Venice’s early history isn’t well documented, but legend has it the Romans began to establish a settlement in the area while they were fleeing from the Goths in around 422 AD. However, many historians estimate that around 2,000 years ago a number of fishermen and hunters began to live on the mudflats around a lagoon, marking the birth of this city. It is likely that these settlers were from the north east of the country and were escaping from Attila the Hun.

The city was under Byzantine rule until 726 AD when the Venetians elected their first doge (duke). From then, Venice began to thrive, helped in part by the theft of some relics of St Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria, which were placed in the city’s basilica. It was around this time that the power of the Byzantines began to fade, leading to independence.

As the 19th century arrived, Venice’s poverty saw the city in a poor state and rapidly deteriorating, fortunately the beginnings of tourism here began to bring more money to the city and the situation started to improve. The Lido soon became a fashionable holiday destination for wealthy Europeans, and today Venice is one of the most popular travel destinations in Italy. With over 100 islands, 400 bridges and 150 canals it’s a wonderful place to lose yourself in.