Venice

Venice (Italian: Venezia), the "city of canals", is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice, {{coor dm|45|26|N|12|19|E|}}, population 271,663 (census estimate 2004-01-01). The city is included, with Padua (Padova), in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, population 1,600,000. The city stretches across numerous small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers.

Venice in culture, the arts, and fiction

In the 14th century, many young Venetian men began wearing tight-fitting multicolored hose, the designs on which indicated the Compagnie della Calza ("Trouser Club") to which they belonged. The Senate passed sumptuary laws, but these merely resulted in changes in fashion in order to circumvent the law. Dull garments were worn over colorful ones, which then were cut to show the hidden colors -- which resulted in the wide spread of men's "slashed" fashions in the 15th century.

Related Topics:
14th century - Sumptuary law - 15th century

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During the 16th century, Venice became one of the most important musical centers of Europe, with the development of the Venetian polychoral style under composers such as Adrian Willaert, who worked at San Marco. Venice was the early center of music printing; Ottaviano Petrucci began publishing music almost as soon as this technology was available, and his publishing enterprise helped to attract composers from all over Europe, especially from France and Flanders. By the end of the century, Venice was famous for the splendor of its music, as exemplified in the "colossal style" of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, which used multiple choruses and instrumental groups.

Related Topics:
16th century - Venetian polychoral style - Adrian Willaert - San Marco - Ottaviano Petrucci - France - Flanders - Andrea - Giovanni Gabrieli

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Canvases (the now almost universal surface for painting) originated in Venice during the early renaissance. They were generally rough.

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Other major works involving Venice include:

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• William Shakespeare's Othello and The Merchant of Venice
• Death in Venice, a 1912 novel by Thomas Mann
• Nicolas Roeg's 1973 film Don't Look Now, based on a story by Daphne du Maurier
• Film: The Italian Job