Vèneto Veneto
—  Region of Italy  —
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Italy
Capital	Venice
Government
• President	Luca Zaia (Liga Veneta–Lega Nord)
Area
• Total	18,399 km2 (7,104 sq mi)
Population (2010-11-30)
• Total	4,936,197
• Density	270/km2 (690/sq mi)
Citizenship[1]
• Italian	92%
• Romanian	2%
• Moroccan	1%
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
GDP/ Nominal	€ 149.4[2] billion (2008)
GDP per capita	€ 30,500[3] (2008)
NUTS Region	ITD

Venice, the primary tourist destination and the capital of Veneto

Lake Alleghe near Belluno

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The Piave River

The Venetian Lagoon at sunset

Relief map of Veneto

Veneto (pronounced [ˈvɛneto], Latin: Venetia, Venetian: Vèneto) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fifth in Italy. The region's capital and largest city is Venice.

Veneto, as part of the Republic of Venice, had been an independent state for more than a millennium. The Republic was dissolved by Napoleon and ceded to the Austrian Empire, until it joined to the Italy in 1866, as a result of the Third Italian War of Independence. Venice ruled for centuries over one of the largest and richest maritime republics and trade empires in the world. Due to this rich cultural legacy and a unique identity, the regional statute describes Venetians as a "people".^[4]

Once the heartland of the Venetian Republic, Veneto is today among the wealthiest, most developed and industrialised regions of Italy. Having one of the country's richest historical, natural, artistic, cultural, musical and culinary heritages, it is also one of the most visited regions of Italy, with about 60 million tourists every year (2007).^[5]

Besides Italian, most inhabitants also speak Venetian. Having been for a long period in history a land of mass emigration, Veneto is today one of the greatest immigrant-receiving regions in the country, with 454,453 foreigners (9.30% of the regional population) in 2008, the most recent of which are Romanian and Moroccan.^[6]

The region is home to a notable regionalist/nationalist movement. The region's largest party is the Venetist/Padanist Liga Veneta, a founding member of Lega Nord, Italy's third largest party. The current President of Veneto ia Luca Zaia (Liga Veneta–Lega Nord), elected in 2010 with 60.2% of the vote.

Geography[link]

Geomorphology[link]

Veneto is the 8th largest region in Italy, with a total area of 18,398.9 km² (7,103.9 sq mi). It is located in the north-eastern part of Italy and is bordered to the east by Friuli Venezia Giulia, to the south by Emilia-Romagna, to the west by Lombardy and to the north by Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At its northernmost corner it borders also on Austria.

The north-south extension of Veneto is 210 km (130 mi) from the Austrian border to the mouth of the Po and its east-west extension is 195 km (121 mi) from the eastern shore of Lake Garda on the west to the mouth of the river Tagliamento on the east.

Veneto can be divided into four areas: the northern Alpine zone, the hill zone, the lower plain and the coastal territory.

By area 29% of its surface is mountainous (Carnic Alps, eastern Dolomites and Venetian Prealps). The highest massif in the Dolomites is the Tofane-massif at 3,342 m (10,965 ft). Other dolomitic peaks are the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the Pale di San Martino. The Venetian Prealps are not as high and range between 700 m (2,300 ft) and 2,200 m (7,200 ft). A distinctive characteristic of the Pre-alps are the cave formations, including chasms and sink holes; the Spluga della Preta, situated in the Monte Lessini chain in the province of Verona, has an explored depth of 985 m (3,232 ft), being the deepest cave in Italy. Fossil deposits are also abundant there.

The Po Valley covers 57% of Veneto. This valley consists of a plain extending from the mountains to the Adriatic sea, broken only by some low hills: Colli Berici, Colli Euganei, Colli Asolani and Montello, which constitute the remaining 14% of the territory. The plain itself is subdivided into the higher plain (gravel-strewn and not very fertile) and the lower plain (rich in water sources and arable terrain). The lower plain is both a mainstay of agricultural production and the most populated part of the region.

Several rivers flow through the region: the Po, Adige, Brenta, Bacchiglione, Livenza, Piave, and Tagliamento. The eastern shore of the largest lake in Italy, Lake Garda, belongs to Veneto. The coastline covers approximately 200 km (120 mi), of which 100 km (62 mi) are beaches.

The coasts of the Adriatic Sea are characterized by the Venetian Lagoon, a flat terrain with ponds, marshes and islands. The Po Delta to the south features sandbars and dunes along the coastline. The inland portion contains cultivable land recently reclaimed by a system of canals and dykes. Fish ponds have been created there as well. The delta and the lagoon are a stopping-point for migratory birds.

Veneto's morphology is characterised by its:^[7]

• mountains (montagna): 5,359.1 km² (2,069.2 sq mi), (117 comuni being classified as mountainous);
• hills (collina): 2,663.9 km² (1,028.5 sq mi), (120 hilly comuni);
• and plains (pianura): 10,375.9 km² (4,006.2 sq mi), (344 comuni mostly situated in the Po Valley).

Climate[link]

The climate changes significantly between one area to another. Continental on the plains, the climate is milder along the Adriatic coast, around Lake Garda and in the hilly areas. The lowlands are often covered by thick fog. Precipitations are scarce (750 mm. /year) next to river Po River, more abundant (750-1,100 mm./year) at higher altitudes; the highest values (up to 3,200 mm./year) are recorded in the Bellunese Prealps, near Pasubio and on the Asiago plateau.

