It was an independent [city state]? for 1070 years until conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte in May 1797.
It is famous for its canals. Built on a archipelago of more than 100 islands in a shallow lagoon, the city is sinking slowly into the water that protected it from invading barbarians for so many centuries.
The buildings of Venice are built on closely spaced poles, or pilings, which penetrate through alternating layers of clay and sand. Most of these pilings are intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the pilings, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The buiildings are often threatened during the acque alta, or flood tides, pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring.
Venice is served by the Marco Polo Airport, Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo, named in honor of its famous citizen.
Places of note
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