Lagoon
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Lazzaretto Nuovo – the first quarantine station
The quarantine station on Lazzaretto Nuovo was for three centuries one of the main Venetian defences against the black plague.
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Fanti da Mar – a historical re-enactment
The ‘fanti da mar’ were a corps of naval infantry of the Republic of Venice. Today a group of enthusiasts re-enact the ‘fanti da mar’.
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The Venetian Lazzaretti
The lazzaretti in Venice were the Venetian republic’s response to the emergency of the plague, and an efficient response too.
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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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Why the winged lion?
There are statues, reliefs and paintings of a winged lion all over Venice. The lion is the symbol of the Evangelist St. Mark
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Quarantine – forty days of isolation
Quarantine is derived from the Venetian (and Italian) word for forty, because the quarantine period on the Lazzaretto Nuovo ended up around forty days.
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Cocciopesto
Cocciopesto is a dark red colour commonly used for short-lived writing on walls – but sometimes they survive.
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Postcards from the 1950s
Some old postcards from the 1950s give us a glimpse of how the city has changed dramatically within a single lifetime.
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The word “Lazzaretto”
The word “Lazaret” (“Lazzaretto” in Italian) comes from the original name of the medieval plague hospital in the Venetian Lagoon.
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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.