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A few notes and questions...
While there are no records of the founding of the city of Venice, available evidence led historians to agree that Venice developed out of the movement of people, that is refugees, from Roman cities in northern Italy who fled successive waves of barbarian invasions during the latter centuries of the Western Roman empire. What remained after the Visigoth, Hun, and Lombard invasions of the fourth to sixth centuries was a strip of coastal Italian territory under the rule of the Eastern Roman empire along the northern stretch of the Adriatic Sea. New port facilities were built in the Venetian lagoon at Malamocco and Torcello. By the middle of the eighth century the dominance of the Eastern empire had been eliminated, and early in the ninth century Agnello Particiaco, the local duke, had moved the ducal seat to the well protected Rialto (Rivolalto: ''High Shore'') island which is the location of Venice.
As the city prospered and grew a [[monastery]] of St. Zachary, the first ducal palace, and a [[basilica]] to St. Mark were built. As the strength of Venice increased, and Byzantine power waned, an anti-Byzantine character emerged that led to the growth of autonomy and eventual independence of Venice as a city state. In 828, the prestige of the city was increased by theft of the [[relics]] of St. [[Mark the Evangelist]] from Alexandria, Egypt((the story is that the Venetian smugglers told the Muslims that they were just taking pickled pork out of the country). The relics were placed in the new Byzantine styled basilica. Considerable Byzantine plunder from Constantinople was brought back to Venice, including the Winged Lion of St. Mark which became the symbol of Venice.
From its strategic and almost invulnerable location at the head of the Adriatic Sea, Venice became a flourishing trade center between Western Europe and the eastern world of the Byzantine empire and Islamic countries. During the twelfth century, Venice expanded its power over northern Italy, to the eastern shore of the Adriatic, and the islands of the eastern Mediterranean.
With the events of 1204, the [[schism]] between the Catholic West and Orthodox East was complete.
Though, in later years, the people of Venice generally remained [[Roman Catholic]], the city/state of Venice became notable for its freedom from religious fanaticism. (In what way? Why? Because of tolerance for the Jews?)
After the fall of Constantinople, many Greeks sought refuge in Italy and the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] of Constantinople nominated a [[Metropolitan]] residing in Venice from 1537 to 1797.
Today, there is small Greek presence in Venice, including a church (details?) and a Byzantine museum which contains many 15-17th century icons, vestments, and other artifacts.
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