Speaker: Jonathan Keates
Topic: Dreams and Romance: a History of Venice
Venue: Vinson Building
Time: 10.00-11.00 Sunday 15 September
Talk Summary:
‘Everything about Venice is, or was, extraordinary,’ wrote Lord Byron. ‘Her aspect is like a dream, and her history is like a romance.’ Yet beyond the myth of Venice, there is the hard reality of an independent city-state built on conquest, profit and entitlement, made possible by a free and independent people. Key moments in the history of La Serenissima reveal why Venice has lasted a thousand years – and how it will deal with the formidable challenges it faces in the future.
Jonathan Keates is a historian and writer, and former chairman of the Venice in Peril Fund. He is the author of acclaimed biographies of Handel, Purcell and Stendhal, as well as several travel books on Italy, for which he was recently honored with the Ordine della Stella d’Italia. His latest book is La Serenissima: the Story of Venice (Head of Zeus).