VENICE is situated in north lat. 45° 25' and east long. 12° 20', in the midst of a lagune, or shallow lake, which extends about twenty miles in length from north to south, and about six in breadth, divided from the sea by the two islands, or sand-banks, of Malamocco and Palestrina, each about nine miles long, but only half a mile in breadth. The city occupies a tract of dry ground about seven miles in circumference, but divided into a great number of islands by canals, the principal of which, the Canale Grande, extends in a great curve through the heart of the town, with a width of 200 feet, and is crossed near its middle by the Rialto bridge, a magnificent structure of marble, consisting of a single arch overtopped by two ranges of shops, which form three roadways. The principal part of the city is, moreover, divided by a still wider canal, that of Giudeca, (which varies in width from about 1200 feet to 2160,) from a long and narrow series of islands, the most easterly of which contains the fine church of San Giorgio Maggiore, built by [7:21:594]Palladio. Venice is considered to be one of the finest cities of Europe, though its streets are very narrow and winding, and most of them only calculated for foot passengers, the great thoroughfares being the canals. But in the midst of its labyrinth of canals and streets there are several large piazzas, or open areas, almost every one of which is adorned with a fine church or palace. The principal of these areas is the Piazza di San Marco, a large oblong measuring 562 feet by 232, surrounded with elegant buildings on a regular plan, and terminated at its eastern extremity by the metropolitan church of St. Mark, a singular but splendid combination of the gothic and the oriental styles of architecture. The Piazza likewise contains the campanile or belfry of St. Mark’s, a lofty square tower, 316 feet high and forty-two on each side, terminated by a pyramidal top, to which the ascent is formed by an easy inclined plane instead of a stair. Adjoining the church is the Doge’s palace, a marble edifice in the Saracenic style; the prisons and other public offices of the late republic of Venice; and in front of the palace is the Piazzetta, which forms the communication between the great piazza and the lagune, and is as it were the state entrance to Venice. On the quay of the Piazzetta are placed two magnificent monolithic granite columns, one crowned with the winged lion of St. Mark, and the other with the statue of St. Theodore, the first patron of the republic. Between these columns is the place for public execution.

Venice is said to contain one hundred and twenty churches, and seven synagogues. It is divided into six quarters, which are subdivided into thirty parishes; each of the smaller islands in the lagune has also its church, generally that of a convent, some houses, and a few trees. There are seven theatres. The principal scientific and literary institutions are, the lyceum, which possesses a rich physical cabinet, and a botanical garden; the two royal and the patriarchal gymnasia; the college of the Salesiane for young ladies; the college for marine cadets; the principal normal school; the section of the Imperial and Royal Institute of arts and sciences, and the Venetian Atheneum, a union of the old learned societies of Venice; the academy or school of the fine arts, whose rooms may be ranked among the finest in Europe, containing a choice collection of casts, a superb picture gallery adorned with the works of the greatest masters of the Venetian school, and a considerable library formed of the most important works relative to the fine arts, and the celebrated collection of original designs of the ancient schools formed by the chevalier Bossi. Although entirely re-organized in 1807, this academy may be regarded as the oldest establishment of the kind, for the statutes of the fraternity of artists which it represents, are of a date anterior to the year 1345. Lastly, we may notice the library of St. Mark, one of the richest in Italy, with a fine cabinet of antiquities and medals, now placed in the great council-hall of the ducal palace. There is, besides, the Cornarian museum, an immense collection of pictures, medals, books, and curiosities of every kind, bequeathed to the city by a noble Venetian of the Comoro family. The principal public walks of Venice are the Piazza of San Marco, the Piazzetta, and the Riva degli Schiavoni, a long quay leading to the public gardens, which sire finely situate at the south-eastern extremity of the city. The great number of bridges, which all have steps, and the narrowness of the streets, render the use of wheeled carriages impossible; but in their stead there is a great number of boats, named gondolas, which form one of the principal characteristics of this singular city.

