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Venetian Extinction Throughout its near 1,500 year history, Venice has been at times the primary center of commerce between Europe and Asia, a feared sea power, a leading center of Renaissance art, and one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the world; unfortunately, it is standing today only as a mere fading tourist attraction. Hardly a trace of its brilliant heritage is left behind as the true Venetians rapidly migrate to a more feasible home. Modern historians claim that Venice is a dying city, “a victim of global warming and increasing pollution, literally sinking into the sea under the weight of its tourists while ordinary citizens can barely afford to live” (Barbaro overleaf). It is the beauty and originality which once brought Venice greatness in commerce, in art and at sea that is becoming obsolete in today’s modern economy. Years of glory rest upon Venice as an historically rich mercantile city-state. The city was originally founded as a province of the Roman Empire in the 6th century as a refuge for those fleeing invasions from the Lombards (an ancient Germanic people who barbarically invaded the north of Italy around the 570’s), and became the city of Venice before the dawn of the 9th century.