in 1797 The area was settled by the 11th century BC. According to legend,
Antenor fled from
Troy, leading the people of
Eneti from
Paphlagonia to inhabit the shores of the Adriatic. In 102 BC, The Romans defeated the Cimbri and the
Germanic tribes in the area, thus increasing their influence in the region to form the Regio X
Venetia et Histria. The exact date when Venice was established is unknown. Still, about 570 refugees from the hinterland, especially from
Aquileia, fled to the islands of the
Venetian Lagoon to escape the frequent barbaric invasions. At that time, the territory of the province was part of the Byzantine Empire, belonging to the
Exarchate of Ravenna. Over the centuries, Venice became more independent and in 697 it had its first Doge. With the destruction of
Eracliana in 805, the capital was moved to Rialto (Venice). In the Middle Ages, Venice became an
important maritime republic, completely independent from Byzantium, and began its expansion into the hinterland. In 1260, the Ezzelini family was defeated. Threatened by the expansionist ambitions of the
Visconti of Milan, in 1365, Venice began to invade neighbouring territories. By 1410, the Regio X Venetia et Histria had annexed
Padua and
Verona. By the 16th century, the Republic included territories from the
Julian Alps to
Crema,
Istria,
Dalmatia,
Cyprus and part of the
Peloponnese. In 1797,
Napoleon invaded the Republic and, following the
Treaty of Campo Formio, it was ceded to Austria. After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Austrian Empire founded a province of Venice on the
Adriatic Sea. In 2015, this was converted into the current metropolitan city. ==Geography==