Watchtower of Mestre.

Mestre is a town in Veneto, northern Italy, a frazione of the comune of Venice. Located on the mainland, together with the neighbouring Marghera it includes c. 200,000 inhabitants of the comune, the islands of Venice proper accounting for c. 70,000. Vèneto is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... A frazione, in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other subdivisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere. ... In Italy, the comune, (plural comuni) is the basic administrative unit of both provinces and regions, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality. ... Venice, (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) is the capital of the region of Veneto and the province of the same name in Italy. ...

The city is connected to Venice by a large rail and road bridge, called Ponte della Libertà (Freedom Bridge).

Mestre is the largest city in Italy to have no status of autonomous comune.

History

According to a legend, Mestre was founded by Mesthles, a companion of the hero Antenor, a fugitive from Troy who founded Padua. The true origins of the city are uncertain, although it is known that a Roman oppidum (fortress) existed in the place, which was destroyed by Attila and probably rebuilt in the 10th century. In Greek mythology, Antenor was a son of the Dardanian noble Aesyetes by Cleomestra. ... Walls of the excavated city of Troy Troy (Greek: Τροία [Troia], also Ίλιον [Ilion], Latin: Troia, Ilium) is a legendary city and center of the Trojan War, as described in the Epic Cycle, and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer. ... Tronco Maestro Riviera: a pedestrian walk along a section of the inland waterway or naviglio interno of Padua. ... For other uses, see Attila (disambiguation). ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ...

The first historical mention is from an Imperial diploma by Otto III, by which Rambald, count of Treviso, received a terrain in the area named Mestre. In 1152 a bull by Pope Eugene III recognized the bishop of Treviso as lord of Mestre, citing the existence of the church of St. Lawrence, a castle and a port. In 1257 the bishops ceded it to Alberico da Romano. The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... Otto III in a medieval manuscript Otto III (980 – January 23, 1002, Paterno, Italy) was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty. ... Events March 4 - Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of the Germans Eleanor of Aquitaine has her marriage to Louis VII annulled May 18 - Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry of Anjou Church of Ireland acknowledges Popes authority Almohad Dynasty conquers Algeria Establishment of the archbishopric of Nidaros (Trondheim), Norway... The Blessed Eugene III, né Bernardo Pignatelli (d. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ...

The port benefited of the economical growth of Venice, constituting its main connection towards the Italian mainland. In 1274 a fire destroyed the castle, and the inhabitants moved to a location nearby, Castelnuovo (new Castle). No traces remain today of the old castle.

In the 14th century the Scaliger family from Verona conquered Mestre and Treviso in 1323. The Venetians, fearing the excessive Veronese power in the mainland, conquered on September 29, 1337. An artificial channel was built to favour the goods transport. The persons most commonly meant by the single name are Julius Caesar Scaliger and Joseph Justus Scaliger, qq. ... Events Canonization of Saint Thomas Aquinas Lithuania: Vilnius becomes capital August 12 - The Treaty of Nöteborg between Sweden and Novgorod (Russia) is signed, regulating the border for the first time Pharos of Alexandira Lighthouse (one of the Seven Wonders of the world) is destroyed by a series of earthquakes... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 16 - Edward, the Black Prince is created Duke of Cornwall, becoming the first English Duke Beginning of the Hundred Years War (c. ...

The Venetian domination ended on July 16, 1797. In 1808 Mestre, following the French practice, constituted itself into a free commune. It remained such under the subsequent Austrian and Italian rules, receiving the title of city in 1923. Three years later, however, a Royal Decree annexed it to the comune of Venezia. July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In the 1960s and 1970s Mestre experimented a huge demographic growth, spurred mainly by the construction of a huge industrial district in the nearby Marghera.

Main sights

• Cathedral of St. Lawrence (17th century)
• Palazzo da Re
• Torre dell'Orologio (Watchtower, 1108)
• Palazzo podestarile
• Provvedaria