Located in northern Italy, Venice is a city built on 118 small islands famous for its numerous navigable canals connected by bridges. It is also known for its beauty, architecture and art (unesco.org). Although no historical records record the founding of Venice, historians agree that the original population of Venice was made up of refugees from Roman cities fleeing Germanic and Hunnic invasions. Originally established on a swamp, from the 5th to 8th century AD, settlers established the island using wooden pylons sunk in 100 feet of silt, and in 726 AD, the people of Venice elected their first doge (www.lonelyplanet.com).After its establishment, Venice began to work on its commercial interests with Muslim rulers, becoming a cosmopolitan empire. By the mid-15th century, Venice was draped in golden mosaics, imported silks and incense that hid the sulfuric odors inherited from the lagoon empire. Venice had become a popular place among the European elite. By the end of the 16th century, Venice was known throughout Europe for its sensual and...