Recent changes

A dazzling city rose up from the marches, adorned with glorious churches and beautiful palazzi, built on the lucrative proceeds of prolific trading with the east. While it stands today as a glorious vision of the past, the spark for Venice's growth came from its willingness to sell future generations into captivity.¹

Traveled to Venice last week, and this passage came to mind. Also experienced a small flooding of the main square, water seeping out of stones, which felt like an eerie portent of the future.