Dennis Romano, Emeritus Professor of History, Syracuse University:

Located in a tidal lagoon at the northern extreme of the Adriatic Sea, Venice has always had a fraught relationship with its surrounding waters. With no easy access to fresh water, the Venetians were forced to develop ingenious methods to supply their city with drinking water.  So too Venice both benefited from and was imperiled by its watery locale. The sea and the rivers that flow into the lagoon offered defensive security and vital trade routes, but simultaneously threatened to flood the city with seawater or transform the lagoon into a malaria-ridden swamp.  This talk traces Venice’s history by examining its four ages of water, as water has evolved in Venetian minds from a benefit to a problem to be solved, from an obstacle to be overcome, to an existential threat. 

Dennis Romano is the Dr. Walter Montgomery and Marion Gruber Professor of History emeritus at Syracuse University.  A former Guggenheim fellow, he has also held fellowships at the National Gallery of Art, the National Humanities Center, and the Folger Shakespeare Library.  He is the author of several books on Venetian history, including The Likeness of Venice:  A Life of Doge Francesco Foscari, 1373-1457 and his most recent work: Venice:  The Remarkable History of the Lagoon City, just published this year.

Venice: The Remarkable History of the Lagoon City will be available for purchase at 6:30 in the Library lobby, and Dennis will be on hand to sign books.