This city distinguished itself as the center of the financial world in the sixteenth century; foreigners, especially the English, imagined the city to be a place whose citizens would commit almost inconceivable crimes in the name of money.
Venice’s unusual history marked it for success as a center of trade. The city was founded in the fourth century C.E., during the decline of the Roman Empire. As wave after wave of eastern invaders ravaged the area, residents of what is today’s northwest corner of Italy made a bold move: they established a city on the marshes of the Adriatic Sea. In this location, both secluded and inhospitable, they rode out the chaos around them in relative peace.
The city’s maritime location practically forced its inhabitants to become expert seamen. Venice’s environs yielded only two usable commodities: salt and fish. The city had to trade for anything else that it needed, and trading meant sailing. Thus, as early as the eighth century, Venice had the most powerful fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. Its merchants plied waters from the Middle East to Spain, and its military vessels ably defended the merchants’ interests.
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