Publisher Description
Renowned professor Thomas F. Madden focuses his expertise on what has been called the most beautiful city in the world-Venice. In these lectures, Professor Madden explains how the city on the lagoon was established by refugees escaping the onslaught of northern "barbarians" invading the crumbling Roman Empire. Through its history, Venice housed the world's leading merchants, thrived as a maritime powerhouse, and developed into an independent republic not unlike the present United States. Venice draws millions of visitors each year, and these lectures shed light on why the city is such a continual source of fascination.
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About Thomas F. Madden
Thomas F. Madden is professor of history and director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. He is a widely recognized expert on the Crusades and Christian-Muslim relations and the author of numerous books, including The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople, Enrico Dandolo and the Rise of Venice, and Venice: A New History. Awards for his scholarship include the Haskins Medal and the Otto Gründler Prize. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri.