Venice (Venezia) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 126 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals. Portions of the city are linked by 472 bridges. The islands are in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay lying between the mouths of the Po and the Piave rivers. Venice has been known as (to name only a few) ‘La Dominante’, ‘La Serenissima’, ‘Queen of the Adriatic’, ‘City of Bridges’ and ‘City of Canals’.

Although no surviving historical records deal directly with the founding or building of Venice, tradition and the available evidence have led several historians to agree that the original population of Venice consisted of refugees from nearby Roman cities as well as from the undefended countryside, who were fleeing successive waves of Germanic and Hun invasions. From the 9th to the 12th centuries, Venice developed into a powerful maritime empire. With the elimination of pirates along the Dalmatian coast, the city became a flourishing trade centre between Western Europe and the rest of the world, especially with the Byzantine Empire and Asia, where its navy protected sea routes against piracy.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to Venice on May 14 2019. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.