History[link]

Venetic period[link]

Between the 2nd and 1st millennium BC, the region was inhabited by the Euganei. According to ancient historians, who perhaps wanted to link Venetic origins to legend of Roman origins in Troy, the Veneti (often called the Paleoveneti) came from Paphlagonia in Anatolia at the time of the Fall of Troy, led by prince Antenor, a comrade of Aeneas. In the 7th-6th centuries BC the local populations of Veneto entered into contact with the Etruscans and the Greeks. Venetic culture reached a highpoint during the 4th century BC. These ancient Veneti spoke Venetic, an Indo-European language akin to, but distinct from Latin and the other Italic languages. Meanwhile, the Veneti prospered through their trade in amber and bred of horses. Este, Padua, Oderzo, Adria, Vicenza, Verona, and Altino became centres of Venetic culture. However, over time, the Veneti began to adopt the dress and certain other customs of their Celtic neighbours.

The Tetrarchs were the four co-rulers who governed the Roman Empire as long as Diocletian's reform lasted. Here they are portrayed embracing, in a posture of harmony, in a porphyry sculpture dating from the 4th century, produced in Anatolia, located today on a corner of St Mark's Basilica in Venice.

Roman period[link]

During the 3rd century BC, the Veneti, together with the Cenomani Celts on their western border, sided with the Romans, as Rome expanded and struggled against the Insubres and Boii (Celts). During the Second Punic War (218 – 202 BC), the Veneti even sent a contingent of soldiers to fight alongside the Romans against Hannibal and the invading Carthaginians and Venetians were among those slaughtered at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC). In 181 BC, a Roman triumvirate of Publius Scipio Nasica, Caius Flaminius, and Lucius Manlius Acidinus led three thousand families, mainly from Samnium but supplemented by native Veneti, to found a Latin colony at Aquileia as a base to protect the territory of the Veneti from incursions of the hostile Carni and Histri. From then on, Roman influence over the area increased. Thus, in 169 BC more colonising families were sent from Rome to Aquileia. In 148 BC the Via Postumia was completed connecting Aquileia to Genua. In 131 BC, the Via Annia joined Adria to Patavium (modern Padua) to Altinum to Concordia to Aquileia. Gradually, the Roman Republic transformed its alliance with the Veneti into a relationship of dominance. After the 91 BC Italic rebellion, the cities of the Veneti, together with the rest of Transpadania, were granted partial rights of Roman citizenship according to the Lex Pompeia Transpadanis. Later in 49 BC, by the Lex Rubria de Gallia Rome granted full Roman citizenship to the Veneti. The Via Claudia was completed in 46 BC and connected Altinum, Tarvisium (modern Treviso), Feltria (modern Feltre), and Tridentum (modern Trent). From Tridentum it continued northwards to Pons Drusus and southwards to Verona and Mutina (modern Modena). After the Battle of Philippi (42 BC), which ended the Roman Civil War, the lands of the Veneti, together with the rest of Cisalpine Gaul, ceased to be a province and the territory of the Veneti, which included Istria, modern Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige became region X (Venetia et Histria) of a new entity named Italia (Italy). Aquileia became its capital. Meanwhile, under the Pax Romana, Patavium became one of the most important cities of northern Italy. Other Venetic cities such as Opitergium (modern Oderzo), Tarvisium, Feltria, Vicetia (modern Vicenza), Ateste (modern Este), and Altinum (modern Altino) adopted the Latin language and the culture of Rome. Thus, by the end of the 1st century AD Latin had finally displaced the original Venetic language.

In 166 AD the Quadi and Marcomanni invaded Venetia. It was the beginning of many barbarian invasions. In the 5th century, both Alaric the Goth and then Attila and the Huns devastated the area. Attila laid siege to Aquileia and turned it into a ruin in 452 AD. Many of the mainland inhabitants sought protection in the nearby lagoons which would become Grado in the east and Venice more to the west. On the heels of the Huns came the Ostrogoths who not only invaded, but also settled down in the region. During the mid-6th century, Justinian reconquered Venetia for the Eastern Roman Empire. An Exarch was established at Ravenna while a military tribune was set up in Oderzo. Byzantine rule would not last long. Starting in 568 AD, the Lombards crossed the Julian Alps. These invaders subdivided the territory of Venetia into numerous feuds ruled by Germanic dukes and counts (essentially creating the division of Veneto from Friuli). The invasion provoked another wave of migration from the mainland to the Byzantine controlled coast and islands. In 643, AD the Lombards conquered the Byzantine base at Oderzo and took possession of practically all of Veneto (and Friuli) except for Venice and Grado. The 36 Lombard duchies included the Venetian cities of Ceneda, Treviso, Verona, and Vicenza. A reminder of Lombard rule can be seen in the place names beginning with the word Farra.

Horses of Saint Mark, brought as loot from Constantinople in 1204.

Middle ages[link]

By the middle of the 8th century, the Franks had assumed political control of the region and the mainland of Veneto became part of the Carolingian Empire. Though politically dominant, these Germanic invaders were gradually absorbed into the Venetian population over the centuries. In the late 9th century, Berengar, Margrave of the March of Friuli was elected king of Italy. Under his tumultuous reign, the March of Friuli was absorbed into the March of Verona so that Verona's territory contained a large portion of Roman Venetia. In the 10th century, the mainland of Veneto, after suffering invasions from the Magyars and the Slavs, was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire. Gradually, the communes of the mainland grew in power and wealth. In 1167 an alliance (called the Lombard League) was formed among the Venetian cities such as Venice, Padua, Treviso, Vicenza, and Verona with other cities of Northern Italy to assert their rights against the Holy Roman Emperor. The Second Treaty of Constance in 1183 confirmed the Peace of Venice of 1177 in which the cities agreed to remain part of the Empire as long as their jurisdiction over their own territories was not infringed upon. The league was dissolved at the death of Emperor Frederick II in 1250. This period also witnessed the founding of the second oldest university in Italy, the University of Padua founded in 1222. Around this time, Padua also served as home to St. Anthony, the beloved Saint called simply "il Santo" ("the Saint") by the inhabitants of the town.

