March 25, 421: City of Venice believed to be founded

Legend has it that on March 25, 421 AD at the stroke of noon, the city of Venice was founded. Generally, it is believed that the early populations of the city were refugees from other nearby Roman cities, who were fleeing repeated invasions. When they descended on the watery area of Venice there were already a number of local fishermen living on the islands in the lagoons. (They became known as “lagoon dwellers.”)

The city’s official founding was marked with the dedication of its first church, San Giacomo, on the island of Rialto. The church can still be visited today, though its floor was raised during a renovation in 1513 to avoid repeated flooding.

Venice has a long history of being a home to refugees, offering asylum to the persecuted and to deposed leaders. The city-state also rose in prominence because of its extensive trading network and ties to the Byzantine Empire. By the late 1200s, it was the most prosperous city in Europe.

Today, the city is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world with 3 million people visiting annually to take in the art, architecture, and narrow canals. However, the tourism has caused problems with places becoming overcrowded during the summer and large cruise boats in the nearby Adriatic Sea sending waves into the oft-flooded town. Venice is made up of 117 islands connected by canals and bridges, with waterways being the major roads of transportation. Buildings were originally constructed on wooden piles planted in the mud in the swamp. The city, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, is slowly sinking and has to cope with regular flooding and decay.