As posted in Goodreads
Oh gosh. According Goodreads, I started reading the book in 2014 and finished in 2016. Haha. What can I say, I wasn't so much inclined towards history books at that time. I guess the details and the many characters within is quite overwhelming for me. But I have to thank the Romans for igniting in me love for historical books!
So I was lucky enough, that on my second trip to this city, I get to spend a whole day all by myself. I think I've written and re-written this in so many different blog posts/writing, but it was on a very fine spring day, dew falling from the leaves, birds chirping, fresh wind blowing, and you get to get lost in the small streets next to the small canals, passing the bridges, dropping by a supermarket to get some cheese, see university kids going to school, a simple pleasure to just walking around the city. Gosh that time was so lovely.
Anyways, as one of the city I've enjoyed traveling the most, I felt obliged and well, simply curious, to know more about it. The book was a good gateway towards it. It tells about the history of the city as an independent republic especially through the eyes of its many interesting characters. It's such a fun thing that when I get the chance to go again to the city, I was able to pinpoint towards the Bridge of Spies (Ponte dei Sospiri) 'Hey, you see that tiny window on the enclosed bridge? That's where convicts were taken down to their cell, and they got this one last chance to see the beautiful city. Cruel, eh?'. Or passing by Piazza san Marco and pointed out, where traitors of the city were hanged. Or simply understanding that the massive Doge's palace interior used to be filled by people from the government, running this expansive city. Or, having known the history, sat down to contemplate how time has passed, and the once so called great republic is now a city simply for tourists (really. I went another time with my husband, and we stayed a little late in the city and saw most workers in the city head back to the mainland. It seems mostly only tourists stayed).
See, now I'm just reminiscing my memories there!
Back to the book! After I started to finish the book earlier this year, I was easily engrossed in it, by how prostitutes lived and make a living there, of the conflict between competing countries around Venice and how a Venetian princess had to be married of to Cyprus and later on identified herself more as a Cpyress rather than Venetian and how life became so difficult for her because people tried to take advantage or on the contrary closed her access to any luxury of life so people can take away Cyprus from her, how the minorities lived in the city, ah, so interesting and full of exciting details! It is in fact a very readable history book, and surely helps to enjoy your trip to Venice or simply just to know the history of this once great city!
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