Map showing the empire of Venice at its height, in the 15th -16th centuries

Venetian Republic[link]

As the barbarians were interested in the wealth of the mainland, part of the Venetian population sought refuge on some of the isolated and unoccupied islands in the lagoon, from which the city of Venetiae or Venice was born. After a period of Byzantine domination in 8th century, Venice became an independent maritime Republic ruled by its elected doge.

The Republic became a commercial superpower and its influence lasted through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In fact, the Venetian Republic enjoyed 1100 years of uninterrupted influence throughout the Mediterranean. By the 16th century, the Venetian Republic dominated over Veneto, Friuli, parts of Lombardy and Romagna, Istria, Dalmatia, the Ionian Islands of Corfu, Cefalonia, Ithaca and Zante. From the 13th to 17th centuries, it held the island of Crete and from the mid-15th to mid-16th century, the island of Cyprus.

Venetian mainland holdings led to Venetian involvement in European and in particular, Italian politics. Cities had to be fortified, one impressive example being Palmanova in Friuli. However, the wise rule and prosperity brought by the "Serenissima" (most serene republic) made the cities of the terra firma willing subjects. Eastern Islands served as useful ports for Venetian shipping. However, as the Ottoman Empire grew more powerful and aggressive, Venice was often put on the defensive. Ottoman control of the eastern Mediterranean and the discoveries of sea routes to Asia around Africa and of the Americas had a debilitating effect on the Venetian economy.

An 18th-century view of Venice by Canaletto

In 1797, Napoleon invaded the territory of the Venetian Republic. Overwhelmed by more powerful forces, Doge Ludovico Manin resigned and retired to his villa at Passariano in Friuli and the thousand year old Republic disappeared as an independent state. This proved very unpopular in the mainland cities where sympathies were strong with the Republic of Venice. By the Treaty of Campoformio signed on October 17, 1797 part of the Venetian mainland was handed over to Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire and a western part was annexed to the French backed Cisalpine Republic. The territory soon reverted back to Napoleon in 1801. However, after his ultimate defeat in 1814, the Congress of Vienna handed Veneto over to the Austrian Empire, the successor state to the Holy Roman Empire still ruled by Francis. Thus, Veneto would remain under Austrian rule, except for some cities which declared their independence in 1848, until it was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

Italian Period[link]

In 1866, after the Third War of Independence and a controversial referendum,^[8][9][10] Veneto was annexed to Italy. In an effort to Italianize the population, Venetian language was not officially recognised and public servants were recruited from other regions.

Due to uneven economic development reducing many to poverty, the 19th century and the first half of the 20th became a period of emigration. Millions of Venetians left their homes and their native land to seek opportunites in other parts of the world. Many settled down in South America, especially in the Rio Grande do Sul region, in Brazil; others in Australia; Canada; and the United States of America. After the Second World War, many Venetians emigrated to Western European countries. In many of these places their descendants have maintained the use of their ancestral Venetian dialects.

Those who remained in Veneto would experience the turmoil of two World Wars. In 1915, Italy entered the First World War on the side of the France and the United Kingdom, after extricating itself from its alliance with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Veneto became a major battlefront. After the Italians suffered an enormous defeat at Caporetto in November 1917, the combined Austro-Hungarian and German forces advanced almost unhindered through Veneto towards Venice until reaching the Piave River. The Battle of the Piave River prevented their troops from advancing further and was celebrated in La Leggenda del Piave. Between October 24 and November 3, 1918, Italy launched the decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto. The battle's outcome assured Italy's victory. The armistice was signed at Villa Giusti near Padua.

Between 1943 and 1945 Veneto belonged to the Italian Social Republic, while the province of Belluno was part of the Prealpine Operations Zone. Many towns in the region were bombed by the Allies during the Second World War. The most hit were Treviso and Vicenza, as well as the industrial area around Marghera.

Government and politics[link]

Veneto is a semi-presidential representative democracy. The President of the Region, colloquially nicknamed Governor or even Doge in remembrance of Venice's glorious tradition, is also the head of the Regional Government. Legislative power is exerted by the Regional Council, the local parliament. The statute, i.e. the law establishing and regulating the regional institution, which was first promulgated on 22 May 1971, uses the term popolo (people) for Venetians, but, like in the case of Sardinians, this is not a legal recognition of any differences from other Italian citizens. Moreover, the region is not granted a form of autonomy comparable to that of the neighbouring regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.^[11] This is the reason why many municipalities have held referendums in order to be united to these regions.

Traditionally a very Catholic region, Veneto was once a stronghold of Christian Democracy. Nowadays it is a stronghold of the centre-right coalition, which has governed the region since 1995, first under President Giancarlo Galan (Forza Italia/The People of Freedom) and, since 2010, Luca Zaia (Liga Veneta).

According to Robert D. Putnam, the "institutional performance" of Veneto's regional government is higher than average in Italy, thus Veneto belongs to the "civic North".^[12]

Venetian nationalism[link]

Veneto is my fatherland. Even if there exists a Republic of Italy, this abstract idea is not my Fatherland. We Venetians have travelled throughout the world, but our Fatherland, that for which we would fight if it were necessary to fight, is Veneto. When I see "River sacred to the Fatherland" written on the bridges spanning the Piave, I am moved, not because I think of Italy, but rather because I think of Veneto.

—Goffredo Parise, Il Corriere della Sera, February 7, 1982

A regionalist/nationalist political movement gained prominence in Veneto during the 1970s and 1980s, demanding more autonomy for the region, or even independence, and promoting Venetian culture, language and history. This is the political background in which the Liga Veneta (Venetian League) was launched in 1980. Other Venetian regionalist/nationalist parties, such as Liga Veneta Repubblica, North-East Project and the avowed separatist Veneto State, emerged but they have never touched the popularity of Liga Veneta, which was a founding member of Lega Nord in 1991 and is now the largest party in the region.

