Venice: History of the Floating City

Cambridge University Press, 2016

One of 12 Best Books in Biography and History. Library Journal 2012

A glittering, floating city on the Adriatic, Venice has captivated visitors over the centuries—for different reasons. To Crusaders, it was a pilgrim stop en route to the Holy Land; to pleasure seekers, it was a den for gambling, sexual experimentation, and other vices; to young gentlemen of fortune, it was a requisite destination on the Grand Tour. For countless artists, Venice was (and still is) a place for profound inspiration; so much so that Henry James once mused: “Your visit to Venice becomes a perpetual love affair.”

Venice: History of the Floating City by Joanne M. Ferraro is a sweeping yet intimate portrait of La Serenissima from its foundation to the present day. Having conducted research in Venice for over 30 years, historian Joanne M. Ferraro identifies the social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental forces that made it one of the most renowned cities in the world. Focusing primarily on the era of The Republic, Ferraro vividly illustrates the Asian, European, and North African exchange networks that made Venice a vibrant and ethnically diverse cultural center of the Mediterranean.

Built in an amphibious environment, Venice served as a crucial nexus connecting the Far East and northern Africa with northern Europe, and its history is filled with worldly connections. Through the trade and transport business, as well as colonization, Venice emerged as an undisputed center of power. Against such a singular backdrop of global influences, Ferraro traces four underlying aspects of the city’s development: the construction of identity, both in terms of its insularity and new encounters created by trade and immigration; the influence of multiculturalism; the preservation of social hierarchy; and last but not least, the shifting definitions of gender roles.

Furthermore, Venice’s modern history is also briefly included—in particular, the weight of tourism and the impact of environmental pollution and flooding on its sinking foundations. Filled with maps and lush photographs (many of which taken by Ferraro herself), Venice is an incomparable guide to this peerless city. I hope you will consider the book for reviews or excerpts, and Joanne M. Ferraro for interviews, blog posts, and op-eds.

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"Here is an essential book for all lovers of Venice. Dr. Ferraro writes not only with encyclopedic knowledge but with deep affection and understanding. She has taught me a lot."

-- John Julius Norwich, author of A History of Venice and Paradise of Cities: Venice in the 19th Century

"Summarizing recent research, Joanne Ferraro provides a masterful description of the social and cultural history of Venice, viewed here as a cosmopolitan world city, as well as the floating city of our dreams. It is the most reliable and comprehensive account of the 500-year history of Venice available for this generation of readers."

-- Edmund Burke III, University of California, Santa Cruz

"Joanne Ferraro's new book is the most illuminating synthetic history of Venice in two generations. She depicts a multicultural metropolis inhabited by international merchants as well as artisan heretics, rebel nuns, and feminist writers. Ferraro shows how real people rather than impersonal institutions and abstract forces made history."

-- Edward Muir, Northwestern University

"This is an innovative historical reconstruction of the floating city, with fresh perspectives informed by the most up-to-date scholarship. In lively and engaging prose, Ferraro recreates the rich and complex history of Venice before our eyes. Her history of the Venetian Republic will become the standard work for generations to come."
-- Margaret F. Rosenthal, University of Southern California

"Ferraro is a master storyteller with a rare ability to make everyday life in the lagoon city come alive, while capturing the magic of Venice within a richly textured historical context. Highly recommended reading for all students and lovers of Venice."
-- Patricia Fortini Brown, emeritus, Princeton University

"This is the best book written to date on the Venetian Republic...In the future, when people want to learn about Venice's history, they'll turn to this book first."
-- Library Journal

"rich and alluring account of the 'floating city.'"
-- Publishers Weekly

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