Gondoliers row gondolas on the Grand Canal at Rialto Bridge (or Ponte di Rialto, built 1591), which is the oldest of four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, Europe. The single span stone bridge designed by Antonio da Pontestone is an architectural icon of Venice. In 452 AD, Attila the Hun invaded Italy, and people retreated to offshore islands called Rivo Alto (high bank), or Ri'Alto, the center of Venice. Venice/Venezia is the capital of Italy’s Veneto region, named for the ancient Veneti people from the 900s BC. The romantic "City of Canals" stretches across 100+ small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a staging area for the Crusades, and a major center of art and commerce (silk, grain and spice trade) from the 1200s to 1600s. The wealthy legacy of Venice stands today in a rich architecture combining Gothic, Byzantine, and Arab styles. Venice and the Venetian Lagoons are on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.
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