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In 828 AD, Venetian merchants smuggled the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist out of Alexandria, hiding them beneath layers of pork to evade Muslim customs inspectors. The basilica was constructed to enshrine these relics, and today, his remains rest beneath the high altar. 

The Doge’s Palace wasn’t just the residence of Venice’s ruler—it also housed courtrooms, council chambers, and a prison. The infamous Bridge of Sighs connects the palace to the prison, named for the sighs of prisoners glimpsing Venice one last time before incarceration.

To protect the secrets of glassmaking, the Venetian Republic relocated all glass furnaces to Murano in 1291. Glassmakers were granted privileges like immunity from prosecution but were prohibited from leaving the Republic.