Venice in Decline: The Death of a Once-Great Republic

Venice—once a glittering jewel of power, wealth, and art—stands today as a hauntingly beautiful relic of a fallen empire. This talk unravels the dramatic decline of La Serenissima, tracing the forces that brought the mighty maritime republic to its knees: the collapse of trade dominance, the rise of rival empires, political inertia, and the city’s slow surrender to the sea. But Venice’s downfall wasn’t only written in politics and power—it was painted across its canvases and carved into its architecture. As the Republic withered, its art grew darker, more introspective, filled with decay and grandeur. Through the works of artists like Canaletto, Guardi, and Tiepolo, we witness a city both mourning its lost glory and clinging desperately to its image of splendor. This is not just a history—it’s a requiem for a civilization that once dazzled the world.