Replicas of Venice around the Mediterranean

(CNN) – If we know one thing about Venice, it is that it is unique. What other city is built on water or packed with its extraordinary architecture?

Looks like there are quite a few.

The Republic of Venice – or the most serene Republic of Venice, to give it its full name – existed for 1,100 years, from 697 CE until 1797 CE, when Napoleon conquered the city.

It is an amazing period of time for a time when overthrows, coups and conquests were commonplace.

And as he gained power, he built a pseudo-empire along the Adriatic – not so much on the Italian side as on the east coast, in countries like modern Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and Greece. His tentacles extended as far as Crete and Cyprus.

Being an end of the Silk Road trade route, the city-state was one of the most cosmopolitan in Europe, inspired by its sparkling architecture and bright interiors around the world. And he took this extraordinary aspect with her, to the cities with which he led and allied.

This means that the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea was once full of mini-Venetians – not crossed by canals, but with the lion of St. Mark, the emblem of Venice, carved on the city walls; elaborate Venetian-style fountains fields (squares); and those famous flamboyant buildings with porticos, side windows, and everywhere bell (bell towers) that look like the one in San Marco Square.

Today, many of these mini-Venetians remain. Here are some of the most atmospheric.

Piran, Slovenia

Calling you from the sea and from land, the bell tower of the cute Piran is a dead sound for the famous bell tower in St. Mark’s Square.

This is Venice, if Venice were a village. Part of the Venetian Republic from 1283 to 1797, when the Austrians took over, was a semi-autonomous city. Not that it got stuck in the past – it is believed to be the first city in the former Yugoslavia to elect a black mayor, Ghanaian Peter Bossman, who was elected in 2010.

Sure, there are no canals, and the small fishing boats anchored in the city center are far from the ferries and cruise ships of Venice, but this small oasis of calm on the Adriatic Sea has sparkling Venetian-style buildings in Tartini Square, including the “Venetian House” red, Gothic from the 15th century and a lion of Saint Mark from the town hall. That bell? It belongs to St. George’s Cathedral, perched high on the rocks.

Istria – this huge, feather-shaped peninsula at the northern end of the Adriatic – is full of Venetian cities. Today, it is largely part of Croatia, with a strip at the top, based in Slovenia. Take a coastal road trip and see the Venetian-style bells after the bells.

Isolate, nearby, is very similar.

Koper, Slovenia

Did you find the Rialto Bridge in Venice too crowded? Hop two hours east and across the border with Slovenia to Koper, where the Da Ponte fountain (Da Pontejev vodnjak) is a reproduction of the most famous bridge in Venice. The Mini Rialto, ordered in 1666, is just one of many Venetian elements – it was once the capital of Venetian Istria. In fact, it is almost opposite Venice, with the Adriatic between them.

The cream-colored, molded Pretorian Palace has a large outdoor staircase that reminds you of the Doge’s Palace, and the Cathedral of the Assumption has a Venetian bell, a bell cast in Venice and a work by Carpaccio, one of the greatest Renaissance artists Venice.

Grado, Italy

Validated over a lagoon full of islands on its own sandbar, Grado looks familiar. In fact, this, in the neighboring region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, 90 minutes northeast of La Serenissima, is known as the “mother of Venice”, being founded in Roman times, but hosting refugees fleeing the continent for centuries V and VI – like Venice.

The bishops of nearby Aquileia moved their headquarters here, allying themselves first with the Byzantines and then with Venice. That’s why you’ll see Campo dei Patriarchi – as in Venice, a square is called a country side not a market – with its churches resembling those on the island of Torcello in Venice, a Venetian-style bell tower and long stretches of sand, such as the Lido in Venice.

The city of Corfu, Greece

At the mouth of the Adriatic, the Ionian Islands were a key part of the Venetian territories, and the UNESCO-protected city of Corfu is one of the best examples of the Republic’s influence.

The French took control in 1797, when the Republic fell, but before that, the Venetians had built no less than three cities, which still exist – as well as the countless neoclassical pastel-colored palaces and imposing loggias that cover it.

