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Piazza San Marco - the heart of Venice<br> Sightseeing in Italy picture - This detail of the front of the basilica gives a good view of some of the mosaic work that decorates both the exterior and the interior of the church. Look closely and you will see four bronze horses. These are replicas of the horses brought back from Constantinople by victorious Venetian troops. Venice was one of the first European cities to trade with the newly established Ottoman Empire, but war was always part of commercial policy in those days. It was on this basis that Venice became the jewel of the Adriatic Sea and one of the richest cities in Europe.
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This detail of the front of the basilica gives a good view of some of the mosaic work that decorates both the exterior and the interior of the church. Look closely and you will see four bronze horses. These are replicas of the horses brought back from Constantinople by victorious Venetian troops. Venice was one of the first European cities to trade with the newly established Ottoman Empire, but war was always part of commercial policy in those days. It was on this basis that Venice became the jewel of the Adriatic Sea and one of the richest cities in Europe.
Western Europe
