Veneto,[a] officially theRegion of Veneto,[b] is one of the 20regions of Italy, located in thenorth-east of the country. It is the 4th most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025.[2]Venice is the region's capital whileVerona is the largest city.
BesidesItalian, most inhabitants also speakVenetian.[9][10][11] Since 1971, theStatute of Veneto has referred to the region's citizens as "the Venetian people".[12][13] Article 1 defines Veneto as an "autonomous Region", "constituted by the Venetian people and the lands of the provinces of Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona and Vicenza", while maintaining "bonds with Venetians in the world". Article 2 sets forth the principle of the "self-government of the Venetian people" and mandates the Region to "promote the historical identity of the Venetian people and civilisation". Despite these affirmations, approved by theItalian Parliament, Veneto is not among theautonomous regions with special statute, unlike its north-eastern and north-western neighbours,Friuli-Venezia Giulia andTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol respectively.
Veneto is home to a notable nationalist movement, known asVenetian nationalism or Venetism. The region's largest party isLiga Veneta, a founding component ofLega Nord. The currentPresident of Veneto isLuca Zaia (Liga Veneta–Lega Nord), re-elected in2020 with 76.8% of the vote. Anautonomy referendum took place in 2017: 57.2% of Venetians turned out, 98.1% voting "yes" to "further forms and special conditions of autonomy".
Having been for a long period in history a land of mass emigration, Veneto is today one of the greatest immigrant-receiving regions in the country, with 655,026 foreigners (13.5% of the regional population in 2024), notably includingRomanians (94,962),Moldovans (58,275),Moroccans (57,737),Albanians (48,013) andChinese (27,603).[14]
Between the 2nd and 1st millennium BC, the region was inhabited by theEuganei. According to ancient historians, who perhaps wanted to link Venetic origins to legend of Roman origins inTroy, theVeneti (often called thePalaeoveneti) came fromPaphlagonia inAnatolia at the time of theFall of Troy (12th century BC), led by princeAntenor, a comrade ofAeneas. Other historians link Venetic origins withCelts.
In the 7th–6th centuries BC the local populations of Veneto entered into contact with theEtruscans and theGreeks. Venetic culture reached a high point during the 4th century BC. These ancient Veneti spokeVenetic, anIndo-European language akin to, but distinct fromLatin and the otherItalic languages. Meanwhile, the Veneti prospered through their trade inamber and breeding of horses.Este,Padua,Oderzo,Adria,Vicenza,Verona, andAltino became centres of Venetic culture. Over time, the Veneti began to adopt the dress and certain other customs of theirCeltic neighbours.
TheTetrarchs were the four co-rulers who governed theRoman Empire as long asDiocletian's reform lasted. Here they are portrayed embracing, in a posture of harmony, in a porphyry sculpture dating from the 4th century, produced inAnatolia, located today on a corner ofSt Mark's Basilica inVenice.
During the 3rd century BC, theVeneti, together with theCenomaniCelts on their western border, sided with theRomans, asRome expanded and struggled against theInsubres andBoii (Celts). During theSecond Punic War (218 – 202 BC), the Veneti even sent a contingent of soldiers to fight alongside the Romans against Hannibal and the invading Carthaginians. These Venetians were among those slaughtered at theBattle of Cannae (216 BC).
In 181 BC a Romantriumvirate ofPublius Cornelius Scipio Nasica,Caius Flaminius, andLucius Manlius Acidinus founded a Latincolony atAquileia as a base to protect the territory of the Veneti from incursions of the hostileCarni andHistri. From then on, Roman influence over the area increased. In 169 BC 1,500 more colonising families were sent by Rome to Aquileia. In 148 BC theVia Postumia was completed connecting Aquileia toGenoa. In 131 BC, theVia Annia joinedAdria to Patavium (modernPadua) to Altinum to Concordia to Aquileia.
TheRoman Republic gradually transformed its alliance with the Veneti into a relationship of dominance. After the 91 BC Italic rebellion, the cities of the Veneti, together with the rest ofTranspadania, were granted partial rights ofRoman citizenship according to theLex Pompeia de Transpadanis. Later in 49 BC, by theLex Roscia granted full Roman citizenship to the Veneti. TheVia Claudia would be completed in AD 46 to connected Altinum, Tarvisium (modern Treviso), Feltria (modernFeltre), and Tridentum (modern Trento). From Tridentum it continued northwards to Pons Drusus and further to Augusta Vindelicorum (modernAugsburg), and southwards from Trento to Verona and Mutina (modernModena).
After theBattle of Philippi (42 BC) ended theRoman Civil War, the lands of the Veneti, together with the rest ofCisalpine Gaul, ceased to be a province. Between 8 and 6 BC,Augustus reorganizedItalia into 11regions. The territory of modern Veneto along withIstria, modernFriuli andTrentino-Alto Adige and easternLombardy (including its cities ofMantua,Cremona,Brescia, andSondrio) became Region X (Venetia et Histria). Aquileia, although not officially the capital was the chief municipium of the region.[15] Meanwhile, under thePax Romana, Patavium developed into one of the most important cities of northern Italy. Other Venetic cities such as Opitergium (modernOderzo), Tarvisium, Feltria, Vicetia (modern Vicenza), Ateste (modern Este), and Altinum (modern Altino) adopted theLatin language and the culture of Rome. By the end of the 1st century AD Latin had displaced the originalVenetic language.
