The location of Venice upon a group of islands, sufficiently removed from the mainland to make it impossible to effectually attack it from this side, and naturally defended on the side towards the sea by a long chain of low islands, separated by shallow inlets and winding channels, making it difficult to approach, has rendered the city peculiarly free from the disturbing influences which were constantly at work in the neighboring cities of Italy during the Middle Ages.  While her neighbors were building strong encircling walls, each individual house a fortress in itself, Venice rested secure in her natural defences and built her palaces open down to the water’s edge, with no attempt at fortification.  Her hardy and adventurous inhabitants rapidly extended their trade to all quarters of the world and accumulated vast wealth, which was freely lavished on public and private buildings.  The magnificence of the former was only equalled in the days of ancient Rome, and it is doubtful if the latter have ever been surpassed in sumptuousness and splendor.  The palaces of Venice form an architectural group of great interest, in many respects quite distinct from the contemporary buildings on the mainland.  They were carefully planned to satisfy the demands for comfort and convenience as well as display.  Most of them have the same arrangement of plan, and were commonly built of two lofty and two low stories.  On the ground floor, or water level, is a hall running back from the gate to a bit of garden at the other side of the palace, and on either side of this hall, which was hung with the family trophies of the chase and war, are the porter’s lodge and gondoliers’ rooms.  On the first and second stories are the family apartments, opening on either side from great halls, of the same extent as that below, but with loftier roofs, of heavy rafters gilded or painted.  The fourth floor is of the same arrangement, but has a lower roof, and was devoted to the better class of servants.  Of the two stories used by the family, the third is the loftier and airier, and was occupied in summer; the second was the winter apartment.  On either hand the rooms open in suites.  The courtyard at the rear usually had a well in its centre with an ornamental curb; and access to the upper floors of the house was gained by an exterior staircase in the court, which was often elaborately enriched with carved ornament.

The materials used in construction are mostly red and white marbles, used with a fine color sense, and the desire for abundance of color was frequently further gratified by painting the exterior walls with elaborate pictorial decorations.

[Illustration:  II.  The Palazzo Contarini Fasan, Venice.]

The earliest palaces are Byzantine, but with the growth of the Gothic movement these were gradually superseded, although the Gothic influence worked more slowly here than on the mainland.  The richest and most elaborate work was built at this period.  Finally the Renaissance took the place of Gothic; and the later palaces, built in this style, show strongly the debased condition into which the art of Venice fell in the Dark Ages.