Venice is one of the four "Repubbliche Marinare" (Maritime Republics: Amalfi, Genova, Pisa, Venezia), born as a defense from the maritime attacks. In this way it became quickly a strong and independent State which based its economy in commercial trades.

According to a local legend, Venice was founded on 25 March 1421. Such legend would be confirmed by official history: in fact, to trace the origins of Venice, we have go back over fifteen centuries, when some people coming from mainland went to Rialto, (a small island on the lagoon) in order to escape the barbaric invasions.

After the 4th crusade directed to Constantinople, Venice became the strongest republic in the eastern Mediterranean sea and it succeeded by having a supreme domain in maritime commercial trades.
Therefore Venice conquered some islands in the Ionic sea, some commercial basis in southern Italy and Greece, and the main part of Peloponnesian and Crete.

During the Renaissance, The Republic of Venice, reached the highest point of its glory, in spite of military contrasts with the Turkish. Nevertheless Venice won at last the war in Lepanto in 1571.
After a small period in eclipse, Venice was the protagonist of a new "golden age" in the XVIII century.
This was the century of Goldoni, Canaletto, Guardi.

Even Napoleon covered an important role in Venice's history, thanks to him Venice had a new large city plane which also included the demolition of some monasteries, just as it happened in France due to the Secularisation (the process that submitted the power of the Church to the power of the State).

Under the submission of Austria (Campoformio, 1797) Venice took part in revolutionary motions of the 48's; 17 years later it was annexed to the Reign of Italy after a plebiscite. During the 2nd World War, Venetians revolted against Nazi-fascismus and in 1948 Venice was rid by American armed forces.

In November 1966, Venice was victim of a great flooding (in other towns similar dangerous climatic events occurred as well, such as the flood in Florence), but it recovered completely and came stronger to be the wonderful city we can admire today.