In 166 AD theQuadi andMarcomanni invaded Venetia. It was the beginning of many barbarian invasions.Marcus Aurelius retaining the regions ofItalia, superimposed another layer of administration by ascribing Regions X and XI to the district ofTranspadana under aiuridicus. The end of the 3rd c. brought further administrative changes whenDiocletian abolished the regions and districts and establishedprovinciae. Thus, Region X (Venetia et Histria) became Province VIII (Venetia et Histria), being enlarged in the west up to theAdda River governed by acorrector until 363 and from 368 to 373 by aconsularius seated at Aquileia.Venetia et Histria remained one of the 16 Provinces of Italy in the 5th century when bothAlaric the Goth and thenAttila and the Huns devastated the area. Attila laid siege to Aquileia and turned it into a ruin in 452 AD. Many of the mainland inhabitants sought protection in the nearby lagoons which would becomeGrado in the east andVenice more to the west. On the heels of the Huns came the Ostrogoths who not only invaded, but also settled down in the region, especially near Treviso where the penultimate kingTotila was born.[16]
During the mid-6th century,Justinian reconquered Venetia for theEastern Roman Empire. An Exarch was established atRavenna while amilitary tribune was set up in Oderzo. Greek-Byzantine rule did not last long. Starting in 568 AD, the Lombards crossed theJulian Alps. These invaders subdivided the territory of Venetia into numerous feuds ruled by Germanic dukes and counts, essentially creating the division of Veneto from Friuli.
The invasion provoked another wave of migration from the mainland to the Byzantine controlled coast and islands. In 643 AD theLombards conquered the Byzantine base at Oderzo and took possession of practically all of Veneto (and Friuli) except for Venice and Grado. The 36 Lombard duchies included the Venetian cities ofCeneda, Treviso, Verona, and Vicenza. A reminder of Lombard rule can be seen in the place names beginning with the wordFarra.
By the middle of the 8th century, theFranks had assumed political control of the region and the mainland of Veneto became part of theCarolingian Empire. Though politically dominant, these Germanic invaders were gradually absorbed into the Venetian population over the centuries.In the late 9th century,Berengar,Margrave of theMarch of Friuli waselected king of Italy. Under his tumultuous reign, the March of Friuli was absorbed into theMarch of Verona so that Verona's territory contained a large portion of Roman Venetia.
In the 10th century, the mainland of Veneto, after suffering raids from theMagyars and theSlavs, was incorporated into theHoly Roman Empire. Gradually, the communes of the mainland grew in power and wealth. In 1167 an alliance (called theLombard League) was formed among the Venetian cities such as Padua, Treviso, Vicenza, and Verona with other cities ofNorthern Italy to assert their rights against theHoly Roman Emperor.
The emperorFrederick I, Barbarossa (reigned 1155–1190) conducted six military campaigns in Italy, which was under hisHoly Roman Empire. Originally he wanted to confront theNormanKingdom of Sicily in the south. However, his intervention in Italy was opposed by several Italian cities, particularlyMilan, which he had partially destroyed during his second campaign. A dispute withPope Alexander III (1159–1181) developed because Frederick endorsedantipope Victor IV, who had been elected in opposition to Alexander. Opposition against Frederick in northern Italy grew and theLombard League, a league formed by several cities, fought him. Frederick was defeated at theBattle of Legnano in 1176. Preliminary peace negotiations took place atAnagni (the Peace of Anagni) in 1176.[17] Negotiations involving all the concerned parties to reach a formal peace treaty took place in Venice where a conference was scheduled for July 1177. ThedogeSebastiano Ziani (1172–1178) was to act as an intermediary.
TheSecond Treaty of Constance in 1183 confirmed thePeace of Venice of 1177 in which the cities agreed to remain part of the Empire as long as their jurisdiction over their own territories was not infringed upon. The league was dissolved at the death ofEmperor Frederick II in 1250. This period also witnessed the founding of the second oldestuniversity in Italy, theUniversity of Padua founded in 1222. Around this time,Padua also served as home toSt. Anthony, the beloved Saint called simply "il Santo" ("the Saint") by the inhabitants of the town.
As the barbarians were interested in the wealth of the mainland, part of the Venetian population sought refuge on some of the isolated and unoccupied islands in the lagoon, from which the city ofVenetiae orVenice was born. After a period ofByzantine domination in 8th century,Venice became an independent maritimeRepublic ruled by its electeddoge.
The Republic became a commercial superpower and its influence lasted through theMiddle Ages and theRenaissance. In fact, theVenetian Republic enjoyed 1100 years of uninterrupted influence throughout theMediterranean. By the 16th century, the Venetian Republic dominated Veneto,Friuli, parts ofLombardy andRomagna,Istria,Dalmatia, theIonian Islands of Corfu, Cefalonia, Ithaca and Zante. From the 13th to 17th centuries, it held the island ofCrete and from the mid-15th to mid-16th century, the island ofCyprus.
Venetian mainland holdings led to Venetian involvement in European and in particular, Italian politics. Cities had to be fortified, two impressive examples are Nafplio in Peloponnese andPalmanova in Friuli. The wise rule and prosperity brought by the "Serenissima" (most serene republic) made the cities of theterra firma willing subjects. Eastern Islands served as useful ports for Venetian shipping. However, as theOttoman Empire grew more powerful and aggressive, Venice was often put on the defensive. Ottoman control of the eastern Mediterranean and the discoveries of sea routes to Asia around Africa and of theAmericas had a debilitating effect on the Venetian economy.
In 1797,Napoleon invaded the territory of theVenetian Republic. Overwhelmed by more powerful forces,DogeLudovico Manin resigned and retired to his villa atPassariano in Friuli and the thousand year old Republic disappeared as anindependent state. This proved very unpopular in the mainland cities where sympathies were strong with the Republic of Venice. By theTreaty of Campoformio signed on 17 October 1797, part of the Venetian mainland was handed over toFrancis II of theHoly Roman Empire and a western part was annexed to the French backedCisalpine Republic. The territory soon reverted to Napoleon in 1801.
In 1805–1806, Veneto was conquered byNapoleon's armies and included in theKingdom of Italy. During 1809, the region revolted against the French-Italian rule,[18] supporting the advancing Austrian troops during theWar of the Fifth Coalition. It was mainly a peasant revolt, less organised than the nearbyAndreas Hofer's revolt, while urban national guard troops fought on the French-Italian side. After theCongress of Vienna, 1814–1815, Venetia was the eastern half of theKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, a separate kingdom within theAustrian Empire.
During the 1848First Italian War of Independence, Venetia rose against the central Austrian government, forming theRepublic of San Marco. After 17 months, it sought annexation to theKingdom of Sardinia, forming an Italian confederation against Austria, and using the Italian tricolour in its flag. However, the other Italian states left the war in May 1848, and Sardinia surrendered (August 1848, then March 1849), Venetia stood alone. It surrendered on 24 August 1849, when theSiege of Venice ended.[19]
The Austrian imperial government was unpopular among upper and middle classes, because ofMetternich's anti-liberal politics, turned byEmperor Franz Joseph intoneo-absolutism after 1848, and for not granting Lombardo–Venetia any real autonomy: It was considered less than apuppet state; nevertheless, it was appreciated (especially among lower classes) for its efficient and honest administration; by 1848–1849, there would be no further revolt against the Austrian rule.
Venetia remained under Austrian control until theAustro-Prussian War in 1866, when theKingdom of Italy joined on the Prussian side and was promised Venetia in exchange for its assistance. Austria offered to sell Venetia to Italy, but the Italy refused, seeing it as a dishonourable choice. This resulted in a new southern front for Austria, theThird Italian War of Independence.
Once the wars ended, theTreaty of Vienna ceded the region to neutral France, but left the fortresses under Austrian control for a time. Following protests, the Austrians left, and the French ceded it to Italy on 20 October. A referendum – where only 30% of the adult population voted (as was customary in that period), and did so under government pressure[20] – was held on 21–22 October, and ratified the handover, with a 99.99% majority for Italy.[21][22][23]
Uneven economic development reduced many to poverty, making the 19th century, and the first half of the 20th, a period of emigration. Millions of Venetians left their homes and their native land, to seek opportunities in other parts of the world. Many settled in South America (especially inBrazil), and others inAustralia,Canada, and theUnited States of America.
Those who remained in Veneto would experience the turmoil of twoworld wars. In 1915, Italy entered theFirst World War on the side of theFrance and theUnited Kingdom (after extricating itself from its alliance withGermany and theAustro-Hungarian Empire). Veneto became a major battlefront. After Italian forces suffered an enormous defeat atCaporetto in November 1917, the combined Austro-Hungarian and German forces advanced – almost unhindered – through Veneto, towards Venice, until reaching thePiave River. TheBattle of the Piave River prevented these invading troops from advancing further, and was celebrated inLa Leggenda del Piave. Between 24 October and 3 November 1918, Italy launched the decisiveBattle of Vittorio Veneto, whose outcome assured Italy's victory.
After the Second World War, many Venetians emigrated to Western European countries; in many of these places, their descendants have maintained the use of their ancestral Venetian dialects.
Veneto is the 8th largest region in Italy, with a total area of 18,398.9 km2 (7,103.9 sq mi). It is located in the north-eastern part of Italy and is bordered to the east byFriuli-Venezia Giulia, to the south byEmilia-Romagna, to the west byLombardy and to the north byTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. In its northernmost corner it also bordersAustria.
The north–south extension of Veneto is 210 km (130 mi) from theAustrian border to the mouth of theRiver Po. By area, 29% of its surface is mountainous (Carnic Alps, easternDolomites andVenetian Prealps). The highest massif in the Dolomites is theMarmolada-massif at 3,342 m (10,965 ft). Other dolomitic peaks are theTre Cime di Lavaredo and thePale di San Martino. The Venetian Prealps are not as high and range between 700 m (2,300 ft) and 2,200 m (7,200 ft). A distinctive landmark of the Pre-alps are the cave formations, including chasms and sink holes; theSpluta Della Preta, situated in theMonti Lessini chain in the province ofVerona, has an explored depth of 985 m (3,232 ft), being the deepest cave in Italy. Fossil deposits are also abundant there.
ThePo Valley, covering 57% of Veneto, extends from themountains to theAdriatic sea, broken only by some low hills:Euganean Hills,Berici Hills,Colli Asolani andMontello, which constitute the remaining 14% of the territory. The plain itself is subdivided into the higher plain (gravel-strewn and not very fertile) and the lower plain (rich in water sources and arable terrain). The lower plain is both a mainstay ofagricultural production and the most populated part of the region.
Several rivers flow through the region: thePo,Adige,Brenta,Bacchiglione,Livenza,Piave, andTagliamento. The eastern shore of the largest lake in Italy,Lake Garda, belongs to Veneto. The coastline covers approximately 200 km (120 mi), of which 100 km (62 mi) are beaches.
The coasts of theAdriatic Sea are characterised by theVenetian Lagoon, a flat terrain with ponds,marshes and islands. ThePo Delta to the south features sandbars and dunes along the coastline. The inland portion contains cultivable land recently reclaimed by a system ofcanals anddykes.Fish ponds have been created there as well. The delta and the lagoon are a stopping-point formigratory birds.
The climate changes significantly from one area to another: while it is continental on the plains, it is milder along the Adriatic coast; around theLake Garda and in the hilly areas. The lowlands are often covered by thick fog, in winter; precipitations that are scarce – 750 mm per year – close to theriver Po, but are more abundant – from 750 to 1100 mm per year – at higher altitudes; the highest values – up to 3200 mm per year – are recorded in the Bellunese Prealps, nearMount Pasubio and on theAsiago plateau.
Veneto is asemi-presidentialrepresentative democracy. ThePresident of Veneto, colloquially nicknamed Governor or evenDoge in remembrance of Venice's traditional head of state, is also the head of theRegional Government.Legislative power is exerted by theRegional Council, the local parliament. TheStatute (i.e. the law establishing and regulating the regional institution, which was first promulgated on 22 May 1971), uses the term "people" for Venetians, but, like in the case ofSardinians, this is not a legal recognition of any differences from other Italian citizens. Moreover, the region is not granted a form of autonomy comparable to that of neighbouringFriuli-Venezia Giulia andTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.[26] This is the reason why many municipalities have held referendums in order to be united to these regions.
According toRobert D. Putnam, the "institutional performance" of Veneto's regional government is higher than average in Italy and Veneto belongs to the "civic North".[27]
Venetian Independence and other alike groups have been long proposing a referendum on the independence of Veneto fromItaly. After theRegional Council approved a resolution on self-determination (with an explicit reference to a referendum) in November 2012,[29][30] a referendum bill was proposed in April 2013.[31]
Plebiscite 2013 organised anonline referendum, with no official recognition, for 16–21 March 2014.[32][33][34] According to organisers, turnout was 63.2% (2.36 million voters) and 89.1% of participants (56.6 of all eligible voters) voted yes.[35][36] Several news sources, however, contested these results, saying that participants were at most 135,000 (3.6% of eligible voters) based on public independent web traffic statistics.[37][38][39]
On 22 October 2017 an officialautonomy referendum took place in Veneto: 57.2% of Venetians participated and 98.1% voted "yes".
Veneto is divided into theMetropolitan City of Venice and 6 provinces and also divided in 560 municipalities.[25][40] Of the seven provinces of the region, theProvince of Padua is the most populous and has the greatest density, with 422.8 persons per km2, reaching 2,232.5 in the city ofPadua. In contrast the capital city, Venice, has a moderate density of 599.8.[40] The least populated and densely populated isBelluno (54.7), which is the largest in area and the most mountainous.
Veneto has about 4,851,851 inhabitants as of 2025, ranking it as the 5th most populated region in Italy. Veneto is also the 5th most densely populated region at 264.5 inhabitants per km2. This is particularly true in the provinces ofPadua,Venice andTreviso, where the inhabitants per km2 are above 300.Belluno is the least densely populated province, with 54.7 inhabitants per km2. 49.3% of the population are male and 50.7% are female. Minors make up 14.7% of the population, and seniors make up 24.9%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.[2]
Like the other regions ofNorthern Italy andCentral Italy, though with a certain time lag, Veneto has been experiencing a phase of very slow population growth caused by the dramatic fall in fertility. The overall population has so far been increasing – though only slightly – due to the net immigration started at the end of the 1980s, after more than 20 years of massive exodus from the poorer areas of the region.
Nearly 3 million Venetians left their country between 1861 and 1961 to escape poverty.[43] Many emigrated toBrazil andArgentina. AfterWorld War II, they moved to other European countries. In 2008, there were 260,849 Venetian citizens living outside of Italy (5.4% of the region's population), the largest number was found in Brazil, with 57,052 Venetians, followed bySwitzerland, with 38,320, andArgentina, with 31,823. There are several million people of Venetian descent around the world, particularly in Brazil, in the states ofRio Grande do Sul,Santa Catarina andParaná. Local names inSouthern Brazil such as Nova Schio,Nova Bassano,Nova Bréscia, Nova Treviso,Nova Veneza, Nova Pádua and Monteberico indicate the Venetian origin of their inhabitants.[44] In recent years, people of Venetian descent from Brazil and Argentina have been migrating to Italy.[45]
Due to the impressiveeconomic growth of the last two decades, Veneto has turned into a land of immigration and has been attracting more and more immigrants since the 1990s.
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 655,026, equal to 13.5% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areRomanians (94,962),Moldovans (58,275),Moroccans (57,737),Albanians (48,013) andChinese (27,603).[14]
In 2004, over 95% of the population claimed to beRoman Catholic. The region of Veneto along with the regions of Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol form the ecclesiastical region of Triveneto under thePatriarchate of Venice. The Patriarchate of Venice is an archdiocese andmetropolitan see of an ecclesiastical region which includes suffragan episcopal sees of Adria-Rovigo, Belluno-Feltre, Chioggia, Concordia-Pordenone, Padua, Treviso, Verona, Vicenza, andVittorio Veneto.[49]
During the 20th century the patriarchs were usually appointedcardinal, and three cardinal patriarchs,Giuseppe Sarto,Angelo Roncalli, andAlbino Luciani, were elected pope: Pius X, John XXIII, and John Paul I, respectively. ThePatriarchate of Venice claimsSt. Mark the Evangelist as its patron. The same saint, symbolised by a winged lion, had become the typical symbol of the Venetian Republic and is still represented on many civic symbols.
