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Explore Italy: Venice and the Veneto
Venice or Veneto is the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 at the year 2004. It has the nickname, "Queen of the Adriatic" and "City of Water". It is the seat for Education in Europe. The Veneto region constituted the main portion of a larger area that is known as Venitia, which (along with Friuli and Trentino) make up the northeast quarter of the country. There are more than 30 larger and smaller islands in the lagoon. To the north lie the haunting crags and shafts of the Dolomite Mountains with the Veneto occupying the basins and marshy deltas of the Po and Brenta rivers. To the south lies the gastronomic paradise of Emilia-Romagna, to the west are Lake Garda and Lombardy. The eastern shore is bordered by the Gulf of Venice and the wildlife rich lagoons and marshes along the coast.
Venice occupies a special place in the history of art through its relations with the Greek Empire of the East. St Mark's Church is Byzantine in style, as are its earliest mosaics. Gothic, which reached Venice only in the 14th century, took on a different aspect here from the rest of Italy, displaying a lively fantasy and a wealth of decoration and color.
The food of the Veneto has some affinities with its neighboring regions, like in Lombard Risotto is very popular and there are dozens of variants using anything from wild mushrooms to the region's famous seafood. Polenta, a versatile semolina based porridge is often served alone, as a base for antipasti or as a side dish to main courses. Risi e bisi is a dish of rice and peas that is simple yet delicious. Seafood ranging from prawns, shrimp and clams to fresh fish and eels play an important part of the local diet and are proudly displayed in the markets and restaurants. Wild game such as rabbit, duck, pigeon and guinea fowl are also favorites. Fegato alla Veneziana is a Venetian dish of calf liver fried with onions is unique considering the lack of open space among the canals. The beauty of a tradition and culture can be discovered by tasting the dishes of the local cuisine, beginning with a 'classic' such as spaghetti with clams - on to stronger tastes with the 'sarde in saor', finishing with some typical Carnival sweets, you might choose all the recipes in Venice.
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