A Brief History of Venice, Italy

Venice is a city in Italy, best known today for the many waterways which criss-cross through it. It has developed a romantic reputation built upon by countless movies, and thanks to one startling horror film has also evolved a darker atmosphere. The city has a history dating from the sixth century, and once wasnt just a city in a larger state: Venice was once one of the greatest trading powers in European history. Venice was the European end of the Silk Road trade route which moved goods all the way from China, and consequently was a cosmopolitan city, a true melting pot. The Origins of Venice Venice developed a creation myth that it was founded by people fleeing Troy, but it was probably formed in the sixth century C.E., when Italian refugees fleeing Lombard invaders camped on the islands in the Venice lagoon. There is evidence for a settlement in 600 C.E., and this grew, having its own bishopric by the end of the 7th century. The settlement soon had an outside ruler, an official appointed by the Byzantine Empire, which clung onto a part of Italy from a base in Ravenna. In 751, when the Lombards conquered Ravenna, the Byzantine dux became a Venetian Doge, appointed by the merchant families who had emerged in the town. Growth Into a Trading Power Over the next few centuries, Venice developed as a trading center, happy to do business with both the Islamic world as well as the Byzantine Empire, with whom they remained close. Indeed, in 992, Venice earned special trading rights with the empire in return for accepting Byzantine sovereignty again. The city grew richer, and independence was gained in 1082. However, they retained trading advantages with Byzantium by offering the use of their, now considerable, navy. The government also developed, the once dictatorial Doge supplemented by officials, then councils, and in 1144, Venice was first called a commune. Venice as Trading Empire The twelfth century saw Venice and the remainder of the Byzantine Empire engage in a series of trade wars, before the events of the early thirteenth century gave Venice the chance to establish a physical trading empire: Venice had agreed to transport a crusade to the Holy Land, but this became stuck when the Crusaders couldn’t pay. Then the heir of a deposed Byzantine emperor promised to pay Venice and convert to Latin Christianity if they put him on the throne. Venice supported this, but when he was returned and unable to pay/unwilling to convert, relationships soured and the new emperor was assassinated. The Crusaders then sieged, captured, and sacked Constantinople. Many treasures were removed by Venice, who claimed a part of the city, Crete, and large areas including parts of Greece, all of which became Venetian trading outposts in a large empire. Venice then warred with Genoa, a powerful Italian trading rival, and the struggle reached a turning point with the Battle of Chioggia in 1380, restricting Genoan trade. Others attacked Venice too, and the empire had to be defended. Meanwhile, the Doges’ power was being eroded by the nobility. After heavy discussion, in the fifteenth century, Venetian expansion targeted the Italian mainland with the capture of Vicenza, Verona, Padua, and Udine. This era, 1420–50, was arguably the high point of Venetian wealth and power. The population even sprang back after the Black Death, which often traveled along trade routes. The Decline of Venice Venice’s decline began in 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, whose expansion would threaten, and successfully seize, many of Venice’s eastern lands. In addition, Portuguese sailors had rounded Africa, opening another trading route to the east. Expansion in Italy also backfired when the pope organized the League of Cambrai to challenge Venice, defeating the city. Although the territory was regained, the loss of reputation was immense. Victories such as the Battle of Lepanto over the Turks in 1571 did not halt the decline. For a while, Venice successfully shifted focus, manufacturing more and promoting herself as the ideal, harmonious republic—a true blend of nations. When the pope placed Venice under a papal interdict in 1606 for, amongst other things, trying priests in a secular court, Venice won a victory for secular power by forcing him to back down. But across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Venice declined, as other powers secured Atlantic and African trade routes, maritime powers like Britain and the Dutch. Venice’s seaborne empire was lost. End of the Republic The Venetian Republic came to an end in 1797, when Napoleon’s French army forced the city to agree to a new, pro-French, ‘democratic’ government; the city was looted of great artworks. Venice was briefly Austrian after a peace treaty with Napoleon, but became French again after the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, and formed part of the short-lived Kingdom of Italy. The fall of Napoleon from power  saw Venice placed back under Austrian rule. Further decline set in, although 1846 saw Venice linked to the mainland for the first time, by a railway, and the number of tourists began to exceed the local population. There was brief independence in 1848–9 when revolution ousted Austria, but the latter empire crushed the rebels. British visitors began to speak of a city in decay. In the 1860s, Venice became part of the new Kingdom of Italy, where it remains to this day in the new Italian state, and arguments over to how best treat Venice’s architecture and buildings have produced conservation efforts that retain a great sense of atmosphere. Yet the population has fallen in halfsince the 1950s and flooding remains a problem.