Under Austrian rule, Veneto's agriculturally-based economy suffered, which later led to mass emigration. But, since the 1970s it has seen impressive development, thanks to the so-called "Veneto development model" that is characterised by strongexport-oriented entrepreneurship in traditionaleconomic sectors (€64.47 billion of exports in 2019[50]) and close social cohesion[51] – making it actually the third richest region in terms of total GDP (€166.4 billion) afterLombardy andLazio.[52][53]
Geography and historical events have determined the present social and economic structure of the region, centred on a broad belt running from east to west. The plain and the Alpine foothills are the most developed areas in contrast to thePo delta and the mountainous areas, with the exception of the surroundings ofBelluno. This is why theAlps and the province ofRovigo are suffering more than other areas, from a trend of declining andageing population.
Glera grapes on the vine in theProsecco zone, pre-veraison
Though its importance has been decreasing for the past 20–30 years, agriculture continues to play a significant role in the regional economy. Theagricultural sector of Veneto is among the most productive in Italy. However, it is still characterised by an intensive use of labour rather than capital, due to the specialisation inmarket gardening, fruit-growing and vine-growing throughout the plain and the foothills, requiring very much handicraft. In the south and in the extreme east of the region,grain crops are more common and land holdings are larger than in the rest of the region; mechanisation is more advanced here. The cattle stock, although declining, still represented 15% of the national stock.[54]Fishing is also still important in coastal areas.
The main agricultural products includemaize,green peas, vegetables, apples, cherries,sugar beets, forage, tobacco, hemp. Moreover, Veneto is one of Italy's most important wine-growing areas, producingwines, such asProsecco,Valpolicella, andSoave. Overall, Veneto produces more bottles ofDOC wine than any other area in Italy. TheAmarone della Valpolicella, a wine from the hills around Verona, is made with high-selected grapes and is among the more expensive red wines in the world.
In the last 30–40 years industrialisation transformed the appearance of the landscape, especially in the plains.
The regionalindustry is especially made of small and medium-sized businesses, which are active in several sectors: food products, wood and furniture, leather and footwear, textiles and clothing, gold jewelry, but also chemistry, metal-mechanics and electronics. This has led to the establishment of a strongly export-orientated system of industries.
Typical of Veneto is the partition of the territory into industrial districts, which means that each area tends to specialise in a specific sector. The province of Venice hosts large metallurgical and chemical plants inMarghera andMestre, but is also specialised in glass handicraft (Murano).The province of Belluno hosts the so-called eyeglasses district, being the largest world manufacturerLuxottica a firm domiciled at Agordo. Other important firms areSafilo, De Rigo, Marcolin.
During the last 20 years, a large number of Venetian companies relocated their plants (especially the most dangerous and polluting productions) inEastern Europe, especiallyRomania. The Romanian city ofTimișoara is also called "the newest Venetian province".[55]
Although being a heavily industrialised region, tourism is one of its main economic resources; one-fifth of Italy's foreign tourism gravitates towards Veneto, which is the first region in Italy in terms of tourist presence, attracting over 60 million visitors every year, second afterEmilia-Romagna in terms of hotel industry structures; the business volume of tourism in Veneto is estimated to be in the vicinity of 12 billion Euros.[56]
Veneto has many small and picturesque villages, 11 of them have been selected byI Borghi più belli d'Italia (English:The most beautiful Villages of Italy),[57] a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest,[58] that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.[59] These villages are:[60]
The unemployment rate stood at 5.8% in 2020 and was lower than the national average.[62] However, Veneto was along with Liguria the only northern region where the unemployment rate increased between 2017 and 2018.[63][64]
The Middle Ages stimulated the creation of monumental works such as the complex of churches on the island ofTorcello, in the Venetian lagoon, with theCathedral of Santa Maria Assunta founded in 639, its bell tower erected in the 11th century and the adjacentMartyrium of Santa Fosca built around the 1100, notable for the mosaics.They saw the construction of theBasilica of San Zeno Maggiore inVerona, which was Veneto's main centre for that esthetic movement and we note, by the mixture of styles that Verona was an important crossroads to the north ofEurope.Examples ofGothic art, in addition to the Venetian church ofSanta Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and that of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, are theScaliger Tombs in the historical centre ofVerona.
While in VenetoByzantine art was important, an element of innovation was brought to Padua byGiotto, bearer of a new pictorial tradition: that of Tuscany. Towards the 1302 he was commissioned byEnrico Scrovegni to paint the family chapel, now known just by the name ofScrovegni Chapel, one of the most important artistic monuments ofPadua and Veneto. The influences of the contribution of Giotto were felt immediately, as in the frescoes ofGiusto de' Menabuoi in theBaptistry near theCathedral of Padua and those ofAltichiero in theBasilica of Saint Anthony.
In the first phase with Carpaccio and Bellini, the influences of international painting were still evident and the references toFlemish art were numerous. Artists of the successive phase includedGiorgione,Titian,Sebastiano del Piombo andLorenzo Lotto. Giorgione and Titian developed an original and innovative style, which characterised the painters of theVenetian school rather than other traditions. Giorgione's enigmatic style infused his work with allegory, and he created his paintings with less reliance on a preparatory drawing than previous painters. This innovation was looking for the imitation of natural phenomena by creating atmospheres with the colours and shifting the emphasis from the pursuit of artistic perfection.The storm (1506–1508), now in theAccademia in Venice, is an example of this use of colour, where the mixture colour and texture continue indefinitely without preparatory drawing for the painting work gives a special atmosphere.