In the 2008 general election Liga Veneta–Lega Nord won 27.1% of the vote, while in the 2010 regional election it gained a surprising 35.2%. In that occasion, the party was followed distantly by the two main Italian parties, The People of Freedom (24.7%) and the Democratic Party (20.3%). The mayors of Verona, Treviso, San Donà di Piave, Castelfranco Veneto and Montebelluna, among others, as well as the presidents of the provinces of Belluno, Treviso, Venice and Vicenza, are lighisti.

Administrative divisions[link]

Veneto is divided into 7 provinces and 581 municipalities.^[7][13] Of the seven provinces of the region, the Province of Padua is the most populous and has the greatest density, with 424.81 persons per km², reaching 2268.58 in the city of Padua. In contrast the capital city, Venice, has a moderate density of 646.71.^[13] The province of least density is Belluno (58.08), which is the largest in area and the most mountainous.

Provinces[link]

Map of provinces of Veneto

Largest municipalities[link]

Demographics[link]

The region has about 4.8 million inhabitants, ranking Veneto as the fifth most populated region in Italy. Veneto has one of the highest population densities amongst the Italian regions (265 inhabitants per km2 in 2008). This is particularly true in the provinces of Padua, Venice and Treviso, where the inhabitants per km2 are above 300. Belluno is the least densely populated province, with 57 inhabitants per km2.

Like the other regions of Northern Italy and Central Italy, though with a certain time lag, Veneto has been experiencing a phase of very slow population growth caused by the dramatic fall in fertility. The overall population has so far been increasing - though only slightly - due to the net immigration started at the end of the 1960s, after more than 20 years of massive exodus from the poorer areas of the region.

Nearly 3 million Venetians were forced to leave their country between 1861 and 1961 to escape poverty.^[14] Many emigrated to Latin America, especially Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. After World War II they moved to other European countries. As of 2008, there were 260,849 Venetian citizens living outside of Italy (5.4% of the region's population), the largest number was found in Brazil, with 57,052 Venetians, followed by Switzerland with 38,320 and Argentina with 31,823. There are several million people of Venetian descent around the world, particularly in Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná and Espirito Santo. Local names in Southern Brazil such as Nova Schio, Nova Bassano, Nova Bréscia, Nova Treviso, Nova Veneza, Nova Pádua and Monteberico indicate the Venetian origin of their inhabitants.^[15] In recent years people of Venetian descent from Brazil and Argentina have been migrating to Italy.^[16]

Due to the impressive economic growth of the last two decades, Veneto has turned into a land of immigration and has been attracting more and more immigrants since the 1990s. In 2008 the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 403,985 foreign-born immigrants live in Veneto, equal to 8.3 % of the total regional population.^[17]

Religion[link]

St Mark's Basilica, the seat of the Patriarch of Venice

Veneto converted to Christianity during Roman rule. The region venerates as its patrons the 2nd century bishop St. Hermagoras and his deacon St. Fortunatus, both of Aquileia and both martyrs. Aquileia became the metropolitan see of Venetia. Aquileia had its own liturgical rites which were used throughout the dioceses of Veneto until the later Middle Ages when the Roman Rite replaced the Aquileian Rite. By the 6th century the bishop of Aquileia claimed the title of patriarch. Rejection of the Second Council of Constantinople (553) led to a schism wherein the churches of Veneto broke communion with the Church of Rome. The invasion of the non-Catholic Lombards in 568 only served to prolong the schism until 606 and then finally 699 when the Synod of Pavia ended the schism definitively.

In 2004 over 95% of the population claimed to be Roman Catholic. The region of Veneto along with the regions of Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol form the ecclesiastical region of Triveneto under the Patriarchate of Venice. The Patriarchate of Venice is an archdiocese and metropolitan see of an ecclesiastical region which includes suffragan episcopal sees of Adria-Rovigo, Belluno-Feltre, Chioggia, Concordia-Pordenone, Padua, Treviso, Verona, Vicenza, and Vittorio Veneto.^[18]

The Archdiocese of Venice was elevated to an honorary Patriarchate by the pope on October 8, 1457 when the Patriarchate of Grado, a successor to the Patriarchate of Aquileia, was suppressed. The first patriarch of Venice was St. Laurence, a nobleman of the Giustiniani family.

During the 20th century the patriarchs were usually appointed cardinal, and three cardinal patriarchs, Giuseppe Sarto, Angelo Roncalli, and Albino Luciani were elected pope: Pius X, John XXIII, and John Paul I, respectively. The Patriarchate of Venice claims St. Mark the Evangelist as its patron. The same saint, symbolised by a winged lion, had became the typical symbol of the Venetian Republic and is still represented on many civic symbols.

Economy[link]

Historically, Veneto was a poor agricultural region, as well as a land of mass emigration. But, since the 1970s it has seen impressive development, thanks to the so-called 'Veneto Development Model' that is characterised by strong export-oriented entrepreneurship in traditional economic sectors and close social cohesion^[19] - making it actually the third richest region in terms of total GDP (€149.4 billion) after Lombardy and Lazio.^[20][21]

Geography and historical events have determined the present social and economic structure of the region, centred on a broad belt running from east to west. The plain and the Alpine foothills are the most developed areas in contrast to the Po delta and the mountainous areas, with the exception of the surroundings of Belluno. This is why the Alps and the province of Rovigo are suffering more than other areas, from a trend of declining and ageing population.

