If you approach Venice by way of the lagoon, the city appears to be as homogenous as a single building. But as soon as you step into its shadowy alleys, you will be captivated by the architectural finesse of the palazzi, churches, and private residential palaces where the eye is drawn to the dazzling stylistic variety of Moorish window arches adjacent to balconies in Venetian Gothic and severe Renaissance facades. This classic volume offers detailed insight into the broad spectrum of architecture, sculpture, and painting of the city on the lagoon. The authors chronologically progress through the stages of Venetian art history from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries. More than 650 illustrations document the eventful artistic developmentof this exceptional city, whose monuments have been largely preserved until today.

Giandomenico Romanelli is Director of the Museums of the City of Venice. In this volume, with the assistance of art historians from Europe and the United States he presents not only the extraordinary richness of Venetian art, but also the latest research about Venice and delivers an impressive explanation of why the art of the famous city of canals continues to generate so much enthusiasm.