Titian, born in BellunoPieve di Cadore, brought forward the use of this technique without pictorial design, creating masterpieces such as theAssumption of the Virgin (1516–1518),[65] analtar made by imposing visible sizes on the main altar of the Basilica ofSanta Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, a work whose suggestion is due to the use of colour. At the end of his long life, he had acquired fame and commissions across the continent.
Tintoretto (1518–1594) recast Roman Mannerism in a Venetian style, less linear, and with more use of colour to distinguish forms, highlighting the bright prospects for its operations, giving unusual deformations of perspective, to increase the sense of tension in the work.[66] His studio was prolific. Palaces and churches of Venice abound with his paintings. TheScuola Grande di San Rocco alone sports 66 paintings by this painter. TheSan Giorgio Maggiore houses a huge canvas by him depicting theLast Supper.
Paolo Veronese (1528–1588) was about as prolific as Tintoretto, with works that celebrated the Venetian state,[67] as well as decorating houses of Venetian nobles. He decorated large portions of thePalazzo Ducale and the decoration of many villasPalladian, includingVilla Barbaro.
Jacopo Bassano (1517–1592) andLorenzo Lotto were active in the mainland, and reflected some of the influences ofMilanese painters with the introduction of images taken from real life, enriched by a touch of drama.
In architecture,Andrea Palladio (1508–1580), born inPadua, completed some highly influential works, includingVillas in the mainland, inVicenza,Padua andTreviso. In Venice, he designed theBasilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, theIl Redentore, andZitelle on the island ofGiudecca. Palladian Villa architecture, in masterpieces such asVilla Emo,Villa Barbaro,Villa Capra, andVilla Foscari, evoked the imagined grandeur of antique classical Roman villas. This aesthetic, through his publications, proved popular and underwent a revival in theneoclassical period. In his villas, the owner shall permit the control over production activities of the surrounding countryside by structuring the functional parts, such asporch, close to the central body. In the case of Villa Badoer, the open barn, formed by a large circular colonnade, enclosing the front yard in front of the villa allows you to create a space that recalls the ancient idea of theForum Romanum, and bringing all campaign activities to gravitate in front of the villa itself.
The research style of Palladio has created an architectural movement calledPalladianism, which has had strong following in the next three centuries, inspiring architects, some of them his direct students, includingVincenzo Scamozzi, after the death of the teacher who completed several works, including the firstTeatro Olimpico inVicenza.
Another peculiar feature of Venetian art islandscape painting, which sees inCanaletto (1697–1768) andFrancesco Guardi (1712–1793) the two leading figures. Canaletto's rigorous perspective studies make for an almost "photographic" reality, in contrast to Guardi's more subjectivecapriccios.
Among the many artists which were important in modern ages wereGuglielmo Ciardi, who incorporated the experience ofmacchiaioli movement, uniting the typical colour of the classic Venetian school, and yet bringing out from his paintings a chromatic essence,Giacomo Favretto, who too as Ciardi, enhanced the colour, which was sometimes very pronounced, painterFrederick Zandomeneghi, who deviates from the tradition of Venetian colouring to venture in a style similar to French impressionism, and finallyLuigi Nono, whose works feel realistic, even if, in addition to painting genre scenes, includes portraits of finity for psychological enhancement.
Veneto hosts one of the oldest universities in the world, theUniversity of Padua, founded in 1222.OECD investigations[71] show that school education achievements in North-Eastern Italy (whose population comes mainly from Veneto) are the highest in Italy. In 2003 the university had approximately 65,000 students.
Areas of influence of Venetian (over Lombard and overLadin)
Most of the people of Veneto speakItalian, along with widespread usage of local varieties of theVenetian language. Within Venetian there are distinct sub-groups centered on the major cities, and distinctions are also found between rural and urban dialects and those spoken in northern mountainous areas and on the plain.[72]
Venetian dialects are classified asWestern Romance. Linguists identify five major types of Venetian: an Eastern or Coastal (Venice) group, a Central (Padua, Vicenza, Polesine) group, a Western (Verona) group, a North-Central (Treviso) group, and a Northern (Belluno, Feltre, Agordo, Cadore,Zoldo Alto) group of dialects. All dialects are mutually intelligible to varying degrees, are descended fromVulgar Latin and influenced to varying degrees by Italian. Venetian is first attested as a written language in the 13th century. It is also spoken outside of Veneto, such as inFriuli-Venezia Giulia (including in Trieste, seeTriestine dialect), Istria in Croatia and Slovenia and Dalmatia in Croatia,Brazil (Talian dialect) andMexico (Chipilo Venetian dialect).
The language of Venice enjoyed substantial prestige in the days of theVenetian Republic, when it attained the status of alingua franca in theMediterranean. Notable Venetian-language authors include the playwrightsCarlo Goldoni (1707–1793) andCarlo Gozzi (1720–1806), whileRuzante (1502–1542) is best known for his rustic comedies "cast in mainland peasantPavan 'Paduan'".[73]
As the region does not enjoy a special status of autonomy,minority languages are not granted any form of official recognition. A motion to recognise Venetian as an officialregional language has been approved by theregional Parliament.[74]
Venetian literature, referring to works written in the Venetian language, experienced an initial period of splendour in the 16th century with the success of artists such asRuzante. It then reached its zenith in the 18th century, thanks especially to dramatistCarlo Goldoni. Subsequently, literary production in Venetian declined, following thecollapse of the Republic of Venice. Nevertheless, during the 20th century there was a literary revival featuring lyrical poets such asBiagio Marin of Grado.
