Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a
city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto, and has a
population of 271,251 (census estimate January 1, 2004). Together
with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan
Area (population 1,600,000). Venice has been known as the "La
Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of
Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light". It is
considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the
world.[1]
The city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy
Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The
saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths
of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers. The population
estimate of 272,000 inhabitants includes the population of the
whole Comune of Venezia; around 62,000 in the historic city of
Venice (Centro storico); 176,000 in Terraferma (the Mainland),
mostly in the large frazione of Mestre and Marghera; and 31,000
live on other islands in the lagoon.
The Venetian Republic was a major maritime power during the
Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades
and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of
commerce (especially silk, grain and spice trade) and art in the
13th century up to the end of the 17th century