By the 18th century, there were two things on Venice's mind - art and sex. Casanova's A History of My Life detailed his erotic exploits, making him a celebrity overnight. And as sex tourists began using art as an excuse to visit Venice, Canaletto created views of the city that became the luxury postcards of the day. The climax of this pleasure seeking was the Carnival masked ball, when all barriers of class and wealth were broken down. But even as hedonism thrived, disaster was imminent.
Since Byron put the city on the tourist map, life has become increasingly hard for the Venetians. In the 1966 flood, Francesco da Mosto was a terrified child watching waters invade his home. Outrageous modernising ideas also threaten Venice: from bridges linking the city with mainland Italy to flattening churches and converting the Grand Canal into an eight-lane motorway.