Other Venetian settlements in Greece include Nafplio, on the Peloponnese; The Cycladic island of Syros; and Crete, where a Venetian lighthouse is still looming over the port of Chania.

Svetvincenat, Croatia

First things first: this is not on the water. However, half an hour north of Pula and deep in the Istrian peninsula, this pretty village still exuded Venetian style.

But the view that will take you directly to La Serenissima is the main square. The best example of Renaissance urban planning in Istria, the church and its bell tower overlook neat houses, a loggia and a typical Venetian fountain. Wondering what residential Venice looked like in the 1500s? This is.

Chioggia, Italy

When the crowds get too big in Venice, take the vaporetto to the island of Lido and board the ferry number 11, which will cleave through the lagoon, reaching Chioggia – perched on five islands, at the southern end of the Venetian lagoon.

Much of this fishing town will seem familiar: beautiful canals, crossed by ancient bridges; the great palaces; churches full of art; and the glittering views of the lagoon with the Dolomites in the background.

Unlike Venice, however, cars are allowed in Chioggia, so the main street is a busy road, and some of those nice bridges have cars passing over them.

It is also an important fishing town and you will see the large boats parked under the church of St. Dominic, as well as the folk art of these fishermen in the church itself.

Rovinj, Croatia

Another mini Venice on the Adriatic Sea, Rovinj may be a popular destination, but it is still a quiet haven compared to the hometown. Today, part of Croatia, this fishing town on the Istrian peninsula was transferred between the Byzantines, Dubrovnik and Aquileia (another city linked to Venice) before giving in to La Serenissima in 1283, in exchange for their protection.

Does the bell tower of St. Euphemia Cathedral seem familiar? That’s because it was modeled after St. Mark’s. The thin, attractive fireplaces also date back to Venetian rule.

Today, once you’ve taken the lions of St. Mark’s point through the city, take a walk along the seafront. You will pass beyond thick pines to the stunning modern Lone Hotel, which looks – perhaps suitable for its connections to Venice – like a giant cruise ship overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Muggia, Italy

Located deep in the “armpit” of the Adriatic, two hours east of Venice, on the border with Slovenia, quite small Muggia is another village Venice. Its strong bell tower dominates the city, which entered the Venetian Republic in 1420 – you will have a beautiful view of the port, where small yachts dock.

You will find the lion of St. Mark on the lemon facade of the town hall, the bone-white cathedral (carved like flower petals) is early Venetian Gothic, and the Renaissance-era houses on Calle Oberdan are Venetian-style (though not on a canal). The dialect, traditional costumes and signed dishes are also Venetian – although today it is part of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Korčula, Croatia

The explorer Marco Polo is synonymous with Venice, but what the Venetians will not tell you is that he was actually born on the island of Kurzola, as he was called, or Korčula, in modern Croatia, about 400 miles southeast of La Serenissima. .

Today, you can visit what is said to be his birthplace or you can reach the 15th-century St. Mark’s Cathedral, which is not only named after the patron saint of Venice, but contains two works by the Renaissance painter Tintoretto. .

Under communist rule after World War II, much of the Venetian heritage – such as the St. Mark’s lions that were scattered around the island – was destroyed. However, the Italian influence persists: the city walls are Venetian, a lion guards the entrance gate, and the words of the Venetian dialect scatter the discussions of the locals.

Nicosia, Cyprus

The Republic of Venice dominated the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus – in fact, every September 5 to this day, Venice celebrates the moment when Queen Caterina Cornaro handed over the island to the Venetians with a watery parade on the Grand Canal.

There are ruins and Venetian walls in Famagusta, in northern Cyprus – the de facto state of the north of the island, which is recognized only by Turkey. But perhaps the most spectacular imprint they left on the island was the star-shaped walls of the capital, Nicosia.

Today, Nicosia is divided in half – the border between the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus crosses it directly – but the walls, designed in 1567 by Giulio Savorgnan and Francesco Barbaro, remain.

Looking like a star, a comet, a sun or even a Covid-19 cell, depending on how you see it, the complex is best admired from above.