Industries.—The Venetians depend for their livelihood on boat traffic and home industries. Flat-bottomed boats, filled with vege tables and fruit, coming across the lagoons from the mainland, are among the many picturesque sights of Venice, and have been graphically described by D'Annunzio in Fuoco. The gondoliers still ply their trade, and can never be entirely replaced by the small motor-launches, but they feel the rough edge of competi tion in a mechanical age, even in the city of the lagoons.
The glass industries, both of household goods and artistic pro ductions, employ a number of artisans, who can earn up to 40 lire a day for the more skilled work. The various Murano fac tories have joined in a syndicate, and their work has greatly improved since more care is taken in the use of good models. The manufacture of coloured glass beads and mosaic work is also characteristic of Venice. Even more important are the worked iron and copper industries, and much carved furniture is made. The Venetian filigree jewellery, and long, fine gold chains are also attractive and beautifully made. The lace industry is carried on in Venice to a certain extent, but more especially in the lagoon towns of Burano and Torcello. A great deal has been done since the World War to revive home industries and introduce once more the fine old patterns.
Festivals.—Venice is still famous for her festivals. The chief events in her history have always been celebrated either by civic or religious functions. The 11th centenary of the "pious theft" of St. Mark's body from Alexandria was celebrated in the spring of 2928 with a procession round the Piazzetta and the Piazza of S. Marco, in which so bishops of Venetia and mitred Canons of San Marco, as well as other dignitaries of the Church, took part, robed in gorgeous vestments and recalling the pictures of Bellini and Carpaccio. The most characteristic feasts are the following: on Holy Thursday the Venetians used to celebrate their victory over Urico, the patriarch of Aquileia. He was forced to pay tribute of a bull and 12 pigs which were meant to represent the primate and the canons of the Chapter. Art and literature have immortalized the celebration of Ascension Day when the doge used to be rowed out to the lagoon by the Lido in his gala gondola, it Bucintoro, to perform the symbolic rite of throwing a ring into the waters, and espousing the Adriatic with these words : Ti sposiamo, o mare nostro, in segno di vero e perpettuo dominio. The ceremony originated from Ascension Day of the year A.D. moo, when Pietro Orseolo II. set sail from Venice to conquer Istria and Dalmatia.
Two eminently popular festivals of votive origin are still kept : the Feast of the Madonna della Salute and that of Il Redentore (The Redeemer), to whose patronage the Venetians believed they owed their deliverance from the plague in 1576 and in 163o, and in whose honour they built the Churches of the Salute and the Redentore. On the Feast of the Salute (Nov. I) the Venetians
take votive offerings to the church, and end the day with private banquets for which it is customary to procure Dalmatian mutton as the chief dish. The Feast of the Redentore is celebrated on the third Sunday of July with a characteristic vigil kept by the people singing as they row about in boats of every size and shape which are festooned with lights. At dawn they row out to the Lido in great numbers for the sunrise.
Museums, Galleries and Libraries.—Although Venice suf fered from enemy aircraft during the World War, none of her works of art were damaged. The following is a list of her mu seums, galleries and public libraries : The Doge's Palace, adjoining the Basilica of San Marco, with frescoed walls and ceilings, as well as easel-pictures by Titian, Tintoretto, Paul Veronese, etc. The names of the various halls Sala del Collegio, del Senato, del Consiglio dei Dieci, del Maggior Consiglio, etc., recall the days of the proud Republic.
11 Museo Archeologico occupies that part of the doge's palace where the doge used to have his apartment.
11 Museo Civico Correr, in the royal apartments, Piazza S. Marco, has valuable collections of pictures, armour, coins, maps, costumes of state, etc.
L'Accademia delle Belle Arti, on the Grand canal, contains a unique collection of masterpieces of the Venetian school.
La Galleria di Arte Modern, inaugurated in 1902, has an im portant collection of international works of art which have been purchased in greater part from the Biennial International Exhi bition of Modern Art. This was instituted in 1895 in honour of the silver wedding of King Humbert and Queen Margherita, and is held in the public gardens. Since the Fascist Government has made it a State institution, its importance has increased.
La Pinacoteca Comunale, in Palazzo Querini, once the residence of the patriarch of Venice, has a notable collection of pictures and prints.
The State Archives are kept in the Franciscan monastery ad joining the Frari. It contains the so-called Golden Book of the patricians and documents dating from the time of Charlemagne.
La Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, in the old quarters of St. Mark's library, was started on Sept. 4, 1362, with the collection of books given by Petrarch to the Republic. It now contains 400,00o volumes, 13,00o rare manuscripts, i,000 editions of the Aldine press, and over 3,00o in cuneiform character.