Venice is one of the largest and busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean Sea and is the capital of the region of Veneto in Northern Italy.
The first settlement of the marshy islands in the lagoon was for protection from barbarian tribes that terrorized mainland farms and villages. Island living quickly led to the development of skills in handling boats, then ships. Maritime trade conducted by shrewd merchants brought great wealth, which permitted the building of palaces, churches and monuments.
Venice city became the centre of the vast Venetian empire, its name forever summoning visions of grandeur, magnificence, richness, graciousness and beauty. Although later linked to the mainland, first by a railway bridge built in 1848 and then by a motor causeway in 1930, this island city will always be considered as the “Queen of the Sea."
If you hadn’t known, there are no cars in Venice; all transportation is made by boat or on foot along the time-worn, cobblestone streets and across some 400 bridges that span the city’s 177 canals. Venice is truly enchanting as it offers an atmosphere that exist nowhere else in the world.