Cuisine is an important part of the culture of Veneto, and the region is home to some of the most recognisable dishes, desserts and wines in Italian, European and worldwide cuisine.
Prosecco is a drysparkling wine.[75][76] It is made from the glera grape, a white grape formerly known as Prosecco,[77] which is traditionally grown in an area nearConegliano andValdobbiadene, in the hills north ofTreviso.[75] The name ofProsecco is derived from the northern Italian village of Prosecco (Trieste), where this grape variety is believed to have originated.[76][78]
Spritz, in the Venetian language also called "spriss" or "spriseto" depending on the area, usually consists of equal parts of sparkling wine,Aperol and sparkling water. Campari may also be used instead of Aperol.
Thesopressa vicentina (PDO) is an aged salami, cylindrical in shape and prepared with raw, quality pork meat. It may or may not includegarlic in its ingredients and comes in medium and large sizes.Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo (PDO) is obtained from the freshmeat of a top breed of adult hogs. The aroma is delicate, sweet and fragrant.
TheCarnival of Venice tradition is most famous for its distinctive masks.
Each town, often every quarter, has itspatron saint whosefeast day is solemnly celebrated. Many other festivals are closely linked to the religious calendar. Among these:
Rovigo, chiesa della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, namedLa Rotonda, 27 september 2022: Giuliano Carella conducted the orchestraI Solisti Veneti inLa tromba, regina degli ottoni (The trumpet, queen of the brass).
Veneto, and in particularVenice andVerona, are important Italian musical centres, home to a vibrant musical life.
The city of Venice in Italy has played an important role in the development of themusic of Italy. The Venetian state—i.e. the medieval Maritime Republic of Venice—was often popularly called the "Republic of Music", and an anonymous Frenchman of the 17th century is said to have remarked that "In every home, someone is playing a musical instrument or singing. There is music everywhere."[82]
InPadova, musical ensembles such as theAmici della Musica di Padova, theSolisti Veneti and the Padova-Veneto Symphony are found. Concerts are often held in the historicLoggia Comaro, built in 1524. As well, the city is the site of the Teatro delle Maddalene, the Teatro delle Grazie, the Giuseppe Verdi Theater, and theCesare Pollini music conservatory.
The city ofVerona is the site of the Roman amphitheater known as the "Arena" which has been hosting musical events since the 16th century, but more recently the spectacular outdoor staging ofVerdi'sAida, an event staged for the first time in 1913. The city also has the Felice Evaristo Dall'Abaco music conservatory;
Teatro La Fenice is the main opera house ofVenice. Repeatedly destroyed by fire and later rebuilt, it is home to an important opera season and to the International Festival of contemporary music. Teatro La Fenice in Venice was designed in 1790 byGian Antonio Selva for the society of the Venetian artistocracy, and the Venetian Theatre was built rapidly despite the many controversies about its location and its rational structure and neoclassical style.
Teatro Malibran is a Venetian theatre. In the 17th and 18th centuries it bore the name of Theater St. John Chrysostom.
Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni" corresponds to the ancient Teatro Vendramin, also known as San Salvador or San Luke, and was opened in 1622. The Teatro Carlo Goldoni is located in the vicinity of theRialto bridge, in the historical centre ofVenice. It is a film set, with rooms structured in four tiers of boxes, stalls and galleries. With a total of 800 seats, the stage is off 12 Underground and 11.20 deep and isframed iniron. The Teatro Goldoni season hosts Prose organised by the Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni", the review of Children's Theatre, opera, concerts, ballets and other events in the concession.
Teatro Verdi (Padua) is the main theatre inPadua. Commissioned by a society formed specifically for the purpose of establishing a major theatre in the city, it was built by the Paduan architectGiovanni Gloria (c. 1684–1753) to designs by Antonio Cugini (1677–1765), an architect fromReggio Emilia. It opened in 1751, and was known as theTeatro Nuovo until 1884. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 1847, 1884 and 1920. Currently the Teatro Verdi is the operational headquarters of the Teatro Stabile del Veneto.
Teatro Olimpico is a theatre designed by the Renaissance architectAndrea Palladio in 1580 and located inVicenza. It is generally considered the first example of a modern indoor theatre set. The realisation of the theatre, in a pre-existing medieval complex, was commissioned by the Olympic Palladio for the staging of classical plays. Its construction began in 1580 and was inaugurated on 3 March 1585, after the realisation of the stationery scenes ofVincenzo Scamozzi. These wooden structures are the only of the Renaissance to be extant, however, they are still excellent condition. The theatre is still the seat of performances and concerts and has been included in 1994 in the list of World Heritage Sites' sUNESCO, as other works by Palladio toVicenza.
Roman Theatre of Verona is Verona's main arena, located in the northern part of the city at the foot of Colle San Pietro. Thistheatre was built at the end ofBC, a period in whichVerona has seen from the monumental St. Peter of the hill. Before, it was built between the Stone Bridge and Gates of the embankments, which were built on Tyrol parallel to the theatre itself, in order to defend against the possible flooding of river. It is considered the largest Roman theatre in the north ofItaly. Today it is used for theatrical and operatic productions during the summer.
Marostica: The 'Chess Game' is the most important event of the town, taking place on the second weekend of September, involves over 550 participants and lasts two hours.
