Now we know Venice as the city of lovers and tourists. But there was once another Venice, a city of adventurers and empire-builders at whose wrath princes shivered. It was the city of every vice except sloth and every virtue except humility.
Alvise Zorzi, a Venetian nobleman, writes this work of love for his native city. He gives a splendid coffeetable volume about St. Mark's City. He charts it's humble beginning, it's rise to glory and it's rather ignominous fall. There are descriptions of Venice's governtmental structure, it's policies in war and peace and the vast trade network on which it depended. There are also beautiful photographs of the various outposts and trading posts of the Venetian Empire up and down the Aegean. With that is combined information on such subjects as Venetian archetecture, glassblowing, and cookery. As well as the various sites to see in the city. It is an expensive work but a fine one and worthy of your interest.
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