inscribed from one banker to another.
In 1503, it survived a fire which destroyed the rest of the area, and was restored from 1601 by order of Doge Marino Grimani. Works included raising of the pavement to counter the acqua alta.
More information: ThoughtCo
Frida Giannini
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