When learning a language it is not just about grammar rules and verb conjugations. You have to explore the culture and history that has shaped the language into what it is today. With that in mind what better place is there to combine Italian and culture than Venice, the Italian centre of art, music and architecture.
Most of you will probably already know quite a lot about this city as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. However for those of you who have never been to this city and for those of you who would like to know a bit more here's a summary about this beautiful Italian city.
Venice, or Venezia in Italian, is located in the North East of Italy on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is the capital of the Veneto region with a population of 270, 660 Venetians. Its climate is classified as humid and subtropical with cool winters and very warm summers. It is recognised for its architecture, art and natural beauty, in fact the city in its entirety is listed as a world Heritage Site.
A brief history
The city's name dates back to the 10th century BC and the Veneti people who used to inhabit this area. It was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice, which existed from the late 7th century until 1797 when it lost its independence to Napoleon. It was not until 1866 (after many revolts and treaties) that Venice became a part of the Kingdom of Italy. Due to its geographical location it became a very important trade centre from the 9th - 12th century, particularly in the trade of silk, grain and spice, between western Europe and the rest of the world. By the late 13th century it was the most prosperous city in Europe.
Venice has always been a very important centre for art since the middle ages and the Renaissance, so much so that its own style developed called the Venetian School. By the end of the 15th century it was the capital of printing, and home to Aldus Manutius who, in 1499, printed what is considered to be the first paperback book. Venice is of course also famous for its canals, which were enhanced during the middle ages by the dredging of soils to raise the marshy ground above the tides. The canals are still used today for transport along with 400+ bridges. It has many nicknames because of this, some of which are: The City of Water, The City of Bridges, The Floating City and The City of Canals.
This city is a very important tourist location due to the art and Venetian culture, as of 2007 the city has around 50,000 tourists visiting per day and in 2006 the city had 2.93 million international arrivals! Some of the main tourist attractions include St. Mark's Basilica, Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco.
Venice is Europe's largest urban car-free area, all transport is by water or on foot or the famous Gondole which are big tourist attractions. Due to this, the city has over 400 bridges to allow for all of the foot traffic.
If you are interested in visting this city and brushing up on your Italian skills, have a look at what our school in Venice offers! Remember if you have any questions you can always contact us.