<Li> Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities . </Li> <P> Additionally, Thomas Mann's novella, Death in Venice (1912), was the basis for Benjamin Britten's eponymous opera . </P> <P> Venice, especially during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and Baroque periods, was a major centre of art and developed a unique style known as the Venetian School . In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Venice, along with Florence and Rome, became one of the most important centres of art in Europe, and numerous wealthy Venetians became patrons of the arts . Venice at the time was a rich and prosperous Maritime Republic, which controlled a vast sea and trade empire . </P> <P> Venice has a rich and diverse architectural style, the most prominent of which is the Gothic style . Venetian Gothic architecture is a term given to a Venetian building style combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine and Ottoman influences . The style originated in 14th - century Venice, where the confluence of Byzantine style from Constantinople met Arab influence from Islamic Spain . Chief examples of the style are the Doge's Palace and the Ca' d'Oro in the city . The city also has several Renaissance and Baroque buildings, including the Ca' Pesaro and the Ca' Rezzonico . </P>

Venice is the capital city of which country