Venice : history of the floating city /
Joanne M. Ferraro.
- New York : Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- xxxii, 268 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-240) and index.
Preface -- Chronology of historical events -- 1. Reconstructing the floating city -- 2. The riches of Asia, Europe, and North Africa -- 3. A pride of lions -- 4. Identities and modes of socialization -- 5. Material life -- 6. City of myth -- 7. The Serenissima's wayward subjects -- 8. The baroque stage -- 9. Epilogue: the tides of change -- Appendix I. Approximate population of Venice during the Republic -- Appendix II. Population of the historic center of Venice, 1871-2010.
"This book is a sweeping historical portrait of the floating city of Venice from its foundations to the present day. Joanne M. Ferraro considers Venice's unique construction within an amphibious environment and identifies the Asian, European and North African exchange networks that made it a vibrant and ethnically diverse Mediterranean cultural centre. Incorporating recent scholarly insights, the author discusses key themes related to the city's social, cultural, religious and environmental history, as well as its politics and economy. A refuge and a pilgrim stop; an international emporium and centre of manufacture; a mecca of spectacle, theatre, music, gambling and sexual experimentation; and an artistic and architectural marvel, Venice's allure springs eternal in every phase of the city's fascinating history"--