Venice is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is sited on a group of 117 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. he name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC. The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges" and "The Floating City".