Venice appeared as a kind of, but not quite, sovereign polity in the late 700s and 800s. Venetian society, no longer governed directly by Constantinople, nor really independent, had to survive between the two super-powers of their time, Byzantium and the Carolingian Empire.

The origins of Venice go back to Roman times, long before there was a Venetian state, and a city called Venice.

The History of Venice spans some two millennia, and in this first episode of the podcast I'll try to draw some long lines from the very earliest times until the current.

A brief introduction of the Venetian Stories podcast, and your guide, René Seindal.