Venice, a place you must see....

Venice, Italy, is a world famous tourist destination, known for its rich history, beautiful vistas and, most notably, that it is a city – really a series of islands on a lagoon - built below sea level with canals rather than streets. The image of a romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice is one that has charmed many tourists over the years. Visitors to the city can live out that dream with a moonlit gondola ride for two - some even offer a serenade as part of the package - or take a boat tour during the day, traversing the cities canals and learning about its history with a knowledgeable guide. The Grand Canal is not to be missed. Venice, though, has more to offer its tourists than just its novel mode of transportation. The city is home to several festivals each year, including the Venice Film Festival and the Venice Biennale. Visitors to the city during these festivals are sure to notice famous filmmakers, artists and actors roaming the canals.

www.venice24-7.com For Holiday & Travel information including Flights & Hotels **

Venice is considered by many to be a living museum, and physical space is at a premium, so it does not have as many museums as some of Italy's other major cities. However, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, located in the noted art collector's former Venice home, is a stop worth making while in the city. As with most Italian cities, the churches and cathedrals aren't just places of worship in Venice, they're architectural wonders in their own right. St. Mark's Basilica offers enough wonder for a two hour tour in English, and the surrounded square is a must see for any first time visitor to the city. The Basilica itself dates to the year 1071 and has been added onto through the centuries, making for a building full of narrow passageways and seemingly secret areas contrasted with the open spaces usually associated with a cathedral.

Venice is a city built on islands and bridges in the northeast corner of Italy. Founded in 421 AD, Venice soon overtook Torcello as the most important commercial and political center of the area. It held this title for quite some time. The Doges' goverenment, Serenissima Repubblica (Venician Republic), catapulted Venice onto the world stage. Venice became a city unlike any other that the world had ever seen.. Commecial and property expansion led to the defeat of pirates in the Adriatic Sea and involvement in the Crusades. Loot and art brought back from Jerusalem increased Venice's status in international politics, eventually leading the four major sea powers in the Mediteranean. Venice survived the loss of half its population to the plague, and continued gaining power through other plagues in Italy. At the same time, Venice grew as a cultural and religious center, developing a reputaion for sophistication and decadence. The financial and cultural wealth of the city turned it into a target for those set on building empires.

The end of the Venician government came with the defeat to Napoleon in 1797. It is at this time that the great Venecian city collapsed, however the history was not all lost. Now attached to Austria, Venice came under the control of the Hapsburgs. Fighting repeatedly for independance, Venice finally won the freedom to join the newly united Italy in 1866. No longer a world political power in its own right, Venice was still an extremely important cultural center. World War II interrupted the artistic activities of the city, but no damage came to the city itself. Niether the Axis or Allied powers dared bomb "The most gorgeous city on earth". Time, though, is taking its toll as the city is slowly sinking into the lagoon it is built on.

www.holiday24-7.com