Any list of the world’s most beautiful and unusual cities must include Venice. Built on a patchwork of more than 100 low-lying islands in the middle of a swampy lagoon, it is a modern city of waterways, bus boats and a complete absence of cars. Everyone, from children, students and professionals to workers and delivery men, travels on its canals. Indeed, Venice is a city that in many ways seems frozen in time. By 1500, the city had taken on much of its present shape and only in the 20th century did further development begin to change its elegant outline. Virtually unscarred by the aerial bombings of WWII and the demands of post-war development, Venice has changed little over the past 200 years.In this oversized, highly illustrated volume, discover the history and culture of this amazing water-bound city. Starting with its origins in the 6th century, the reader follows its evolution through the Middle Ages, the "Golden Age" of the Renaissance, right up to the present and the catastrophic problems of sinking that it faces today. Venice also invites the reader to explore the city’s canals teaming with gondolas and water taxis; its magnificent architecture and decaying facades; along with life in the Jewish Ghetto, the splendor of the annual Venice Carnival, and the diversity of the islands in the Venetian lagoon. Photographs and original illustrations capture the daily rhythms of this unforgettable city. Read Less