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Venice became very soon a powerful merchant place, allied to Byzantium, and received in 1080 all possible advantages and privileges to do business with the Byzantine Empire. This will allow Venice to build a genuine colonial empire.
The start of Venice's power really begins in the 11 and 12th century to reach its peak in the two newt centuries. She installs commerce posts all around the Mediterranean, Tripoli, Try, but also in Crete and Dalmatia…Its colonial staff acts like real antennas for their home city and permits Venice to build out an impressive and powerful fleet. Great convoys sail regularly, heavily charged with goods and guarded by lighter war vessels. After a while, Venice becomes the unavoidable partner for all Mediterranean ports, obliged partner of whoever wants to do business with the Orient. Especially luxury products: spices, rare wood, wines and silk. She also made a fortune by hiring its vessels to the crusades, getting paid cash and arming them with canons, food, provisions and more. Corinthia and Thebes is full of Venetians dealing in oil and silk. A very powerful family, the Polo, sends even one of his sons to Central Asia and thus to Beijing (Peking)One of their sons; Marco Polo (20 years old), is engaged to be the ambassador to the great khan Kubilai.
Venice becomes that powxerful that she arouses the distrust of pope Jules II and Emperor Maximilian of Austria. They will form the Cambrai Liga to go at war against Venice.....
A remain of this past glory is till to find in the very colourful RIALTO MARKET.
It is held on the Campo San Giacomo/Campo della Pescheria, San Polo from Monday to Saturday 8.00-12.00 (fish on Tuesd-Saturd)
The genuine heart and soul of authentic Venice. To see it at close range, DON'T STOP at Ruga dei Orefici, despite it looks very picturesque and look like an Oriental bazaar, with its stands crawling under fruit and mixed vegetables. Better cross the Campo San Giacomo and pass from behind, towards the Grand Canal. The displays crumble under the weight of all kind of merchandise: fruits and vegetables "nostrani", gorged by the sun of the Laguna, and further on, under the arches of the "pescheria", tons of varied sorts of fish, often fished a few hours ago in the Adriatatic sea.
Sympathetic and popular ambience, deliverers pushing chariots "high speed" shouting "Varde a gambe!!"(Beware your feet!!) to the paralysed tourist. Merchants calling you constantly to praise their merchandise and housewives bargaining at a level you wouldn't believe they could!

Bibliography

The City of Light,,by D'Ancon (1997), Did Marco Polo Go to China?, by es Wood (London, 1995)); O. Logan, Culture and Society in Venice, 1470-1790 (1972); W. H. McNeill, Venice: The Hinge of Europe, 1081-1797