The most important public institution now at Venice is the arsenal, which is very spacious, being about two miles in compass, and containing workshops of all kinds, large stores of every article requisite for the outfit of ships of war, and a series of halls in which immense quantities of arms and munitions of war are grouped in a tasteful manner. The hall of models contains a large collection of models of all sorts of ships; and in an adjoining chamber there are busts by Canova of Emo, a naval hero celebrated in Venetian history, and of General Galtamelta, a commander of high repute. The same apartment likewise contains a fine model of the Adriatic, with its rocks, cliffs, and islands. The arsenal contains thirty-two covered slips for ships of the line, fifty-four slips for smaller vessels, four large basins, five cannon foundries, a ropewalk 910 feet long, extensive workshops for carpenters, ship-builders, &C. The number of people employed is from 1000 to 1200. Only a few fragments of the celebrated Bucentaur remain. The arsenal, however, is inaccessible to line-of-battle ships, or even frigates with their guns on board; and even when the bulwark of Malamocco, now in progress, is completed. It will only have twenty-four feet water. Venice is the head-quarters’ of the Austrian imperial navy.

For a number of years after the downfall of the republic, Venice exhibited such symptoms of rapid decay, that many were induced to prognosticate that ere long it would be abandoned, and its foundations again buried in the waters. In 1815, many Venetians entertained a natural and laudable wish for the regeneration of their country; but the force of circumstances prevailed, and Venice continued to be an appendage of the Austrian empire. By commerce Venice had become great; and by new commercial regulations, the people believed that she could again be raised to prosperity. The wish for the establishment of a free port was expressed so generally and so loudly, that the government at length consented; and in 1830, the wished-for object was attained. But though there has been a decided increase in the maritime traffic, yet the magnificent expectations of the citizens have not been realised. Neither have manufactures on an extended scale been yet introduced, though the abundance of low-rented houses and cheap labour seem to offer many advantages. Mirrors, straw-hats, wax candles, cat-gut, which are the staple productions of Venice, and the like, are articles of trifling importance compared with objects of universal consumption. It is however already a great point gained, that a stop has been put to the diminution of trade and population, which were rapidly melting away. During the last fifteen years, the progress of decay has been arrested, and things are again improving, though but slowly. The Venetians are recovering their ancient habits of prudence and activity; but much yet remains to be done before they can be relieved of the general reproach of indolence. Scarcely any kind of labour in Venice is performed by natives; and many strangers find employment as water-carriers, servants, &c. Even the patricians deem it less disgraceful to enrol their names as paupers than to apply themselves to labour; and, according to Raumer, more idle people are to be seen in St. Mark’s Piazza in one day, than in England during a whole year.

All Italy is distinguished for the number of its charitable institutions, and in this respect Venice holds a prominent place. In the city there is one house with accommodation for 700 poor people; while many more have free lodgings elsewhere, and receive pecuniary assistance out of the establishment. There is an orphan-house for about 335 children, a lying-in hospital for thirty-six women, a wealthy institution for the reception of penitent women, an hospital for 1000 patients, a house of education for 90 young girls, a foundling hospital, &c. And the revenues of all these, arising chiefly from endowments, amount to about 580,000 florins, or L.60,000 sterling a-year. The French government united all these institutions and endowments into one, without respect for their origin, their object, or the directions of their founders; but in 1826, each foundation was again placed under a separate administration, the whole being still subjected to the inspection of government. In [7:21:595]1836, daily relief was afforded to 3200 permanent paupers, and occasional relief to 4000. The number of those whose names were enrolled as paupers, and who in the course of one year received occasional assistance in the shape of money, medicine, &c., amounted to 41,300 persons; in another year to 40,782. If to these be added the several institutions for lunatics, sick, orphans, foundlings, &c.. It will appear that no fewer than 52,443 persons, or more than one-half of the population of the city, receive charitable assistance. The population of Venice is about 103,000, without including the garrison, which is inconsiderable. Eight hundred patricians receive a kind of daily wages from the government. The number of foundlings now maintained in the city is stated to be 3338; and for the country districts of Venice, 10,625. There is no want of elementary schools for reading, writing, and arithmetic; and infant schools have recently been introduced.

A railroad has been projected, and is now in progress, to connect Venice with Milan, passing through Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Mantua, and Brescia, a distance of 166 miles, nearly upon one level. The greatest, and indeed almost the only serious obstacle to the execution of the work, is the carrying of the road across the lagune, exceeding two miles of mud and water.

To the north of the city is the small town of Murano, whose glass-works were in great repute for several centuries, though their productions are now inferior to those of France, England, and Bohemia; and to the eastward is San Lazzaro degli Arment, an island with a convent inhabited by Armenian monks, who devote themselves to the education of their countrymen, and the cultivation of their national literature. They have published several useful works in their national language, and they issue a weekly journal, which is circulated throughout the East. For an account of the Venetian territory, see Lombardy, (c.h.)