Happy Birthday, Venice!

This year, the lagoon city turns 1600 years

Although no records exist documenting the actual founding of the beautiful city of Venice, tradition pinpoints the moment to exactly 12 noon on March 25^th, 421 AD. Or to put it another way, the moment that the first church of Venice, the Church of San Giacomo, was dedicated on the tiny islet of Rialto.

In fact, refugees fleeing from the Germans and Huns had been living on the lagoon islands for years before this point, making a living as fishermen or harvesting salt to trade. But Venetians celebrate the date as the birthday of Venice, a day known locally as the Natale di Venezia (Christmas in Italian).