The Physical, Social and Mental Obstacles in Eudora...

â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty is a short story in which fulfills all aspects of literary connotations. Phoenix Jackson’s only true motivation to keep living was to help keep her young grandson live. While there are a multitude of literary elements and devices splurged throughout the story, some of the first ones to spot make the biggest impact. Phoenix Jackson’s name is revealed in the first three lines of text, and leads the reader to make an immediate assumption. She makes this trek over and over again, continuously, and as she nears the end of her life she will nourish her own son back to health. Her journey to Natchez is filled with a multitude of impediments, but can mainly be broken down into the physical, social, and mental†¦show more content†¦Phoenix powers through all of these harsh situations with a force powered not so much by physical ability, but by the love she has for her grandson. The social obstacles she faces do not make up a great part of the story, but is the one factor that dominates her trip. Phoenix encounters the white hunter on her way to Natchez. Her age and race lead the young white man to mock her, but have a certain sympathy for her. He realizes she is adamant on achieving her goal to go into town, and passes by her at the realization. While in town she is subject to the direct ridicule of the secretary in the pharmacy. The racial barriers present in this time period makes Phoenix’s ordeal even that much harder. She lives in extreme poverty, but does what she must in order to survive. The receptionist realizes that Phoenix is both illiterate and nearly blind, but instead of aiding her she scolds her for not speaking and stating her reason for being in the building. The mental obstacles Phoenix faces are terrifying. Along her path into town, her own mind tricks her into seeing many objects and figures that are not physically present. She knows the trip into town will be long and tiresome, but her mind overcomes her well-being and tricks her into making up things that would distract her from her ultimate goal. PhoenixShow MoreRelatedPhoenix Jackson in A Worn Path Essay499 Words   |  2 PagesPhoenix Jackson in A Worn Path â€Å"’Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!†¦ Keep the big wild hogs out of my path. Don’t let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way’† (116). Through the character of Phoenix Jackson in â€Å"A Worn Path† Welty produces a picture of an aging African-American woman in the Jim Crow South. In â€Å"A Worn Path† we learn of the hardships Jackson faces on her weekly journey for medicine to sooth the pain ofRead MoreThe Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost and A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty2347 Words   |  10 Pagesforms. For this assignment, I have chosen to compare and contrast two separate literary works from â€Å"Journey into Literature† (Clugston, 2010), with similar themes. . The poems I will discuss are â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, by Robert Frost and â€Å"A Worn Path†, by Eudora Welty. I have chosen these works over the others in our course text because they both offer a deeper look at life, from an outside perspective, as the reader looks into the lives of the main characters and relates with the journeys they are

The Way in Which Direct Marketing Will Be Beneficial for Non-Profit Term Paper

Essays on The Way in Which Direct Marketing Will Be Beneficial for Non-Profit Organizations Term Paper The paper â€Å"The Way in Which Direct Marketing Will Be Beneficial for Non-Profit Organizations† is a  persuading example of a term paper on marketing. Today non-profit organizations are increasing but the increase in the number of organizations doesn’t match the increase in funds received. This is due to the fact that the younger generation is not willing to donate. This has raised concerns and non-profit organizations are finding it tough to continue with the programs they have launched.To combat it nonprofit organizations are coming up with new ways. They are using direct marketing to attract donors. Since they are cost-conscious as the amount they spend is from the money they receive from donation so using it in an effective way is important.Non-profit organizations are looking for newer ways to attract donors. â€Å"They are looking to find new ways to improve loyalty programs†. Retaining and getting a new customer for a non-profit organization has becom e a priority.Having decided the target segment and using emails followed by calls to people who show interest will help to get new donors. To retain their old donors and make them donate non-profit organization needs to develop loyalty programs and also show them the importance they hold. They should also send them regular updates on the way the donation was used.Thus, non-profits organization needs to concentrate and put all their efforts towards getting more donations. This will help the poor. It will help them to get food and make a good society.Today in this modern world people are looking for new ways to sell. Direct marketing is one. It is gaining prominence. It is a process where the product is marketed directly to the customer. Different mediums are used for it. Some of the ways are the telephone, emails, catalog, brochure and a few more. This is slowly shaping modern society. This is helping us there is direct communication with the clients.Here in the case, we see that non -profit organization is making use of this way. This is because competition has become tougher. The younger generation prefers to spend then to donate. This is affecting organizations. They are not able to generate the required sum to feed people. Even the increase in the number of the organization is affecting it. Even coming up with different campaigns is not drawing many takers. The 40-hour famine campaign is also losing relevance. The earlier generation used to donate the sum for the poor and skip their meals but the younger generation is reluctant to do so. This used to attract millions from all around the globe but slowly with the passage of time the numbers have dwindled.This has raised concerns. Today non-profit organizations are looking for newer methods to attract the younger generation. They are relying on direct marketing. This is because it is cost-efficient and since they utilize the fund donated so they want it to be cheap. They are using a medium like emails, telepho ne calls, and press advertising. Still, non-profit organizations doubt the efficiency of this system. They don’t know how many people will react positively. This is because people hardly have time to read as they have hundreds of junk mails coming every day. To combat it they are providing details of the way funds are spent and also thanking the donors.