Agriculture[link]

Though its importance has been decreasing for the past 20–30 years, agriculture continues to play a significant role in the regional economy. The agricultural sector of Veneto is among the most productive in Italy. However, it is still characterised by an intensive use of labour rather than capital, due to the specialisation in market gardening, fruit-growing and vine-growing throughout the plain and the foothills, requiring very much handicraft. In the south and in the extreme east of the region, grain crops are more common and land holdings are larger than in the rest of the region: mechanization is more advanced here. The cattle stock, although declining, still represented 15% of the national stock in.^[22] Fishing is also quite important in coastal areas.

The main agricultural products include maize, green peas, vegetables, apples, cherries, sugar beets, forage, tobacco, hemp. Moreover, Veneto is one of Italy's most important wine-growing areas, producing wines, such as Prosecco, Valpolicella, and Soave. Overall, the Veneto region produces more bottles of DOC wine than any other area in Italy. The Amarone della Valpolicella, a wine from the hills around Verona, is made with high-selected grapes and is among the more expensive red wines in the world.

Industry[link]

In the last 30–40 years industrialisation transformed the appearance of the landscape, especially in the plains.

The regional industry is especially made of small and medium-sized businesses, which are active in several sectors: food products, wood and furniture, leather and footwear, textiles and clothing, gold jewelry, but also chemistry, metal-mechanics and electronics. This has led to the establishment of a strongly export-orientated system of industries.

Typical of Veneto is the partition of the territory into industrial districts, which means that each area tends to specialise in a specific sector. The province of Venice hosts large metallurgical and chemical plants in Marghera and Mestre, but is also specialised in glass handicraft (Murano). The province of Belluno hosts the so called eyeglasses district, being the largest world manufacturer Luxottica a firm domiciliated at Agordo. Fashion industry is extremely strong all over the region: Benetton, Sisley, Geox, Diesel, Replay are Venetian brands.

During the last 20 years, a large number of Venetian companies relocated their plants (especially the most dangerous and polluting productions) in Eastern Europe, especially Romania. The Romanian city of Timişoara is also called "The Newest Venetian Province".^[23]

Tourism[link]

The Punta San Vigilio in Lake Garda

Though being a heavily industrialized region, tourism is one of the main economic resources of Veneto. One-fifth of Italy's foreign tourism gravitates towards Veneto, which is the first region in Italy in terms of tourist presence, attracting over 60 million visitors every year, and the second after Emilia Romagna in terms of hotel industry structures. The business volume of tourism in Veneto is estimated in 12 billion Euros.^[24]

Statistics[link]

Historical GDP[link]

A table which shows Veneto's GDP growth:^[25]

Economic sectors[link]

The main sectors in the economy of the Veneto are:

Culture[link]

Art and architecture[link]

The Middle Ages allowed the creation of monumental works such as the complex of churches on the island of Torcello, in the Venetian lagoon, with the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta based in 639, the bell tower erected in the 11th century and the church of Santa Fosca built around the 1100, important for their presence of mosaics. The Middle Ages saw the construction of the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in Verona, which was the Veneto's main centre for that movement, we see the mixture of styles in that period made Verona an important crossroads for the north of Europe.

Examples of Gothic art, in addition to the Venetian church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and that of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, are the Scaliger Tombs in the historical center of Verona.

While in the Veneto Byzantine was also important, an element of innovation was brought to Padua by Giotto, bearer of a new pictorial tradition: that of Tuscany. Towards the 1302 he was commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni to paint the family chapel, now known just by the name of Scrovegni Chapel, one of the most important artistic monuments of Padua and the Veneto. The influences of the contribution of Giotto were felt immediately, and now you can admire the frescoes of Giusto de' Menabuoi in the Baptistry near the Cathedral of Padua and those of Altichiero in the Basilica of Saint Anthony.

Giorgione's The Tempest.

After a phase of development of Gothic art, with the creation of important works including the Ca' d'Oro and the Doge's Palace in Venice, and the churches of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and of Saints John and Paul in Venice, the influence of the Renaissance ushered in a new era. In addition to Donatello, an important Venetian Renaissance artist was Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), whose most important work in the Veneto is perhaps the San Zeno Altarpiece, found in Verona. With the mainland expansion of the Venetian Republic and the consolidation of its institutions, there was also an artistic development of exceptional stature: Mantegna, Vittore Carpaccio, Giovanni Bellini, Cima da Conegliano, Pordenone laid the foundations for what would be the age of Venetian painting.

Padua was the main Venetian cradle of the Renaissance, which helped the movement develop and thrive. Amongst the Renaissance artists who worked there were Donatello, who worked mostly in Padua and in particular in the altar of the Basilica of Saint Anthony, and Pisanello, whose works are mainly Verona and in particular in the Church of St. Anastasia (his is the fresco of Saint George).

In the successive phase, there were also a considerable amount of Venetian artists, including Giorgione, Titian, Sebastiano del Piombo and Lorenzo Lotto. If the first phase with Carpaccio and Bellini, the influences of international painting were still evident and the references to Flemish art were numerous. Giorgione and Titian began a new way of painting, original and innovative, which characterized the painters of the Venetian school rather than other traditions. Giorgione's enigmatic artistic style was expressed with his works full of allegories, and he created his paintings without starting from a preparatory drawing but using the color spots to convey the feeling of the image. This innovation was looking for the imitation of natural phenomena by creating atmospheres with the colours and shifting the emphasis from the pursuit of artistic perfection. The storm(1506–1508), now in the Accademia in Venice, is an example of this use of colour, where the mixture color and texture continue indefinitely without preparatory drawing for the painting work gives a special atmosphere. Titian, born in Belluno Pieve di Cadore, brought forward the use of this technique without pictorial design, creating masterpieces such as the Assumption (1516–1518), an altar made by imposing visible sizes on the main altar of the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, a work whose suggestion is due to the use of colour in which the predominance was debated.

