Fall of the Byzantine Exarchy
The Byzantine Exarchy in NE Italy came to a definitive end with the Lombard conquest of Ravenna in 751.
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Venice might not have been
Venice was an independent state for almost a millennium, but it might note have been. It all hinged on a single battle fought in the Venetian lagoon in 810.
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Invasions of Italy in Late Antiquity
In late Antiquity the north-east of the Italian peninsula suffered many invasions. The wars caused people to move to the safer lagoon areas, and hence to the foundation of Venice.