Open my heart and you will see, graved inside of it, "Italy."
--Robert Browning
Venice is one of the few cities in the world that can be truly described as simply stunning and completely unique. Over an extraordinarily long period, the city was embellished with monuments of rare splendor that today make it a tourist attraction like none other in the entire world. The city historically was the capital of the Venetian Republic. Venice has been tagged with many names as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Also known as a magnetic point for sweethearts, lovers, artists and poets, Venice is a magic city, which stretches across numerous small islands. It is often referred to as the city of "gondole", which are the means of transportation used to cross the numerous canals passing through the city. Gondolas, in fact, are the most famous and romantic means of transportation for experiencing the city.