Page 52 - A History of the World in 25 Cities
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Life in
Life in the city state of Venice was all about the sea, ships and selling things. With its incredible shipbuilders and access to trade routes from Europe and Africa to the Far East, Venice was one of the most powerful cities in the whole of Europe.
Imagine building a city in the middle of the sea! The first settlers on Venice did just that, building on high-lying areas of a shallow lagoon. To stop their homes from sinking or flooding, they drove huge wooden poles deep into the sand and clay below the waterline, and then built
a layer of marble on top to make strong, waterproof foundations.
Venice was in the perfect position to trade with mainland Europe to the west and the Middle and Far East to the east. Wood, iron ore, wool, salt and even enslaved people were sent east and traded for spices,
perfumes, amazing carpets, fine cloth, gold and silver and precious gems. The Venetians could then sell these exotic items on to the rest of
In NuMbers
Europe at a vast profit. However, with great success came great danger, as local pirates attacked the city’s ships in an
attempt to steal their share of the city’s gold.
Venice’s most famous son was explorer and merchant Marco Polo. Polo joined his father’s merchant trading business and spent a quarter of a century travelling as far as China. When he returned he wrote a book about his adventures. Over the years, the tales of Polo’s travels have influenced many people including, centuries later, Christopher Columbus who was inspired to set sail across the Atlantic after reading it.
118 Number of bridges: 4OO Number of islands:
