At the beginning of the Christian era rising sea levels covered much of the coastal Veneto. Sea levels later decreased to leave a series of small islands whose natural evolution was aided by deposits from Alpine rivers which flowed into the northern Adriatic. The lagoon, dotted with these small islands, was formed via a kinetic struggle between fresh and salt water, and earth which fed the emerging marshes. From this unpromising beginning, early settlers used what they could as a foundation for rudimentary wooden housing. As Venice slowly arose, its thirst for building materials extended with wood coming from the dense forests of the lower Dolomites to the north, and white stone from the quarries of the Istrian peninsula to the east across the Adriatic coast. By the start of the second millennium, the families of Venice had begun to form their unique system of government presided over by a Doge, simultaneously constructing their palaces along its biggest canal. The Casa-Fondaco (a home warehouse) became the backbone of its emerging economy as the city’s trading operations continued to expand. The city’s prestige was further ‘blessed’ with the dubious acquisition of the relics of St Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria, conferring on it a self-proclaimed exalted status, so useful as Venice sought power beyond its lagoon.

Wordsworth wrote that Venice 'held the gorgeous east in fee’. Pride and profit drove the Venetian’s patriotic duty to expand its trade across the seas, connecting Venice both to the Orient and the lucrative markets of northern Europe. From the ninth to the twelfth century Venice developed into a maritime republic defeating its Italian maritime competitors - Pisa, Amalfi and Genoa. It fought and overcame any obstacle in its twin defence of its trading interests, while seeking to secure its independence from outside interference. Her coastal and island possessions varied in size from Pirano near Venice to Famagusta on Cyprus. Some were isolated fortresses, busy naval centres or large settled colonies. The decline of Byzantium, the city’s involvement in the Fourth Crusade, the rise of the Ottomans and Venice’s political relationships with its Italian neighbours were all catalysts in the city’s rise and fall. Yet, the enlightened stewardship of its mainland possessions can still be seen in the cities of Padua, Verona, Brescia and Bergamo.