Giacomo il Forte (James the Strong), called Tintoretto (1518–1594) takes over the Roman Mannerism, but recasts in typical Venetian use of color, highlighting the bright prospects for its operations, giving unusual, sometimes true perspective deformations, with the aim of increasing the sense of tension that permeates the work. Palaces and churches of Venice are full of masterpieces signed by Tintoretto. 66 paintings signed by him are found in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco el 'Last Supper in the Church of St. George.

Paul said Caliari Veronese (1528–1588), with works that celebrated the life of Venice, is devoted to civil works such as buildings and houses of Venetian nobles. Sue was part of the decoration of Palazzo Ducale and the decoration of many villas Palladian, including Villa Barbaro.

Jacopo da Ponte said Bass (1517–1592) renewed figurative art while being an artist inland lagoon, through the introduction of images taken from real life, enriched by a touch of drama and intense.

Villa Cornaro

Andrea Palladio was an architect born in Padua in 1508 and died in 1580. Among his works are primarily the Venetian villas, located in the countryside between the provinces of Vicenza, Padua and Treviso. He also made in Venice the Basilica of St. George, the Church of the Redeemer, and Zitelle on the island of Giudecca.

Palladian architecture incorporates the grounds of classical Roman villas that recall the forms of weather to create masterpieces such as Villa Emo, Villa Barbaro, Villa Capra "La Almerico Round Villa Foscari called the Malcontenta. This aesthetic, forerunner of the neoclassical style should be a rigorous search for features that had to have a Villa campaign, the home owner shall permit the control over production activities of the surrounding countryside by structuring the functional parts, such as porch, close to the central body. In the case of Villa Badoer, the open barn, formed by a large circular colonnade, enclosing the front yard in front of the villa allows you to create a space that recalls the ancient idea of the Forum Romanum, and bringing all campaign activities to gravitate in front of the villa itself.

Antonio Canova's Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss

The research style of Palladio has created an architectural movement called Palladianism, which has had strong following in the next three centuries, inspiring architects, some of them his direct students, including Vincenzo Scamozzi, after the death of the teacher who completed several works, including the first Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.

The Church of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice.

The 18th century Venetian school can count on many artists: painters Giambattista Tiepolo, his son Giandomenico, Giambattista Piazzetta, Pietro Longhi, Marco and Sebastiano Ricci, Nicholas Kids, Sebastiano Bombelli, Gianantonio Fumiani, Gaspar Diziani, the architect/painter Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna the painter Rosalba; the sculptures Morlaiter, Filippo Parodi, Bernard Torretti and his nephew Giuseppe Torretti, architects Jerome Frigimelica, Giorgio Massari, John Scalfarotto, Thomas Temanza, Canaletto, the carver Andrea Brustolon, playwrights Carlo Goldoni and Gaspare Gozzi, the poets Alessandro Labia and George Whisker, composers Benedetto Marcello and Antonio Vivaldi. Later, at the end of the republic, it follows Antonio Canova.

With Giambattista Tiepolo (1696–1770) the perspective plays a central role in rapresentation, not to give emphasis to the main image, but only to make a dramatic impact on the figures. For Tiepolo, in fact, prospective is forced to beyond the usual limits, painting ceilings figures taken from the bottom in a movement that makes it relatively spectacular.

Another characteristic feature of Venetian art is landscape painting, which sees in Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697–1768), known as Canaletto and Francesco Guardi (1712–1793) the two leading figures. Canaletto used a rigorous prospective studies are trying to make almost "photographic" reality modeling the colors to emphasize the vitality of the image. Francesco Guardi, seeking a more subjective and less clear cut tried to communicate emotion.

Antonio Canova was born in Possagno and developed classical art with his works becoming the references for neoclassicism. The Temple of Possagno, which he designed himself, is the main landmark of neo-classical architecture. Among the most important works,Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss and the' 'funerary monument for Maria Cristina of Austria.

Failing to miss an artistic opportunity after the fall of the Venice, every city in Veneto created its own form of art. Important was, however, the role of Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, who was able to attract many young artists from the surrounding territory.

Among the many artists which were important in modern ages were Guglielmo Ciardi, who incorporated the experience of macchiaioli movement, uniting the typical colour of the classic Venetian school, and yet bringing out from his paintings a chromatic essence, Giacomo Favretto, who too as Ciardi, enhanced the colour, which was sometimes very pronounced, painter Frederick Zandomeneghi, who deviates from the tradition of Venetian colouring to venture in a style similar to French impressionism, and finally Luigi Nono, whose works feel realistic, even if, in addition to painting genre scenes, includes portraits of finity for psychological enhancement.

Education[link]

Veneto hosts one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Padua, founded in 1222. OECD investigations^[26] show that school education achievements in North-Eastern Italy (whose population comes mainly from Veneto) are the highest in Italy. As of 2003 the university had approximately 65,000 students.

Language[link]

Most of the people of Veneto speak standard Italian. However, there is widespread usage of Venetian language.

Venetian dialects are classified as a Western Romance language. Scholars distinguish between an Eastern or Coastal (Venice) group, a Central (Padua, Vicenza, Polesine) group, a Western (Verona) group, a North-Central (Treviso) group, and a Northern (Belluno, Feltre, Agordo, Cadore, Zoldo Alto) group of dialects. All dialects are mutually intelligible to varying degrees.

Ladin is spoken in parts of the province of Belluno, especially in the municipalities of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana and Colle Santa Lucia, while Cimbrian is spoken in two villages (Roana and Giazza respectively) of the Seven Communities and the Thirteen Communities. These are two historical groups of villages of Cimbric origin, which for a long time formed two distinct "commonwealths" under the rule of the Reublice of Venice, among others. Furthermore, in the area around Portogruaro people speak Furlan.

