Starting october fifteenth on w and online climate change. Pollution. Isnt it time for good news. At africa people and projects that are changing environment for the better its up to us to make a difference lets check. The. Farming magazine. Long d. W. Vinnies in venice the magical name of a magical city the city of a thousand bridges and canals. The city of carnivals and honeymoons known for centuries as. The most serene. The riches of the world will grow. In here on the way out to bridge and behind the facades of the promises the most glittering parties in europe took place. But the splendid sophistication of the Nation Society was only one aspect of this watery metropolis behind the carnival masks lies a history of plundering which goes right back to the origins of the city. Its history begins with a forced exodus in the fifth century many romans fled to the north away from the invading huns they were driven as far as the adriatic islands where they finally found shelter in the good venice. The venetians were quick to use their position on the coast donors and larger boats were built a Merchant Navy developed and soon the venetians were boat enough to sail as far as the orient their trade routes later extended further to the north and west with expeditions reaching the Canary Islands and senegal the most famous explorer was marco polo who set off in the thirteenth century on his journey to china. New markets opened up and venice increasingly became the center of european trade deals were struck on the re out o. In front of the church of santiago soon the fruit and vegetable sellers were joined by many other traders sold from venice is only a goon was for sale along with pepper from india first from russia and silks from the only and. The money changers and the goldsmiths had their shops in the arcades the nation artifacts found their way around the world. In the thirteenth century a small group of artists and began glassblowing on the island of murano their little workshops eventually developed into a large industry then it became a center for crafts one historian described it as the jewel case of the world but not all the beautiful things in venice were produced by the locals hard work what venice couldnt buy it could usually find a way of stealing. In seventeen ninety six napoleon visited st marks square on his first wondering way he already knew what he most wanted he. But horses of san marco and he also knew that nearly six hundred years before another man had taken those bones horses as the crowning piece of his own raid his name was and we go down below and his title the highest rank in Venice Bonaparte was just twenty seven when he marched into venice dandolo had been ninety five when he left and almost blind and been found. I. Wonder who had made many promises to the people of venice in the church of san marcos he promised in the name of the cross to sail to the holy land and join the french there in fighting the infidels but the crusade became a simple rating trick on the way to jerusalem dandolo changed course turning his troops north towards the center of the by slanting empire he was moving in on his new target constantinople the modern day istanbul. The decisive battle came in twelve hundred four on the bosporus the citys defenses were strong but couldnt hold out long against the invaders what happened next has been described as an orgy of violence and pillage christians butchered christians the crusaders had defeated their own brothers in the faith from now on though when it really was what it had always seen itself as a true city similar and the most venerable of cities it had been a great power now it was a world power. But the triumphant reception of the victorious dog and his navy was not to be now almost one hundred years old dandolo had written his holes too fast full and broken his hip shortly afterwards he died. At least the spoils of his war has arrived safely in venice the valuable art treasures plundered by the crusader knights can now be see here in the church of some one. First century soldiers were sent into the war on the corner opposite the dozers palace the locals call them the full thieves and say they were turned into stone while trying to go to church. The inside of the church got its share of a hundred to the mosaics on the couple as were extended today moving full thousand square meters of the interior are covered with gleaming gold and sparing. The most precious of san marcos treasures is the door to the golden altar screen decorated with fine by santa enamel three and a half metres long and one and a half metres across the altar screen is of pure gold its clear the dunder those beauty wasnt the first stolen piece to adorn the doors church. In the ninth century to traders set out for alexandria just steal a bones of st mark from a sarcophagus the relics were smuggled past the muslim gods by being hidden in a bound book which they could not touch the soon as the relics of the apostle had arrived work began a church to house it was named after him san marcos. Before the age of the railway venice could only be reached by seen anyone coming in past the two columns would know whose territory he had entered the lion of st mark and sent theodore then it was only a patron stood not least for the republics determination to make short work of dissenters even dozes had to learn this and sometimes it was a painful lesson. You know fayyad was one such by around thirteen fifty he had already had to suffer several political setbacks and now he heard rumors that a young patrician was paying quote to his wife who was boasting about it to boot. Was. The air. I am. For yet wanted revenge but the nobility stuck together and the young gallant as good as got away with it started a conspiracy once and for all he would remove power from the out of stock receive his coup failed and fall yet took up a special place in the ancestral portrait gallery of the. It is the place of money no fiat who was beheaded for his crimes. On the same spot where a year before he had been admitted to office as. Now knows that office his dignity and his life since then the venetian saying has been there where the place between the columns. It was the middle of the fourteenth century for the our stock was it the start of a new era the rest of europe was still building fortresses but here people wanted to give a sign of the new times the new though shes jealous of the galley was to radiate lightness and an easy to dylans it was almost a symbol of the city on piles the up a story of the palace rested on columns just as the whole of venice was supported by wooden panels. An avenue of triumph was also built for the door leading to his official powers it leads from the company to the. The main hall to the palace. And ends at the schuyler de gigante the giant stone case which was named not for its size but for the two colossal statues by sun so we know miles and met you who stand for the venetian states dominance on land and on the high seas. This is the spot where the new daughters were sworn in and family as fate was to be a lesson to the italian poet who tried mockingly called the slaves decked out with honors because they have little power as a glance here at the kneeling door for scout suggests. The nobility of venice had succeeded in arranging matters to the liking and from now on they were mainly concerned with self aggrandizement they took over most of the south wing of the palazzo for their Great Council they had the walls and ceilings painted by the best artists in europe it was here that the Worlds Largest oil painting was created that was paradise but politics at the center of the nation power was anything but paradise as the saying went with any first then christians. Often even the powerful men of state didnt know dubious channels someone had been denounced it was an adult morning in july seventeenth fifty five when the republics inquisitors trapped the most famous victim a young writer was accused of treason he was none other than jack ahmed casanova who had long been rumored to be seducing young girls the sentence was five Years Imprisonment and the prison he was to be sent to was even then one of the worlds most notorious the lead cells of the ballots counted. Anyone who ended up behind these bans usually had little hope of regaining freedom and so the bridge leading to the sounds of really lived up to its name as the bridge of sighs but covered over was not to leave freedom behind forever when he crossed the bridge of sighs he succeeded in constructing a door with which he dug a hole through his cell wall his escape made him famous overnight and his bravado was applauded all over europe the venetian state that being humiliated. When the two groans moors run the bounce on the clock tower on the twelfth of may seventy ninety seven they were ringing in the end of the venetian republic napoleons troops were massed before the gates of the city the Great Council and the. New there was nothing to be done but to give up power gracefully and so the last step down. The republic of venice was dead but the myth of venice lives on to this day. Over two decades in the service of grave. Exploits special. We meet the band getting ready to. Sacrifice its people to. Figure out the secret to success. He risked everything for democracy. His reputation his career even his life. Days on one of the greatest statesmen of the finite republic. A committed democrat with right. Good stuff straight on the republican forty five minutes on the dole. Well. Are you ready. With news talk. Smart women. Talk with. Our station. W. Welcome to a special edition of paula banks bought today show is all about german techno superstars. Will be watching them while the crowds meeting up with frontman. And finding out the secret of