Get closer to Venice

The Italian original name for Venice is Venezia, pronounced as /ve'nεttsia/. The capital of the Veneto region, the whole municipality (Comune di Venezia) is made up of the historical center, an area in the mainland (Mestre, Marghera district) and several island in the lagoon, some of which are quite big and/or famous for cultural and touristic reasons: the Lido, the Giudecca island, Burano, Murano. The population sums up to about of 270,000 pdeople, with the historical center of venice losing inhabitants day by day; they are presently less than 60,000 (31st October 2009).
In past centuries, and before surrendering to the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Venice was an independent nation, known as the "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic".

By convention, 118 small islands linked with bridges form the historical center, divided into six quarters called "sestieri". Her special position and the local attitude to commerce made it possible for Venice to become a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades; it was also home town to Marco Polo, starting the trades with China. The international airport is thus entitled to "Marco Polo"

Our book lets us discover and appreciate a number of details, and witness a glorious past, an uncertain present, and a challenging future.

What does sestieri mean? This word is the plural form of sestiere, meaning "sixth part"; it is the way some Italian towns were subdivided, when their territory could be easily seen as composed of six parts. This applies to "La Serenissima" Venezia, and the historical and traditional subdivision is related to the following "districts": Cannaregio, Santa Croce, San Polo, San Marco, Castello, Dorsoduro.

In addition, the administrative territory includes some islands (the bigger and more densely populated Giudecca and Lido; then Murano, Burano, Isola di San Lazzaro degli Armeni, San Servolo, and several other minor ones).

The book gives you a better perception of the extension and location of the various sestieri, their connections, and their specific characteristics.