As the region does not enjoy a special status of autonomy, minority languages are not granted any form of recognition. Anyway a motion to recognize Venetian as an official regional language has been approved by the regional Parliament.^[27]

Literature[link]

Venetian literature is the corpus of literature in Venetian, the vernacular language of the region which roughly corresponding to Venice from the 12th century. The Venetian literature, after an initial period of splendour in the 16th century with the success of artists such as Ruzante, reaches its maximum zenith in the 18th century, thanks to its maximum exponent, dramatist Carlo Goldoni. Subsequently, the literary production in Venetian undergoes a period of decline following the collapse of the Republic of Venice, succeeding anyway during the 20th century to reach peaks with wonderful lyrical poets such as Biagio Marin of Grado

Cuisine[link]

A Golden bottle of Prosecco

Cuisine is an important part of the culture of the Veneto, and the region is home to some of the most recognizable dishes, desserts and wines in Italian, European and worldwide cuisine.

Wines and drinks[link]

Veneto is an important wine-growing area producing: Soave, Bardolino, Recioto, Amarone, Torcolato, Prosecco, Tocai Rosso, Garganega, Valpolicella, Verduzzo, Raboso, Moscato, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Nero, Pinot Grigio, and Merlot. Homemade wine making is widespread. After making wine, the alcohol of the pressed grapes is distilled to produce grappa or graspa, as it is called in the local language.

Prosecco is a dry sparkling wine.^[28][29] It is made from a variety of white grape of the same name, which is traditionally grown in an area near Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso.^[28] The name of Prosecco is derived from the northern Italian village of Prosecco (Trieste), where this grape variety is believed to have originated.^[29][30]

Spritz, in the Venetian language also called "spriss" or "spriseto" depending on the area, usually consists of 1/3 sparkling wine and 2/3 Aperol. Campari or gin may also be used.

Cheeses[link]

Asiago cheese and crackers

Cheeses of Veneto include: Asiago (PDO) (from Asiago), Monte Veronese (PDO), Piave (PDO), Morlacco, Grana Padano (PDO).

Salamis and meats[link]

The sopressa vicentina (PDO) is an aged salami, cylindrical in shape and prepared with raw, quality pork meat. It may or may not include garlic in its ingredients and comes in medium and large sizes. Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo (PDO) is obtained from the fresh meat of a top breed of adult hogs. The aroma is delicate, sweet and fragrant.

Vegetables[link]

Radicchio rosso di Treviso (PGI) is a peculiar vegetable with a faintly bitter taste and a crunchy texture. The production area encompasses many town districts in the provinces of Treviso, Padua and Venice. The radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco (PGI) has a delicate and slightly sweet taste and a crunchy texture. Veronese Vialone Nano Rice from Verona (PGI) is a type of rice with short, plump grains, which have a creamy consistency when cooked. They are commonly used in risotto dishes and have a high starch content. The Bean of Lamon (PGI) is particularly prized for its delicate flavour and extremely tender skin. The White Asparagus of Cimadolmo (PGI) has a characteristic scent and a very delicate taste. The White Asparagus of Bassano is a typical product of the northern part of the province of Vicenza. The San Zeno di Montagna (Verona) chestnut has Protected Geographical Status.

Desserts[link]

A slice of tiramisù

Example of masks used during the Carnival of Venice

Tiramisù (a dessert made from mascarpone, coffee, Marsala wine, savoiardi and chocolate) originates from Veneto.^[31][32][33]

Festivals[link]

Each town, often every quarter, has its patron saint whose feast day is solemnly celebrated. Many other festivals are closely linked to the religious calendar. Among these:

• Carnival of Venice celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday;
• Panevin celebrated around Epiphany;
• Pasqua (Easter Sunday);
• Saint Mark's feast day (April 25);
• La Sensa (Ascension Thursday);
• San Giovanni Battista (June 24);
• La festa del Redentór (mid July);
• Vendemmia (grape harvest in September);
• San Nicolò de Bari (St. Nicholas, December 6);
• Nadàl (Christmas)

Music[link]

Veneto, and in particular Venice and Verona, are important Italian musical centres, home to a vibrant musical life.

The city of Venice in Italy has played an important role in the development of the music of Italy. The Venetian state—i.e. the medieval Maritime Republic of Venice—was often popularly called the "Republic of Music", and an anonymous Frenchman of the 17th century is said to have remarked that "In every home, someone is playing a musical instrument or singing. There is music everywhere."^[34]

In Padova, musical ensembles such as the Amici della Musica di Padova, the Solisti Veneti and the Padova-Veneto Symphony are found. Concerts are often held in the historic Loggia Comaro, built in 1524. As well, the city is the site of the Teatro delle Maddalene, the Teatro delle Grazie, the Giuseppe Verdi Theater, and the Cesare Pollini music conservatory.

Rovigo is the site of the Teatro Sociale, built in 1819. In the 20th century it was the venue for the career beginnings of Tullio Serafin, Beniamino Gigli and Renata Tebaldi. The town of Rovigo is also the site of the Francesco Vanezza music conservatory.

