The Floating City: Public Life in Venice through the Ages

This course uses an interdisciplinary lens to observe a mosaic of views on Venice. We look at images, architectural drawings, and maps to understand the way that buildings created and framed the public spaces of the piazza; read laws, travel accounts, and journals to understand how communal and individual concerns were negotiated in these public spaces; and read plays and listen to music composed and performed in the city to understand the intersecting roles of politics, art, and culture over time. The digital assignments highlighted here demonstrate students’ engagement with digital literacy, a necessary skill in an increasingly electronic age. Using StoryMap, students narrate the history of Venetian ritual processions and show the itinerary of a traveler to Venice. We use Sketch-Up to create a model of an 18th century Venetian building based in primary sources.