1797 was not just the year the young general Bonaparte victoriously conducted his Italian Campaign; it was also the year the thousand-year-old Venetian Republic came to an end. During those thousand years, Venice first consolidated its maritime power, and then its stranglehold over the mainland. While on the open seas it was the flag bearing St Mark's lion that represented the Serenissima's power, on the mainland the most obvious sign of the Venetian patricians' power was represented by the villa. This book guides the reader through Venice's aptly-named 'villa civilisation'. From a general historical background, the reader is led through five centuries of Venetian history and twenty-eight villas, the overt sign of Venice's vast economic network that both helped govern the territory and represented. AUTHOR: Francesco Monicelli was born and lives in Verona. For years he has been working with Italia Nostra, an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Italy's cultural heritage. He is an expert on Veneto art and the history of manners and aesthetic sensibility. He has published Storiche Dimore Del Garda. 200 colour illustrations
