Venice (GULF OF dral of St Marco)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

GULF OF dral of St. Marco, forming three sides Doge Sebastino received from Pope Alexander III. the title of Sovereign of the Adriatic, in consequence of a signal victory gained by the Venetian galleys over the fleet of the emperor, wh when, further to mark his joy at the victory, the Pope flung into the gulf a ring of great cost, as a mark of gratitude-a 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 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 and political cal power. Jealous of the rising influence of the republic of Genoa, already encroaching on the commerce of the East, which Venice considered as her exclusive monopoly, she for more than a century carried on a harrassing 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, and large portions of Dalmatia. When the commerce of Venice became annihilated by the discovery of the route to India by the Cape, petty quarrels and political jealousies occupied the Venetians, instead of commerce and dominion. From this time the prestige of Venice declined, and her power gradually sank as a state till, on the occupation of Italy by the armies of the French Republic, Venice-after an independent existence of 1,300 yearswithout striking a blow became a part of Napoleon's Cisalpine republic, and afterward of the Italian kingdom. At the Congress of Vienna, 1815, Venice was annexed to Austria. The city and ceded to and incorterritory were porated with the kingdom of Italy in 1866. During the World War Venice was repeatedly bombed by hostile airplanes, and measures were taken to prevent its treasures from destruction. Pop. about 150,000.