Venice was one of the richest cities in the world during this period due to its advantageous trade routes and ports. It was a center of painting and other arts, home to many Renaissance masters. However, much of its cultural works were destroyed in a fire in 1577, including pieces by Titian and Veronese. Genoa was also an important cultural center, known for foods like pesto and focaccia. The city had a tradition of folk music and dialect. Christopher Columbus was a native of Genoa and donated part of his wealth to the city.

1. Venice Had trade routes , in 1454 the Ottomans granted the Venetians their ports and trading rights. Sought an alliance with the shah of Persia Venice was the second largest city in Europe after Paris and probably the riches in the world. Italy was divided in three main parts 1) Dogado 2) Statoda Mar 3) StatodiTerraferma Giovanni Villani, “”There was no citizen, high or low, who had not built, or was not in the process of building, a large and expensive property in the surrounding countryside, with a handsome dwelling and fine buildings, much better than in the city.” “It was such a magnificent sight that those coming from outside and not familiar with Florence believed that the fine buildings and beautiful places in a 3-mile band outside the town made it a Roman style city.” Cultural

2. Venice continued Below: Madonna and child with Saints, by: BonifazioVernese. Painting, architecture, and the liberal arts flourish at the courts of noble rulers such as the Sforza in Milan, the Gonzaga in Mantua, and the Este in Ferrara. Above all, however, Venice is a home to a celebrated school of painting and many of the greatest masters of the period. Renaissance style, which has by this time flourished in Tuscany, makes its way to northern Italy. These developments are inspired by visiting artists such as Paolo Uccello A fire destroys much of the Doge's Palace in Venice, including works by Titian and Veronese in 1577. Cultural Continued

3. Genoa Popular foods local to Genoa include pesto, focaccia, farinata, stoccafisso (stockfish), and salsa dinoci (walnut sauce). Pasta (usually trofie) al Pesto, is probably the most symbolic of Genoese mealsThe city has also a tradition of folk music in Genoese dialect, like the trallalero (a polyphonic vocal music, performed by five men) and several songs, including the well-known piece "Ma se ghepenso" (English: "But if I think about it"), a nostalgic memory of Genoa by an emigrated to Argentina Genoese is the most important dialect of the Ligurian language, and is commonly spoken in Genoa alongside Italian. Ligurian is listed by Ethnologue as a language in its own right, of the Romance branch, and not to be confused with the ancient Ligurian language. Like the languages of Lombardy, Piedmont, and surrounding regions, it is of Gallo-Italic derivation. Cultural Continued

4. Genoa continued Flag in Genoa is the St. George’s cross The Ligures were the first native people in Northern Italy Christopher Columbus is a native of Genoa, and he donated 1/10 of his income from the discovery of the Americas and Spain to the Bank of Saint George in Genoa. In Genoa’s peak in the 16th century, the city attracted many artists, and had famous architects design many of the city’s Palazzi Plague killed as much as half of the inhabitants of Genoa in 1656-57 Cultural Continued