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Venice (GULF OF dral of St Marco)

GULF OF dral of St. Marco, forming three sides Doge Sebastino received from Pope of a square, the grandest and most imposing quarter of all the city. The taining all the chambers of state, audi- vast grandeur of its ducal residence conits fine and e vast grandeur of its ducal residence conelegant shops and cafés, the taining all the chambers of state, audience, and judicature, and its magnificent cathedral-presents a picture of grandeur and beauty unequaled by any canal called the Rio Palazzo, and com- (Ponte dei Sospiri) stretches across the canal called the Rio Palazzo, and comof the canal. It is a covered gallery; and the Doge's palace on the W. bank and prisoners, when led to execution, passed from their cells across this gallery to the palace, to hear sentence of death passed upon them, and then were conducted to the scene of death between the red columns.

Few cities in Italy are richer in works the masterpieces of Titian, Tintoretto, Paul Veronese, and the other great chiefs of the Venetian school, are to be dinary city. The library (a fine mardinary city. The library (a fine marble structure, containing 120,000 volumes and 10,000 MSS.), the museum, are regarded as the finest in Europe. and cabinet of curiosities of St. Mark's are regarded as the finest in Europe.

The arsenal and dockyard are esteemed as worthy objects of attraction; the latter, in the palmy days of Venice, contained 40 line-of-battle ships, 12 of them three-deckers, with arms for 150,- 000 men, 4,000 pieces of ordnance, and them three-deckers, with arms for 150,an immense amount of naval and military store, with provision and every requisite to maintain its reputation as one of the first commercial and mari- requisite to maintain its reputation as time states in the world. For many centuries, in the Middle Ages, Venice had the monopoly of all the glass sold centuries, in the Middle Ages, Venice to Europe; but this has long since passed away, and its chief trade is now jewelry, artificial pearls, silks, velvets, and porcelain.

The foundation of Venice was laid in 421, as a place of refuge during the invasion of Italy by Attila. In 697 took place the establishment of an elective prince or Doge, with the appellatook place the establishment of an elec- Anafesto being the first Doge or Duke of Venice. At first the power of the Doge was absolute, but in time restrictions were placed on his rule, till eventually he became a mere cipher and symbol of authority in the hands of the famous Council of Ten. The prosperity and power of Venice began with the famous Council of Ten. The prosperity symbol of authority in the hands of the Alexander III. the title of Sovereign of the Adriatic, in consequence of a signal victory gained by the Venetian galleys further to mark his joy at the victory, the Pope flung into the gulf a ring of over the fleet of the emperor, wh great cost, as a mark of gratitude-a when, custom afterward annually followed by the Doges, who, in great state, dropped a rich ring into the sea; this ceremony was called espousing or wedding the Adriatic. In the reign of Giovanni, in 1620, gold was first coined in Venice, the coin from the ducal dignity of the prince being called a ducat. Venice at the coin from the ducal dignity of the this time was at the height of its glory as the first maritime and commercial state in Europe, as the most prosperous of nations, and as a leading military state in Europe, as the most prosperous and political already encroaching on the commerce ing influence of the republic of Genoa, of the East, which Venice considered as ing influence of the republic of Genoa, cal power. Jealous of the risher exclusive monopoly, she for more her exclusive monopoly, she for more war with her rival, sometimes with serious loss, at others with advantage.

In 1396 Genoa placed herself under the dominion of the King of France, and therefore ceased to have a separate existence as an enemy of the republic.

The greatest part of the 15th century was passed in repeated wars with the Turks, who captured many of her Greek and Ionian islands, especially Cyprus, hilated by the discovery of the route to India by the Cape, petty quarrels and political jealousies occupied the Venetians, instead of commerce and dominpolitical jealousies occupied the Vene- Venice declined, and her power gradually sank as a state till, on the occupation of Italy by the armies of the ually sank as a state till, on the occudependent existence of 1,300 yearswithout striking a blow became a part of Napoleon's Cisalpine republic, and the Congress of Vienna, 1815, Venice was annexed to Austria. The city and afterward of the Italian kingdom. At territory were porated with the kingdom of Italy in 1866. ceded to and incorterritory were ceded to and incorand measures were taken to prevent its During the World War Venice was retreasures from destruction. Pop. about 150,000.

Adriatic Sea, on the N. E. coast of Italy, bounded by the Brenta and the