Asolo is known as 'The Pearl ofprovince of Treviso', and also as 'The City of a Hundred Horizons'.
Arquà Petrarca: this village on the Euganean hills features the tomb and house ofFrancesco Petrarca, one of the most important Italian poets of the 14th century.
Inserted byUNESCO in 1997. It is the world's oldest academicbotanical garden that is still in its original location. (Officially, the oldest university botanical garden is theOrto botanico di Pisa, which was founded in 1544; however, that garden was relocated twice and has only occupied its current, and now-permanent, location since 1591.) It is located inPadua,Italy and was founded in 1545. The garden, affiliated with theUniversity of Padua, currently covers roughly 22,000 square metres (240,000 square feet) and has special collections.
Verona was inscribed in the year 2000. One of the seven provincial capitals in the region. It is one of the main tourist destinations in north-eastern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows andoperas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans.
The city and its lagoon were inscribed in 1987. With a population of 271,367 (census estimate 1 January 2004). Together withPadua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000). The city historically was the capital of an independentnation. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of theAdriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", "City of Canals" and "The City of Light".Luigi Barzini, writing inThe New York Times, described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man".[86] Venice has also been described by theTimes Online as being one of Europe's most romantic cities.[87]
They were inscribed in 2009. They are located for the most part in the province ofBelluno, the rest inSouth Tyrol andTrentino (all in north-easternItaly). Conventionally they extend from theAdigeriver in the west to thePiave valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by thePuster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). But the Dolomites spread also over the Piave river (Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave) to the east; and far away over the Adige river to the west is theBrenta Group (Western Dolomites); there is also another smaller group calledPiccole Dolomiti (Small Dolomites) located between the Provinces of Trento andVicenza (see the map).
Vicenza and thePalladian Villas of Veneto are a number ofPalladian villas which areWorld Heritage Sites. UNESCO inscribed the site on theWorld Heritage List in 1994.[89] At first the site was called "Vicenza, City of Palladio" and only buildings in the immediate area ofVicenza were included. Various types of buildings were represented including theTeatro Olimpico,palazzi and a fewvillas. Most of Palladio's surviving villas lay outside the site. However, in 1996 the number ofPalladian villas included in the site was expanded to include those in other parts of Veneto. The site was given its present name.
The term villa was used to describe a country house. Often rich families in Veneto also had a house in town called a palazzo. In most cases the owners named their palazzi and villas with the family surname, hence there is both aPalazzo Chiericati in Vicenza and aVilla Chiericati in the countryside, similarly there is aPalazzo Foscari inVenice and aVilla Foscari in the countryside. Somewhat confusingly there are multipleVillas Pisani, including two by Palladio.
There are these sorts of villas all over the Venetian plain, but especially in the provinces ofTreviso,Padua,Vicenza andVenice. The date of construction of these villas ranges from the 15th to the 19th century. There are approximately five thousand Ville Venete, of which 1,400 are declared of historical and monumental interest.
Apart from the numerous Palladian villas, of which 24 are protected byUNESCO, there are many villas spread across Veneto, mainly from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Many of them are museums, public institutions or private residences.The 24 Palladian villas which are part ofUNESCO:
Cortina d'Ampezzo is situated in the province of Belluno and is one of the most exclusive mountain locations in Europe together with Kitzbühel in Austria andSt. Moritz in Switzerland. It was scene ofthe 1956 Winter Olympics and will host once again in2026 alongsideMilan. To the north there are theTre Cime di Lavaredo, said to be a symbol of the ItalianDolomites.
Jesolo is one of the most importantseaside resorts on the Adriatic coast, just a few kilometres far fromVenice. Every year Jesolo gives accommodation to over 4.5 million tourists.
^Claudio Azzara,Venetiae: Determinazione di in' area regionale fra antichita e alto antichità e alto medioevo, (Edizioni Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche: Treviso, 2002), 22-24.
^Claudio Azzara,Venetiae: Determinazione di in' area regionale fra antichita e alto antichità e alto medioevo, (Edizioni Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche: Treviso, 2002), 31-35.
^Davis, R. H. C. (1957).A History of Medieval Europe. p.332 et seq.
^Ettore Beggiato,1809: l'insorgenza veneta – La lotta contro Napoleone nella Terra di san Marco, Il Cerchio, 2009
^"Neo-Classical",The Dictionary of Art: volume XXII, ed. Jane Turner, in thirty-four volumes, 1996. Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1998. Print.
^Jean Martineau & Andrew Robinson,The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century. Yale University Press, 1994. Print.
^Oecd-Pisa 2005, Il livello di competenza dei quindicenni italiani in matematica, lettura, scienze e problem solving – Prima sintesi dei risultati di Pisa 2003, pag.7, also available onwww.invalsi.itArchived 2007-08-13 at theWayback Machine
^Payne, Elinor (2005). "Rises and rise-plateau-slumps in Trevigiano".Cambridge Occasional Papers in Linguistics.2:173–86.
^Tuttle, Edward F. (1997). "The Veneto". In Maiden, Martin; Parry, Mair (eds.).The Dialects of Italy. London and New York: Routledge. p. 263.
Butterfield, Andrew (26 April 2007)."Brush with Genius".New York Review of Books.54 (7). Archived fromthe original on 16 April 2007. Retrieved18 April 2007.
Carlo Ridolfi, La Vita di Giacopo Robusti (A Life of Tintoretto) 1642
Rosand, David (1997).Painting in sixteenth-century Venice : Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto (Revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-56286-4.OCLC35990372.
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