VENICE:
Venice, built on 117 small islands, has 150 canals & 409 bridges, only three of which cross the Grand Canal which is considered the main 'street' of the city. The historic center is divided into 6 quarters, the main one being San Marco. Motorized vehicles are not allowed in the island city. The entire transportation system is based on the water.
The islands of the Venetian lagoon were first settled during the barbarian invasions of the 5th & 6th Centuries AD. Venice then slowly evolved into a republic. During the 10th & 11th Centuries, Venice became the biggest sea power in the region, as well as a relevant manufacturing center. Since the 11th Century, Venice has been known as a center of art. They not only expanded developments in painting & mosaics, they developed their own architectural style, Venetian Gothic, which combined Byzantine with Islamic & Gothic styles. Until the end of the 13th Century, Venice was an oligarchic republic where great houses ruled & the head of state was the doge (chief magistrate). At the turn of the 14th & 15th Centuries, Venice had conquered her rival city Genoa & subsequently ruled over most cities in northeast Italy.
As the political & economic power of Venice grew, the republic used its economy to support art & artists. Venice therefore contributed greatly to the Italian Renaissance & became one of its main centers. The city gave birth to a distinct school of painting, & because of its reputation, many famous artists traveled to Venice to spend time in the workshops there.
The slow decline of the power & significance of Venice began at the end of the 15th Century. Long years of war with Turkey, & the discovery of a new route to India, which virtually eliminated Venice from trade with the East, diminished the position of the Republic. The end of the Republic finally came in 1797 when Napoleon conquered Venice, & Venice never again regained the position or power it once had. It had been a sovereignty for only 15 years when it was united with the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
Although Venice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city's future is not bright. In the past 50 years, Venice has lost half its population; housing is too expensive, transport too complicated, & jobs too scarce. If depopulation continues, Venice may one day truly become just a tourist attraction. Worse yet, since water covers more & more of the city every year, the pearl of the Adriatic may truly become 'history', as they say.
More information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice or here: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/venice/0067010001.html
SAN MARCO:
The San Marco neighborhood is the center of Venice, & has been the heart of Venetian life for more than a thousand years. Piazza San Marco is dominated by St Mark's Basilica & its campanile (bell tower) & baptistery, & the national library. Around the corner is the Pallazo Ducale (Doge's Palace) & the Bridge of Sighs. Piazza San Marcos is lined with some of the world's most overpriced cafes including two that have been open since the 1700s. In & around the square are some pricey hotels & an array of expensive tourist shops & trattorie (informal eateries).
The city's major attractions are centered in or near St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco). By mid-afternoon, hoards of tourists take over the traffic-free square. The square is notorious for another reason. During Venice's heyday, dozens of victims either lost their heads or were strung up in this square, many of them subjected to torture that would have made the Marquis de Sade flinch. Venetian justice became notorious throughout Europe.
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