If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men’s cottages princes’ palaces.

(The Merchant of Venice)

For many who have been hypnotized by the haunting beauty of Venice, the lagoon of romance recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the titles “City of Water,” “City of Canals,” “City of Bridges,” “City of Masks,” “Floating City,” and “La Serenissima” lift this ancient wonder from its peaceful waters, once delicately protected by an oligarchic and liberal republic, and honors the diplomacy, justice, and prosperity it had always been known for….