Venice's Splendor

A city made from nothing, on a lagoon with shallow waters to keep the invaders away ; still today those bell chimes ring out to remind everyone of her victory at Lapanto...when the ships brought back the banners of the defeated enemy! Venice's splendor is seen everywhere... even in San Marco's Square, swarmed with pigeons and visitors, where the Venetians' genius built a splendid Basilica reminiscent of their wealth and power...making Venice: the Queen of the Sea! Down the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs, gondolas row...carrying visitors and lovers; the artists seek inspiration for their works, while their stunned eyes are delighted by beauty, which pulls them out of virtual reality! Intrigue and mystic fascinated many a devoted soul, and the entire city echoed with delirious voices breaking the silence of midnight; violins and lutes played in palaces and in gondolas on the Grand Canal... did anyone stare at the brilliant stars? A masquerade was an invitation to love, all disguised themselves behind a mask; many were seduced by passions with haste... as Venice revelled in their merry-making, celebrating a glory that knew no ending; and when it declined, it was deserted by all! Venice's splendor seems eternal, not diminishing through ages; her fame ever-increasing and each stone can tell a different story of people who partook of her greatness, leaving a legacy we regard as our own...