The Origins of Venice
The original Venetians were people from the Italian mainland fleeing from the plundering tribes from the north and the east. One of the stories about the origins of Venice is that the refugees found the lagoon and an island in it. Once they got to the island, they heard a voice telling them to build a church on the island they had found. Though the first settlers came in 400 AD, Venice was not recognized as a city until March 25 421. After Venice was founded, many people came to settle there. In 976 the people in Rialto, one of the biggest islands in Venice, built bridges and dams to connect them to the other 149 islands of Venice. However, the parts of Venice that were
off the islands were not built until the early 1500s.
off the islands were not built until the early 1500s.