Venice is a place.
The Venetian Lagoon ( Laguna di Venezia Łaguna de Venesia ) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea , in northern Italy , in which the city of Venice is situated . Venice ( [ langˈvɛnɪs ] ; Venezia [ veˈnɛtsja ] ; Venesia [ - vecveˈnɛsja ] ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region . The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice . The Republic of Venice was a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance , and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto , as well as a very important center of commerce ( especially silk , grain , and spice ) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century .