The Republic of Venice dominated the eastern Mediterranean, with influences extending to the western Mediterranean and as far as England, Bruges in Belgium, and Germany. It was a model for trade (the true soul of Venice), diplomacy (the Republic’s legendary cunning), politics (the Republic’s celebrated stability and its libertarian, proto-democratic regime), military (mastery of the seas), manufacturing (the ships of the Arsenal, glass, and ropes), industry, art, and culture.
