Venice stands as a city like no other. Merchants, artists, saints and architects, couples seeking a romantic escape - no matter the person, all will tell you there is something about Venice that captivates. "Each time I return, I have the sensation of being enveloped by something old, something real, something lasting. There’s an eternal feeling about the city even as it crumbles into the sea," says Julianne Davidow, a writer and photographer. Ever since she was a child and discovered the city in a book, it has called her. Now she brings Venice to us through her work.

Davidow writes, "During the time when Venice was an independent republic, Venetians of all classes identified strongly with their city, believing that it was a place chosen by God and that they were the chosen people." The city of Venice was once an independently run state which was known as La Serenissima, "The Most Serene Republic." The first Doge, or head of state, was elected

in 697. Venice is comprised of numerous small islands but the election of the Doge unified them as an independent republic. The symbol of Venice is the winged lion holding a book which is the symbol of St. Mark, who is patron saint of the city. Legend has it that a mystical bond was established between St. Mark and Venice when he stopped there while evangelizing in Italy. He had a dream in which an angel came and spoke the words that are now written on the pages of the book held by the winged lion: "Peace to you Mark, my Evangelist." The angel also told him that his body would eventually rest there. And according to legend, his remains were brought to Venice from Moslem-controlled Alexandria in 827 or 828.

By 1000, Venice was the gateway to Europe from the east. It grew as one of the most important ports in the world, and the wealth of the city soared.During the Renaissance, Venetian humanists studied Greek and Roman philosophy and mathematics, including the principles outlined by Pythagoras. They constructed buildings based on an ideology of balance and proportion. Buildings were intended to evoke a harmonious feeling and a connection with the Divine. Beauty was connected with harmony, and harmony was expressed through mathematical principals.

The architecture in Venice influences you on a subliminal or subconscious level. During the Renaissance,

Archangel Gabriel Attributed to Bartolomeo Bon Palasso Ducale

Santa Maria Maggiore Designed by Andrea Palladio

Venetians were trying to recreate what they perceived as the Golden Age of the Ancients. The buildings evoke a Renaissance moment but also portray an era beyond. The structures were further embellished with Mannerist and Baroque flourishes, making layer upon layer of history.

For more information go to www.juliannedavidow.com

Palazzo Grimani
Designed by Michele Sanmicheli

Porta della Carta from the Palazzo Ducale
By Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon