The Port of Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a major seaport on the Adriatic Sea and the capital of the region of Veneto in Northern Italy. Unlike most famous Italian cities, the Port of Venice did not exist during the Roman Empire.
Port History
In the 6th Century AD, Germanic Lombards drove mainlanders to the lagoon’s islands. The islands were isolated communities in the Veneto-Byzantine culture. Byzantine control continued until an 814 treaty gave political independence, and it became a trading intermediary between east and west empires. From the 9th to the 12th Century, Venice was one of four Italian city-states.
Its location promoted growth and increasing power, as it was Europe’s gateway for trade with the Byzantine Empire and Islamic civilization. The Port of Venice’s power base solidified during the 12th Century when the Arsenal was constructed, and control of the Brenner Pass was taken from Verona. The Republic took control of most Aegean Islands, including Cyprus and Crete, in building its maritime empire.
An imperial power by the 13th Century, the Port of Venice plundered Constantinople in 1204, seriously weakening the Byzantine Empire. By the end of the 13th Century, the Port of Venice was Europe’s most prosperous city. In the early 14th Century, citizens were required to practice using the crossbow. During the 15th Century, Venetian soldiers were considered the most valuable in Italy, due in part to the fact that all classes defended Venezia and had military training.
The Venetian republic sent troops to help defend Constantinople from the Turks in 1453. After Sultan Mehmet II took Venezia, he waged a 30-year war against the Port of Venice, costing Venezia most of her Mediterranean territory. Then Spain found the New World, and Portugal discovered a sea route to India. The Port of Venice’s trade monopoly with the Far East was destroyed. When England, France, and Holland followed Portugal, Venice’s ships could not travel the seas, and Venezia lost the race for colonial power.
The Black Plague killed one-third of the city’s 150 thousand residents in 1630. Struggles between Spain and France for dominance of Italy left Venice with little political power. Despite these setbacks, the Port of Venice was an exporter of agricultural products and an important center for manufacturing until the middle 1700s.
After a millennium of independence, the Port of Venice was conquered by Napoleon in 1797. Later that year, the Port of Venice passed to Austrian control. Many palaces and buildings were abandoned, and Venezia entered a period of serious decline.
In 1846, a 4.8-kilometer causeway was built, bringing railway from the mainland and changing the Port of Venice’s isolated mentality. When Prussia defeated Austria in 1866, the Port of Venice became part of Kingdom of Italy. In 1932, a road brought motor vehicle access to Venezia. Since the end of World War II, control of the city’s government has bounced from leftists to centrists to socialists to reformists.
Port Commerce
The Venice Port Authority was created in 1996 as an independent agency to plan, control, and promote port activities. Today, the focus of commerce and industry for the Port of Venice is in the mainland harbor of Marghera Port, occupying about 1800 hectares. This includes a refinery and warehouse for petroleum and an oil pipeline. Much of the port is managed by third party business interests operating a dedicated area in Marghera Port of about 230 hectares. Private interests also operate two terminals of about 55 hectares for containerized cargo.
In 2007, over 30 million tons of cargo passed through the Port of Venice, including almost 13 million tons of liquid bulk, 8.5 million tons of dry bulk, and 9 million tons of general cargo. General cargo included 3.4 million tons of containerized cargo, 2 million tons of roll-on/roll-off cargo, and 3.6 million tons of other cargo. 2007 cargo was 48% commercial, 37% petroleum, and 15% industrial. Major cargo types included general cargo, iron works, scrap, solid fuels, meal products, oil seeds, minerals, cereals, and fertilizers.
Cruising and Travel
Over one million passengers moved through the Port of Venice in 2007 on more than a thousand vessels. One of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, the Port of Venice is served by all major cruise lines. Potential cruise passengers can find a comprehensive list of cruises at the Cruise Compete website. The Terminal Venezia Passeggeri sits on the causeway linking the mainland to the historic Venezia; however, five passenger terminals serve the port. The City of Venice maintains an informative website for tourists.
For travelers, the Port of Venice recalls fairy tales. Cars are banned, so travel is by foot or water. Venezia’s city center consists of six districts. Cannaregio was home for the Jewish Ghetto and contains the beautiful 15th Century Ca’ d’Oro, now the Galleria Franchetti. Cannaregio and Castello are the main residential districts. Castello’s treasures include the library of Giovanni Querini, 16th Century paintings depicting the lives of the saints by Vittore Carpaccio, and many breathtaking churches. Castello also contains the Arsenale, the Port of Venice’s great shipyards of its golden age. San Marco is the tourist district, containing Saint Mark’s Piazza and the Doge’s Palace, along with shops and luxury hotels. Dorsoduro is a residential district with narrow streets, several galleries and churches containing precious artwork, and reasonably-priced bars and restaurants. You’ll find the Realto market San Polo and Santa Croce.
The Port of Venice also includes other islands in the lagoon. Lido offers popular beaches, luxury hotels, and a historic Jewish cemetery. Murano is the home to world-famous Murano glass. Once a world-class lace-making center, Burano is a quiet fisherman’s island home to many colorful painted houses. Torcello has less than 60 residents today, but it is home to the Port’s first cathedral (built from the 7th to 11th Centuries) that contains beautiful ancient mosaics. Torcello was the most important island in the lagoon in the early Middle Ages.
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