The city of Verona is the site of the Roman amphitheater known as the "Arena" which has been hosting musical events since the 16th century, but more recently the spectacular outdoor staging of Verdi's Aida, an event staged for the first time in 1913. The city also has the Felice Evaristo Dall'Abaco music conservatory;

Musicians and composers[link]

Antonio Salieri

Antonio Vivaldi

• Antonio Salieri (Legnago, 18 August 1750 - Vienna, 7 May 1825) was a Venetian conductor and composer of sacred, classical and opera music. He was one of the Europe's most prominent composers at the time.
• Tomaso Albinoni (Venice, 8 June 1671 - Venice, 17 January 1751) was a Venetian composer and violinist of the Baroque period.
• Mario Brunello is a cellist. He studied at the Conservatory of Venice with Vendramelli Adriano and then with Antonio Janigro. In 1986 he won first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition of Moscow in the cello section. He plays a Maggini cello of the 17th century which belonged to Benedetto Mazzacurati and then to Franco Rossi, cellist of the Italian Quartet (Quartetto Italiano). He has been the artistic director of the International Competition for String Quartet "Premio Paolo Borciani" in Reggio Emilia, since 2008. In Castelfranco Veneto, his hometown, Brunello has set up a cultural association in a old dismissed factory under the name "Antiruggine" (Antirust) in relation to the activity to which the place was originally devoted. In this place, concerts, workshops and master classes are held, but also literature and visual arts have a place there.
• Calicanto is a folk group, which incorporates traditional themes of the Venetian tradition by encorporating them in their work.
• Baldassare Galuppi (Burano, 18 October 1706 - Venice, 3 January 1785) was a Venetian composer and organist. His style, which was melodic, elegant and flexible, met with the poetics of Goldoni: this collaboration marked the birth and spread throughout Europe (after the 1749) of the drama giocoso.
• Luigi Nono (Venice 1924 - Venice 1990) was a contemporary music composer.
• Antonio Vivaldi was a violinist and composer of Baroque music. Vivaldi contributed significantly to the development of the concerto, especially solo, usuaully started by Giuseppe Torelli, and the violin and orchestra's technque. Huge his work composition that also includes numerous concerts, sonatas and pieces of sacred music.
• Giuseppe Sinopoli was a conductor, composer and Italian essayist.
• Rondo Veneziano are an Italian musical ensemble that mixes Baroque music produced by a typical chamber orchestra with the sound of pop music and rock.

Theatres[link]

Teatro La Fenice

The Arena of Verona

Teatro Salieri

• Teatro La Fenice is the main opera house of Venice. Repeatedly destroyed by fire and later rebuilt, it is home to an important opera season and to the International Festival of contemporary music. Teatro La Fenice in Venice was designed in 1790 by Gian Antonio Selva for the society of the Venetian artistocracy, and the Venetian Theater was built rapidly despite the many controversies about its location and its rational structure and neoclassical style.
• Teatro Malibran is a Venetian theater. In the 17th and 18th centuries it bore the name of Theater St. John Chrysostom.
• Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni" corresponds to the ancient Teatro Vendramin, also known as San Salvador or San Luke, and was opened in 1622. The Teatro Carlo Goldoni is located in the vicinity of the Rialto bridge, in the historical center of Venice. It is a film set, with rooms structured in four tiers of boxes, stalls and galleries. With a total of 800 seats, the stage is off 12 Underground and 11.20 deep and is framed in iron. The Teatro Goldoni season hosts Prose organized by the Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni", the review of Children's Theater, opera, concerts, ballets and other events in the concession.
• Teatro Verdi (Padua) is the main theater in Padua. Commissioned by a society formed specifically for the purpose of establishing a major theatre in the city, it was built by the Paduan architect Giovanni Gloria (c.1684-1753) to designs by Antonio Cugini (1677–1765), an architect from Reggio Emilia. It opened in 1751, and was known as the Teatro Nuovo until 1884. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 1847, 1884 and 1920. Currently the Teatro Verdi is the operational headquarters of the Teatro Stabile del Veneto.
• Teatro Olimpico is a theater designed by the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in 1580 and located in Vicenza. It is generally considered the first example of a modern indoor theater set. The realization of the theater, in a pre-existing medieval complex, was commissioned by the Olympic Palladio for the staging of classical plays. Its construction began in 1580 and was inaugurated on March 3, 1585, after the realization of the stationery scenes of Vincenzo Scamozzi. These wooden structures are the only of the Renaissance to be extant, however, they are still excellent condition. The theater is still the seat of performances and concerts and has been included in 1994 in the list of World Heritage Sites' s UNESCO, as other works by Palladio to Vicenza.
• Philharmonic Theater (Verona) is the main opera house of Verona. It is owned by the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona, since its foundation, but is used by the foundation of the Arena as the site of the opera season in winter.
• Roman Theatre of Verona is Verona's main arena, located in the northern part of the city at the foot of Colle San Pietro. This theater was built at the end of BC, a period in which Verona has seen from the monumental St. Peter of the hill. Before, it was built between the Stone Bridge and Gates of the embankments, which were built on Tyrol parallel to the theater itself, in order to defend against the possible flooding of river. It is considered the largest Roman theater in the north of Italy. Today it is used for theatrical and operatic productions during the summer.
• Teatro Salieri

Tourism[link]

Cities[link]

• Venice: Venice and its lagoon are listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
• Padua: also known as the "City of the Saint"; the Orto botanico di Padova is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.
• Verona: The city of Shakespeare's lovers: Romeo and Juliet. Verona has been named a UNESCO world heritage site.
• Vicenza is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, together with a number of the Palladian Villas.
• Belluno the capital of the Dolomites, the bell tower was designed by Filippo Juvarra
• Montagnana is a municipality in the province of Padova with perfectly conserved medieval walls
• Bassano del Grappa with its Ponte degli Alpini on the river Brenta, designed in 1569 by Andrea Palladio
• Marostica : The 'Chess Game' is the most important event of the town, taking place on the second weekend of September, involves over 550 participants and lasts two hours.
• Asolo is known as 'The Pearl of province of Treviso', and also as 'The City of a Hundred Horizons'.
• Este : The House of Este held the city until 1240, when they moved their capital to Ferrara.