A Brief History of Venice

by Elizabeth Horodowich

Venice grew out of the swamps of Italy and became one of the great mercantile and cultural centers of the world. Elizabeth Horodowich, one of the leading historians of the city, tells the whole story, showing that Venice, alongside Florence and Rome, was one of the great Renaissance capitals. The book will also investigate the history of Venice as a multicultural trading city where Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together at the crossroads between East and West. The narrative runs all the way to the present to the current problems with the sinking island.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Italy, Travel, Cities

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Daniel Villines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I become a bit apprehensive any time the word "brief" appears in the title of a history book. The word actually means that historical facts and context have been omitted. But history in its varying degrees of detail represents a series of tools meant to be applied to a series of jobs. For scholarship, the word brief will not suffice, but for a casual traveler like me, brief is exactly on point.

A Brief History of Venice focuses on the city from an observers point of view. The reader is taken through the significant events that shaped the city throughout its 1,500 years. From this perspective, brevity does not result in a lack of thoroughness. Horodowich knows the history of Venice and presents it in a well organized and thoughtful manner.

As for the omissions that brevity demands, I would characterize them as being of two types. First, the personal perspectives of the inhabitants during the various historical periods are missing. The lives of the common, wealthy, and noble Venetians remain mostly in the imagination of the reader. Second, the details of the significant events are missing. For instance, there were numerous battles that took place over the course of Venetian history but the details of these events, the suffering, strategies, and near-failures, are mostly left out of the discussion.

But again, if travel is the reason for reading this book, there is an archaeological perspective that I particularly enjoyed. Horodowich frequently closes her chapters by identifying elements of the present-day city that give testimony to the historical events she describes. Be they an obscure bas-relief of a winged lion that that has been carved into the header of a doorway and then seemingly removed by a chisel; or more common items visible throughout the city, Horodowich makes sure that a future walk through the city of Venice will be a historical experience.

[zed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had little to no knowledge of Venice other than the fact it was a major tourist destination. That has all changed. Horodowich has written a superb easy to read short history that will be of great use to those that like things short, sharp and concise. It covers not only the history but also makes good comment on various modern issues such as the huge problems of rising water levels, tourism and Venice's place in the modern world while attempting to retain the history and charms of it's past. This is an excellent Brief History.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the city of Venice, clearly written, well organized and easy to understand.
I like the way the author blends past and present: she tells you exactly what you're seeing when you stand in front of this or that structure; what to look for and where if you want to see the Jewish or medieval remains of the town; and she makes a compelling story about how the Venetians managed to thrive without being consumed between two great empires, Rome and Byzantium (make that three - the Ottomans, too). This consoled me somewhat for having to cancel an upcoming trip on account of Covid-19.

[Tyler Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Brennan Ayers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agonizing descriptions of historic political structures

[Darrick Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horodowich's short introduction to the history of Venice is readable, and gives the kind of broad overview of that famous city's history which will appeal to a general audience and to students. There is a good balance of political and social history of Venice in her telling, some of which is dictated by the peculiar nature of Venetian society, but which I found to be very helpful to a neophyte. Her emphasis on the physical aspects of the City will be appreciated by those wishing to visit the city, as I do (though it might have helped to have included some pictures of the city itself in that regard). As an introduction to the history of Venice, I recommend it, with two caveats: I was a bit thrown off by some of the descriptions Horodowich made of certain time periods, such as the Reformation and the Renaissance, which sounded a bit outdated in terms of what I know about the scholarship of those eras. The other is that the book is abominably edited, as there were several typos present throughout the book.

[Misty Galbraith · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Brief” history? Not really! A tediously long, detailed history is a better description. I enjoyed the book on some levels, but did not read every word. I had to skim to get through it. Contained a bit more detail than I bargained for! But extremely well researched and documented, which I always appreciate in a history book.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just returned from this unique city, I wondered how it came to be. This author basically gives an overview that is readable and hits on all of the bullet points from its founding 1500 yrs ago to today. Wish I read it before I travelled

[David B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of Venice.

Very focused with just the historical detail needed. Particularly like the cohort chapter on modern Venice. Venice was a uniquely stable political entity for almost a millennium.

[DR GERARD D MCCARTHY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good run through of Venice's history

I liked the accessibility of the text.
I did feel it was history tapas at times.
Overall a good read

[Kristen Pollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I'd have finished this before traveling to Venice. It's a nice, quick history that explains a lot about the geography and culture of the city.

[Michal]

A great book. Not too long, yet packed with information and interesting detail.

It doesn't cover the most recent stuff, obviously, but that is covered copiously in the newspapers.

It absolutely makes me want to visit the city yet again, and have a closer look at all the things I've obliviously walked past during my previous visits.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading novels set in Venice for quite a long time now, but it was only recently that I realized that I actually knew nothing about the history of that fabled city. Enter A Brief History of Venice: A New History of the City and Its People, by Elizabeth Horodowich, a 2009 book that I found in a timely fashion. As the title declares, this is a relatively short (230 pages, not including bibliography and index) book that traces the history of Venice from its beginnings when villagers fled from various "barbarian hordes" in the late Roman period to the current precarious ecological state of the lagoon in which the city is anchored. The rise of the city from a small island town whose inhabitants made a living by collecting and selling salt to a city-state that developed its own empire based on trading by sea and land (and its subsequent fall as the rest of Europe embraced change while Venice remained tradition-bound) is a fascinating tale, and Horodowich tells it well. There are no pictures, which is a bit of a shame, and no footnotes, which is to be expected in a history meant to be read by the casual layperson rather than by serious students of history. But she includes sections at the end of each chapter in which she describes specific parts of the city where a tourist can still find vestiges of the century being discussed in the chapter, which will certainly come in handy if I ever manage to get to Venice! I enjoyed the book and enjoyed the history, and would recommend this to anyone who wants a quick look at how this unique place began, developed and fell.

[Sanj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read & concise. However, there were a number of errors, typos, and just dumb statements. After a while it really started to detract from the quality of the experience, and I began to wonder how many errors I did not pick up on and just accepted as fact.

I give it 3 stars because of the interesting subject and the lack of options when looking for a brief overview of Venetian history.

[Silvana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horodowich's introduction to Venetian history is an enjoyable read permeated with the most interesting tidbits regarding day to day life in Venice as well as the impact of local affairs upon their people.

[Galen Olson]

I agree with the previous review concerning printing errors. A good, concise survey though for someone not interested in a pedantic recount of the city.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for someone planning a visit to Venice. It gave me--and I hope you--a good, concise history of this lovely city, and it made my visit more meaningful.

[Mersini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting stuff. It's a brief history, but it covers a lot.

It could have done with more editing though, since there were some grammar and punctuation issues occasionally.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting account of an exceptional city...

[Bill Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to the basics of Venetian history. I read it because I'm visiting the city this summer.