Sottomarina is an Italian town of Roman origin. It is a frazione of the comune of Chioggia, which is part of the province of Venice in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Like Venice, it is an island cut into pieces by canals, and it has bridges to bring the island together. Sottomarina was known as Clodia minor in the 7th century AD. The burgh was governed by a tribune, and was connected to Chioggia by a stone bridge. The town was destroyed in 1379, in the course of the War of Chioggia between the Republics of Genoa and Venice, remaining uninhabited and subject to floods. It was rebuilt only in the 17th century.

The seaside area was largely modified when, in the late 19th century, the course of Brenta River was changed and, in the 1930s, a dam was built in the San Felice area (south of Chioggia's port). Now, Sottomarina is a tourist attraction. It has many hotels, camping grounds, and private residences. This area is considered the bread basket of Italy because of the rich soil from the Po River. At one time, Sottomarina had its own laws and government, but now it is part of Chioggia. It is attached to Chioggia by a bridge. The area of Sottomarina is 5 kilometers long and 300 meters wide, but the area changes depending on the river. Graphic sourced with thanks from Www.sottomarina.net/storia.htm

Wikipedia articles for Sottomarina

• Sottomarina
• Chioggia
• Brenta (river)