{"product_id":"venice-from-the-ground-up","title":"Venice from the Ground Up","description":"Venice came to life on spongy mudflats at the edge of the habitable world. Protected in a tidal estuary from barbarian invaders and Byzantine overlords  the fishermen  salt gatherers  and traders who settled there crafted an amphibious way of life unlike anything the Roman Empire had ever known. In an astonishing feat of narrative history  James H. S. McGregor recreates this world-turned-upside-down  with its waterways rather than roads  its boats tethered alongside dwellings  and its livelihood harvested from the sea. McGregor begins with the river currents that poured into the shallow Lagoon  carving channels in its bed and depositing islands of silt. He then describes the imaginative responses of Venetians to the demands and opportunities of this harsh environmenttransforming the channels into canals  reclaiming salt marshes for the construction of massive churches  erecting a thriving marketplace and stately palaces along the Grand Canal. Through McGregors eyes  we witness the flowering of Venices restless creativity in the elaborate mosaics of St. Marks soaring basilica  the expressive paintings in smaller neighborhood churches  and the colorful religious festivalsbut also in theatrical productions  gambling casinos  and masked revelry  which reveal the citys less pious and orderly face. McGregor tells his unique history of Venice by drawing on a crumbling  tide-threatened cityscape and a treasure-trove of art that can still be seen in place today. The narrative follows both a chronological and geographical organization  so that readers can trace the citys evolution chapter by chapter and visitors can explore it district by district on foot and by boat.","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44910400372789,"sku":"ByrdShop_0674023331","price":59.81,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/ByrdShop_0674023331.jpg?v=1768216639","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/venice-from-the-ground-up","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}