“You Can’t Use a Lyric, Nalah!” free essay sample

â€Å"You can’t use a lyric, Nalah!† That’s what I keep telling myself as I sit here brainstorming for this paper. Square one: the very first sentence. How can I grab your attention in one line? Nothing but song lyrics are coming to my mind, but I don’t want to use them because they are not my words. This is supposed to be a personal essay where I get to write all about me. With so many different aspects of myself, where do I possibly begin? I write something down and then I scribble it away thinking, â€Å"AHHHH! No, that’s not right!† I’m constantly twisting my curls and staring off into the distance; thinking and thinking about what to write. â€Å"Okay, that’s enough,† I say to myself. â€Å"Let’s ask Google now. Maybe Google knows.† I type in ‘college essay examples’ and see a common theme. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"You Can’t Use a Lyric, Nalah!† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Most people seem to have one story that changed their lives forever. Then I ask myself, â€Å"Do I have one?† So I start listing: I am a child of teenage parents who were unable to stay together. The nonstop jokes about my crooked smile were only funny to those around me. Going through puberty at such a young age made me so self-conscious that I didn’t even want to look at myself in the mirror. In the heat of our biggest argument, my mother tells me I wouldn’t care if she died. My best friend almost lost her life in a car accident. I had a relationship with a man that broke my daddy’s heart. But then I stop listing, because that is not where I want to go with this. I’m reading these essay examples and wishing mine would come out like theirs. Wishing I had one story to tell you that showed you who I am. I keep telling myself, â€Å"I’ll figure something out,† but nothing seems to fall in line. All I can think of are the first lyrics that floated into my head when I was trying to write my opening sentence: Sitting in the studio thinking about which mood would go right now, freestyle or write down whatever And still I come up clever, I just need to free my thoughts So that’s what I began doing after all the agony of trying to sum myself up into one snapshot of my life. I began to free my thoughts. Thoughts of confusion and frustration. Thoughts that evoked emotions I haven’t allowed myself to feel in a long time; emotions that made me want to breakdown and cry. Lastly, thoughts of fear because if I didn’t or don’t tell my story through a vignette of my lifetime, I would be writing this essay â€Å"wrong†. â€Å"Si Dios quiere,† my grandma always says. It means if God willing and is a motto that has been etched into my mind. Whatever obstacles He puts in my path holds its own purpose. Everything happens to help me progress. Every day is a chance to be better than yesterday and learn something new. Whether it be from a mistake or in the classroom at the college of my dreams. Here, I’ll learn how to build my own corporation from business professors. This in turn will not only allow me to fulfil my philanthropic goals, but to give back to my parents. I have put them through havoc, but they have always remained there for me. They are my foundation and my motivation to succeed. There’s simply not one given time that I could share in great detail with you. I’m a photo album filled with snapshots of my life that make me who I am. As the next months bring an abundance of change and new experiences, I’m going to continue to live life audaciously. Knowing that whatever happens along the way, for better or for worse, is all part of God’s plan for me. And when I don’t know which way to turn or what to do, a prayer and some song lyrics will get me back on track.