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A book authored by Dennis Romano, professor emeritus of history in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been recognized as one of The Economist’s best books of 2024.

The Economist described “Venice: The Remarkable History of the Lagoon City” (Oxford University Press, 2024) as “a sparkling account of Venice’s past and future” and said it “will become the history of choice for readers who want to better understand the lagoon city.”

In the book, Romano provides a comprehensive account of the political, economic, cultural, ecological, military and art history of Venice from the city’s origins to the present. Drawing from a wealth of archival material, he traces Venetian history across a long range, from the Ice Age emergence of the lagoon, its first permanent settlements and the rise of Venice’s maritime and commercial empire to industrialization, 20th-century fascism and contemporary tourism. In addition to covering elites like merchants and doges, the book offers portraits of Venetian commoners, drawing from documents such as diaries and last wills and testaments.

In an April , The Economist wrote, “The result is a triumph.” It continued, “This is contemporary historical writing of the highest quality: clear, entertaining and yet academically rigorous.”

Romano has published eight books and over 20 articles on medieval Italy and Venetian history, politics, culture, art and kinship. He has received numerous grant awards spanning five decades from institutions such as the Guggenheim Foundation, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Gallery of Art and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Romano’s academic work explores medieval and Renaissance Italy, early modern Europe, and Venice’s social and cultural history.

Story by Mikayla Melo